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You've heard the story about the most famous magician the United States ever produced, Harry Houdini...how he was punched by a college kid in Canada and died after a performance in Detroit, right? No? Then you can read about it HERE but only after you've read the rest of this and looked at the photos.

It was October 31 – Halloween – 1926 when Houdini passed away. His body was transported to the Hamilton Funeral Home, located at 3977 Cass Avenue in Detroit. It was here where he was embalmed and placed in a special bronze casket complete with a glass lid. Why such a special box?

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The casket was originally intended to be used by Houdini for one of his magic performances. The casket was nailed into a wooden crate, shipped to Michigan Central Station, and from there onto a train bound for New York.

Since then, new owners have neglected the old funeral home building, which was hit by lightning years ago and ruined by rain damage. There is always some speculation of trying to restore the building and use it for something else, but time will tell. It still sits run-down but majestic on the outside, but a derelict mess on the inside, corner of Cass and Alexandrine.

Looking at the photos below, one can imagine which of these rooms the Great Houdini was placed, embalmed, and kept cool in. Even though the interior is a mess, you can still see in your mind's eye how upscale and meticulous this place once was...if it's good enough for the Great Houdini, then it had to be somewhat upper class.

Abandoned Funeral Home Where Houdini Was Embalmed

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