The Mile High Magicians Society visited the brand-new Museum of Illusions located in Downtown Denver. Members had the opportunity to bring their entire family to explore the museum. These museums are located across three continents, but we are now fortunate to have one located in our city.
Once the museum closed to the public for the night, the magicians and their families had the entire venue to themselves. The meeting started with Steve Spangler introducing the staff and the concept to the club. He has facilitated a partnership between the club and the museum to give some of our members the opportunity to perform at the venue. Spangler brought one of his own illusions: the Afghan Bands. He started with three circular cloth pieces. He started to tear one of the bands lengthwise, which produced two separate rings. However, when he repeated this procedure with another piece, the bands were interlocked. Spangler tore the last piece the same way but ended up with a larger ring. This introduced the audience to the concept of viewing something from different perspectives, much like optical illusions.
Eddie Goldstein is not just a magician; he has worked as a scientific communicator teaching STEM concepts through entertainment. He has decades of experience working in museums, so it was fitting that he was a part of this opening. He brought out a metal ring and a ribbon. The ribbon was put through the ring. He was able to magically pull the ring through the rope and place it back on. Goldstein did break the magician’s code and revealed that there was a magnet in the ribbon. However, this showed the audience how our perceptions deceive us.
After the introductions, it was time for the magicians and their families to explore the museum’s offerings at their own pace. They were greeted with life-size versions of illusions. Unlike most museums, guests were invited to interact with the exhibits and play around with the props. They could photograph themselves holding their parents up on an apartment balcony, lose their balance in the vortex tunnel, or attempt to solve some of the puzzles. At the end of the evening, there were tons of fun photos shared by our members of these illusions and experiences. Everyone had an amazing time at the museum during this special event.
Special thanks to Steve Spangler, Eddie Goldstein, and the Museum of Illusions for a wonderful and deceptive night.