EXPLORE THE WONDER OF IT ALL
“Located in Marshall, Michigan, the American Museum of Magic has delighted the public with all the wonders of magic since 1978. Visitors are invited to explore the contributions and life stories of magicians from around the globe. Immerse yourself in the largest collection of magic artifacts on display anywhere in the U.S. and discover what has been described as “the Smithsonian of American magic.”
Mission Statement:
“The American Museum of Magic is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of magic for audiences of all ages.”
Announcements
- The Magic Speaker begins again! The Magic Speaker Series starts again for 2026, the schedule will be updated shortly with additional events. Schedule can be found here.
- The Saturday Magic Show! The American Museum of Magic holds a magic show every Saturday at the museum at 2 PM. For dates and details check out our events page.
- Want to come in outside of our usual hours? Call the museum and make a special appointment for a visit of the museum!
- Want to do Research or Visit our Archive? Our archive is only open to people with the approval of a board member. If you want to make an appointment please contact us at (269)-781-7570 or email us at info@americanmuseumofmagic.com and we will get in touch about your requests.
Visit
Discover the magic of Blackstone, Thurston, Houdini, and more.
Group Tours
Book a live, interactive virtual tour for your group today.
Research
The Lund Memorial Library is home to thousands of archival materials.
As the nation marks 250 years since July 4, 1776, it's worth remembering the Americans whose stories rarely make the headlines. Among them is Richard Potter, the country's first native-born magician and one of its earliest celebrity entertainers.
Potter was born in 1783 in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, just as the new republic was finding its footing. His mother, Dinah, was a slave in the household of Sir Charles Frankland, a former tax collector of the Port of Boston. Potter's paternity was never established, but family lore pointed to Frankland's son. Raised in the Frankland home, Potter sailed to Britain at age 10 as a cabin boy. Life at sea did not suit him, and he eventually fell in with John Rannie, a Scottish magician and ventriloquist, working as his assistant on European tours.
Around 1800, the pair returned to the U.S. and joined a traveling circus, touring for a decade before Rannie went home in 1811. That November, Potter launched his solo career at Boston's Exchange Coffee House, with his wife Sally, a Penobscot woman he had married in 1808, assisting him. His shows were billed as "one hundred curious experiments with money, eggs, cards and the like." He became a sensation, and by 1817 was charging a dollar admission, roughly $25 today.
Spectators often mistook Potter for a Native American or South Asian, and he leaned in. Sometimes he wore a turban, sometimes he introduced Sally as a Penobscot, and sometimes he claimed to be the son of Benjamin Franklin, a play on Frankland. Audiences craved exoticism, and Potter gave them the show they wanted.
In Mobile, Alabama, an innkeeper refused him a room because of his race, yet Potter walked away with $4,800 in receipts, about $55,000 today. Not trusting his safety, he slipped out at night, riding opposite his next booking before doubling back.
Potter died Sept. 20, 1835, at age 52. Sally followed a year later. They were buried in front of their Andover, New Hampshire home, where his stone reads, "In memory of Richard Potter, the Celebrated Ventriloquist." His former estate, Potter Place, still bears his name, and the American Museum of Magic still cherishes the legend of "America's first magician."
A big thanks to Mike Caveney for allowing usage of his Potter's Exhibition Ticket!
This July the 4th (Saturday), the American Museum of Magic will be open and hosting a magic show! Featuring Trazdal!
Make the quintessential magical!
Sean David Bogunia
This Saturday (6/27) at 2PM we will be hosting John Sherwood at the American Museum of Magic!
Show comes free with admission!
KEEP THE MAGIC ALIVE.
The American Museum of Magic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We depend on volunteers, members, and individual donors to keep our museum doors open to the public.
DON’T MISS OUT!
BECOME PART OF THE MAGIC.
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