Founder of Magic Castle – the legendary private club for magicians in the heart of Hollywood – dies in his sleep aged 92

Milt Larsen, the co-founder of the legendary Magic Castle, has died at the age of 92.

Larsen passed away in his sleep on Sunday night, family sources told TMZ. 

ABC7’s George Pennacchio reported that Larsen died from natural causes.

The Magic Castle is a private club for magicians located in Hollywood, California. 

‘It is with heavy hearts that the Academy of Magical Arts shares the sad news that Magic Castle founder Milt Larsen has passed away,’ Chuck Martinez, chair of the board of directors for the Castle’s Academy of Magical Arts, said in a statement provided to City News Service. ‘For decades, he brought magic to so many lives and his legacy will continue to do so. We will miss him tremendously.’

Larsen was a magician himself and a writer for TV game shows including Truth or Consequences.

He founded the Magic Castle in 1963 with his brother, William Larsen Jr., and William’s wife Irene.

The Larsen family has operated the exclusive club for decades, leasing a gothic home on 7001 Franklin Avenue from owner Thomas O. Glover and turning it into an exclusive clubhouse for magicians.

Larsen’s wife Arlene paid tribute to her husband on Monday writing: ‘My beloved husband, Milt, passed away peacefully in his sleep after 92 magical years. I was fortunate enough to have spoken to him right before his went to bed, and his was in great spirits.

‘He led an incredible life, and I want to especially thank Randy and Kristy Pitchford for making Milt’s last year so special for him. 

‘In the coming days and weeks there will doubtless be opportunities for us all to celebrate Milt’s life. In the meantime, I ask for some time to grieve in private and for no gifts or flowers to be sent to our home. Thank you all for your love and suppose. Milt will be deeply missed by all who knew him.’ 

In 2022, the Franklin Avenue manor was purchased by Randy Pitchford, founder of video-game maker Gearbox Entertainment.

An avid magician himself and longtime AMA member and Magic Castle attendee, Pitchford said he was dedicated to the preservation of the 1908-vintage building.

‘The Magic Castle is like bedrock — the center point of magic,’ Pitchford said in a statement in 2022. 

‘The people who think of the Castle as their home and the place itself seem to have magical properties that have created and inspired some of the world’s greatest entertainers. I’m proud to be trusted to both give back to the place that made me to become the custodian of the Magic Castle and to work with its members and the Larsen family to ensure our most incredible club house grows and thrives for decades to come.’ 

Larsen said at the time that Pitchford ‘has done something extraordinary to protect our beloved Magic Castle and I could not be happier about our current situation as well as the prospects for the future. Randy really understands and appreciates my vision and the Larsen family vision and there is no one better to carry on what we started in 1963.’

Milt Larsen and his late brother were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.

William Larsen Jr. died in 1993 at age 64. Irene Larsen died in 2016 at age 79.

A long-time resident of Montecito, Larsen divided his time between Los Angeles and the coastal town. 

In addition to his wife Arlene, he is survived by his niece Erika Larsen, president of Magic Castle Enterprises Inc., his nephew Dante Larsen, and great-nieces Jessica Hopkins and Liberty Larsen. 

No services have been scheduled at this time.