Cool venue but strange exhibits. Interesting way to spend an hour when you have some time downtown Appleton.

While I'm not specifically a Houdini nut, I love a good quirky museum. One of the things I really enjoyed about visiting this spot was the building itself, formerly a Masonic temple built in 1923. The flooring and woodwork were beautiful. But as far as the Houdini exhibit, I wasn't blown away. Several of the interactive pieces were not working. I did enjoy that you could get inside some of the items, like the milk can and a straight jacket, but I wouldn't recommend a trip here just for the Houdini exhibit. The History Museum at the Castle does have other exhibits, which depending on what's in house could make your visit more worthwhile. read more

Worth the stop if you want to see some of Houdini's stuff and they had a great guitar exhibit as well. A little pricy but for a museum ok. The place is kinda cool inside and out and you have the small town atmosphere outside . read more

I'd be lion if I said this museum wasn't worth $6. The Harry exhibit was pretty Houdi-neat, but the rest was far from magical. read more

History Museum at the Castle - they weren't kitten around with this sculpture - Museums Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

The castle is pretty cool, but the museum part is a bit disappointing. There is the Houdini exhibit and there is an exhibit on Appleton sports teams. That's it. No, wait, there's a gift shop too. The admission is $7.50 for adults, which isn't bad I guess. I enjoyed it and had been meaning to check it out for years, but I doubt that I would go back. read more

Good for kids most exhibits are hands on. The younger kids will be ok with the simpler Da Vinci machines replicas, but might have problems with most of the Houdini ones since they are a little more intricate/involved. If you have a 5-10 year old this place is probably perfect for them. The local Appleton history installation on the lower floor was the best for me since it was more in depth with some stunning photographs, old cars, machinery and scene reproductions. Worth the $15 admission to kill an afternoon. read more

HISTORY MUSEUM at the CASTLE -330 E College Ave., Appleton, WI 54911 (920) 733-8445, myhistorymuseum.org Q-Tips say: SEE IT! In a cool Castle, Part History, and part Houdini. Mrs. Q enjoyed the Houdini part because it had many "hands on" exhibit. Most you could try yourself! Yes, they do warn you about finding out how magicians accomplish their tricks - so if you don't want to know - skip that part. Houdini likes to say that he is from Appleton but was really was born in the Hungary and lived in Appleton as a child. Mrs. Q finds it interesting that Houdini did not believe in mediums and psychics. His training in magic helped him expose frauds that scientists and academics could not. He chronicled his time investigating the occult in his book, "A Magician Among the Spirits". An interesting Museum - granted, not the largest you might have ever seen but enjoyable non the less. Houdini died in an unusual way and a replica of the coffin he used for one of his magic tricks is on display. A bit of history about arry Houdini: www.thegreatharryhoudini.com/ Alice 34203 and 60660 read more

We were visiting the Franklin Street Inn and drove in from Chicago, I was happy to find a HOUDINI exhibit! Great pics, videos and devices to try! Very cheap to get in also. read more

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Fantastic little museum. The Houdini exhibit is modest, but very well done. The local history exhibit downstairs is very different in style and presentation fro the Houdini one, but it is also well done. I was unsure what to expect, but I am glad I visited. read more

I've been here before with my son for the Houdini exhibit, but this time I brought my 11 and 10 year old as well as my mother. The building looks really cool from the outside. Big, majestic, etc. Cost was more than I thought it should be for what it was. I believe I paid $48 for the 4 of us. The DaVinci exhibit was cool. It was neat to see his inventions in practice. The kids didn't find it as interesting, though. They said they had a McCarthy exhibit. I think that consisted of 2 small walls in a hallway. I would have liked to have seen more than that. They used to have a paper making working display in the local area's display, but that doesn't look like they use it anymore. The kids enjoyed the Houdini exhibit and it was interesting to learn about the family. The kids would have liked to use more of the working displays, but there was a family taking it up and not sharing with other people. Seems like there is a lot of wasted space. It was neat to see, but I don't think I'll be back any time soon. It'll probably depend on the temporary display. read more

What a disappointment. Went to see the Houdini part and things were broken. Then more than half of it was just revealing secrets of magic. The first thing you see when you walk upstairs to the Houdini section is a modern metal coffin, you couldn't even get an era correct coffin or reproduction And $15 per person? Definitely worst part of he trip read more

A great display of Houdinis work and you could try all the tricks yourself. The one floor is all Houdini, the second floor is all local history, the third floor is all Leanardo DiVinci. The DiVinci display also had several of the tools he created and you could try them. i.e.) pulley systems, olive oil press, grinder, etc. Very educational. . . very participatory. . . read more

my experience was a little less than magical. not a ton to see but you definitely get what you pay for. the exhibit on asylums was insane. There are worse ways to spend a Friday afternoon read more

History Museum at the Castle - Museums Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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The history museum at the castle is an affordable, cozy museum to check out! We drove from south eastern Wisconsin a couple hours to visit the "asylum out the shadows" exhibit. The museum features many other exhibits through out the year, but our focus was this particular exhibit. The guest cashier was very friendly and informative. Cost for adults is $7.50. The display takes up a floor and has many interactive components that kept our attention. Both sad, disturbing and educational this exhibit will take you on a historical tour of the Outagamie County Asylum for the Insane. The exhibit offers an app you can apply to your smart phone to offer narrative of people that actually worked at this asylum. Very haunting to hear more about the conditions both they worked in but people also suffered in. The artifacts of the time are available to both view, read and touch in sole displays. This is a must see display for anyone who has ever experienced mental illness or any disability, or anyone interested in our local Wisconsin history. My husband and I spent over an hour watching video clips, reading and participating in the interactive parts of this exhibit. Very mind provoking and a peak into one of our states saddest places, and a reminder of how lucky we are that great strides and changes have been made in our care of patients. All I can say is WOW! A huge thank you to all who put their heart and soul into this beautiful exhibit. We learned a lot and are still discussing it. It says a lot when you leave an exhibit and further dig into the issue when you get home because that door of knowledge was opened. Great job!!! On a side note the history museum has a nice gift shop and the Houdini display which is a must see! Check out what other exhibits they offer! read more

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My family loved the hands on museum!! So fun and we learned a lot, too. Great stop on a rainy day!

Thought it was a "not terribly boring way" to spend an hour. The current exhibit on food was informative and fun, but some exhibits weren't working (ice fishing shanty experience). The museum is definitely geared toward children (and if that wasn't what they are going for, the museum really underestimates the intelligence of the average adult). Additionally, The museum is a little conservative on how it presents someone information. For example, the revisionist history related to the native people who lived in Wisconsin prior to European settlers)but I understand that they get a variety of visitors including kids. The basement housed a bust of McCarthy (yes THAT McCarthy) and a mishmash of old stuff, some related to Wisconsin's paper industry (a bit of a snoozer). The Houdini exhibit was interesting and if you like interactive exhibits, you should check this one out. Although small, the exhibit is packed with information on Houdini's life and rise to stardom. read more

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Houdini has has not been here for a long time, nor did he and his family, headed up by an early rabbi of Appleton, stay here for very long. But Appleton has adopted him as it's Native Son. The center, placed on College Av right where Lawrence ends and the business district begins, is the former home of the Waverly Masonic Temple. The high level of craftsmanship from the Masons who built this building sure shows. A fitting place for a Houdini Center, who became a Mason in his final days. I visited the Museum attending a wedding on the top floor. We wove past exhibits of Houdini and circuses on the way up. The main meeting hall was small, but very classy. Such a treat for kids and grownups alike in the various displays. Recently I stopped by to pick up a copy of the Houdini walking tour. All stops were quite accessible from the Historical Center. This is the base for Outagamie County Historical Society. All that was local lies here. Museums are for winter time. If you only go once, now is the time. read more

This is a fantastic little museum. The building itself has a lot of history as it used to be a Masonic lodge in the early 1900's until the early 80s. The museum staff is all volunteers as far as I understand and all the staff I interacted with is very friendly and knowledgeable about the museum. The exhibits in the museum rotate besides the awesome Houdini exhibit which is an interactive hands on exhibit. Currently one of the rotating exhibits is the "Asylum Out Of The Shadows" and it is awesome and a good history on the Outagamie Asylum that actually was running for a lot longer than I thought for asylums in the US. There also is an interactive app that you can download to learn a lot more while in the exhibit. It is leaving at the beginning of June 2018 so check it out if you haven't seen it. The cost of admission is a good price for all the content. I was a little disappointed that the Joseph McCarthy exhibit was not larger but all the other exhibits were rather interesting. Depending on how much time you spend on reading in each exhibit you can easily spend a few hours here. Definitely check this place out if you need to kill some time and want to learn while doing so. read more

False advertising! Completely worthless "museum." Truly. I have no idea why this even exists. Almost nothing of value related to Houdini, and a tiny basement with a few uninteresting items. Appalled I wasted time and money. They should just shut down. read more

I have been to the Museum many times. I have taken different groups of nieces and nephews. They all love it! I enjoy seeing the changing exhibits in the main hall. Every time I go, I always enjoy playing with the Houdini interactives. I have also gone by myself just to see some of the changing exhibits. The Asylum exhibit was shocking (in an educational sense). I keep hoping they will bring back the sturgeon spearing interactive. That was fun! Last time I was there they added a train to the basement. It is a replica of Appleton in the 1950's. There was a very informative man there who pointed out some of the key landmarks and a little about the process of making the display! If you go, hopefully, the Stone of Hope traveling exhibit will be there. Wow! It is an eye-opening look at the history of the black Americans in Appleton. It is something everyone should see. I hope it makes its way into the schools. read more

When I heard about the local museum in Appleton I expected a one room "museum" about local history, as I have seen in places like Eagle River. When I entered the Castle, however, I was floored. Not only is the outside of the building beautiful and majestic, but the interior has winding staircases and endless rooms to boot. The entrance fee is $7.50, which now-a-days really isn't that much. My boyfriend and I wandered the museum for around 2 hours. On the 2nd floor there is a Houdini exhibit that is colorful, interactive, and great for children. Adults can enjoy this too! The exhibit is not too content heavy and is very welcoming. In the basement is "Tools of Change" an exhibit showing technological advancements and how they helped the Appleton area grow. My favorite part: the Ford Model-T in the entrance. Every exhibit in the museum has an interactive component which keeps children, and myself, interested. The museum hosts paper making workshops where you can experience hands-on the trade of paper making and even create cards for the holidays! All in all, I love the history museum in Appleton. It is a quaint museum housed in a beautiful building with a wonderful staff. If you can set aside the notion that the museum is solely about Houdini and soak up all it has to offer, the Castle will be a joyous experience. read more

way cool. not just the houdini stuff. all the exhibits were fun. i brought my mom here when she came to visit. fun afternoon for all ages