Los Angeles Magicians’ Favorite Place Changes Ownership
Until Randy Pitchford bought the Magic Castle in March 2022, The Magic Castle has rested on unsure footing for half a century. Since its inception, the Academy of Magical Arts, the organization that runs the Magic Castle, has leased the building from its owners, the Glover family. Fortunately, the Glover family has been a fan of magic and supportive of the community the Academy of Magical Arts has created around the Magic Castle. But a nagging fear of many Los Angeles magicians and Magic Castle members has been the possibility that one day the Glover family would sell the building and land to real estate developers and the historic Academy would cease to operate.
Randy Pitchford, a longtime member of the Magic Castle, put that concern to bed by buying the property from the Glover family. Pitchford owns Genii Magazine, a periodical for magicians, and has extensive creative and business experience, besides a love of magic. The purchase includes ownership of the Magic Castle Hotel, which had previously been owned and operated by an entity separate from the Magic Castle. What exactly will happen next is unclear, but given his generous support of the magic community, members are relieved to know the building and adjacent land is safe and in the hands of a highly effective businessman who has the Academy of Magical Arts’ interest in mind.
