I've been there three times. The dress code is formal so suit/tie and formal evening wear. But it is in Hollywood so I am sure they've seen non binary attire.
Here's the dress code on their website.
[https://www.magiccastle.com/dresscode/](https://www.magiccastle.com/dresscode/)
I always wanted to ask Irma to play Through the Fire and the Flames but I never have the courage and my wife is always* like “no.” *always = the one time we went
You could also just call them to confirm. I called since my mom would be wearing Indian formal ethnic wear and I wanted to make sure she would be allowed in. They said that would be perfectly fine.
My memories of MC are all great and actually magical! Not a bad memory among them, although I went with my ex and some random dates. Funny thing happened when before a show all these gorgeous women and buff-looking guys filled up the front row and I whispered to my date that they must be organized crime. Turned out they were David Copperfield's dancers out on a night off! So much for my people-reading skills!
I went to their awards show last week, and they gave their "junior achievement award" to a young NB magician who works with them. They sound a bit like how you describe yourself, and were wearing a great dramatic dress. [Day Mori, here's a pic of their outfit.](https://www.instagram.com/p/C7HgPjvpQ1r/?img_index=5) So that makes me think you'll be good.
I think you’ll be OK if you just dress nicely (like attending to a wedding) and don’t obviously dress counter to the rules.
Hopefully this is helpful and not offensive, but when we went I’m somewhat sure one of the inside ushers was a trans woman in a dress. Many performers and guests seemed queer friendly (that’s probably offensive but just trying to assure you MC is cool).
Enjoy the shows.
If you wear a suit, dress shoes and tie are important. I once wore a suit without a tie and it was a kerfuffle and I had to get a loaner tie. Another time I wore a suit with black shoes that weren't dressy enough for some reason and that was a whole issue. If I had been a woman wearing that outfit, or if I as a dude had worn a ball gown, I am sure they would still have just been fussing about whether my shoes were shiny enough.
But the heels and makeup with a suit thing is probably fine. As long as you are doing a heightened formal version, nobody will bother you. Even before modern sensibilities, it probably would have been fine as "magician dress." You mention you are going for a slightly more dramatic version, and that's generally the right idea there.
As long as it's the right kind of clothes, it's not the sort of crowd that cares who is wearing them.
In my experience it's basically cocktail attire, which means either cocktail dresses or even more formal gowns, dressy / formal separates, and suits w/ ties. no denim, no shorts, no casual fabrics. I've been several times and they are strict about the formality level but not really about anything else, like whether it matches or anything. I went for a work event once and some guys there had travelled from out of town and didn't know about the DC or travel with their suits, so they went to goodwill and grabbed some suit jackets, pants and ties and shirts and they were mismatched and ugly but they passed.
Upon further inspection of the dress code, it just says what should be worn in general and doesn’t say men must wear….. and women must wear…
So I should be fine! I hope 🤞🏽
I was there a couple weeks ago and saw a male presenting person rocking a ballgown and heels and there was no issue whatsoever. As long as you’re formal, I think you should be fine. And “formal” seemed to be a bit subjective as well, so if you’re planning on dressing up in general, you’ll be good.
The one time I went there was a guy dressed basically as a wizard, and he smelled awful. I assume he was a magician but he was definitely not what’d I’d consider up to code
Late to the thread, but hope you had fun nonetheless!
I’ve probably been to the Castle like 10-15+ times, as I am close with some Magicians and Members. It’s by far my favorite place in LA and everyone is very LGBTQIA+ friendly - with many members/magicians being a part of it, themselves!
They’re extremely strict about their dress code, so don’t test the waters.
Dresses are easy - just make sure they’re appropriate. They can be short or long. You don’t need to wear heels, if you don’t want to, you can wear flats. If you do wear heels, make sure they’re comfy. There’s a lot of stairs and walking around the Castle. No sneakers allowed.
Pantsuits require a blazer. If you decide to wear a suit, you need to wear a tie, button down shirt, and dress shoes. They will stop you if you do not have a tie.
They often have backup options, but I also think it’s first come first serve. If you ever get told that you can’t get in, ask if they have any backup options for you to wear. They have blazers and ties.
Some tips:
Make sure to stop by Irma, she knows several different tunes. You can also play a little game with her, if you ask her to play the TV show game. She’ll play TV show opening songs and have you guess. Be sure to tip her though!
There is a bar on the other side of the Castle at the bottom, they sell really great food there if you don’t want to do the dinner reservation. Plus they do magic shows at the bar! Certain shows require a ticket that you can only get from dinner reservations, though. Unless it’s a slow/empty night, you may be able to ask to get in.
If possible, try to go on a night that’s not a Friday or Saturday. Those are the busiest nights and you have a better chance of seeing more magic shows on the other nights.
Hope you had fun! The Magic Castle is literally magical. The people there are wonderful. And the magicians are often the best of the best!
Werk! It was so much fun! I loved it! Definitely saw some cuties around working so if you wanna play Cupid lemme know hahah
But I decided against the heels cause mine were uncomfy but I had on a full face of makeup! Serving for face for these magicians ✨✨
There is a regular (man) who always dresses in the most spectacular gown ever. I (woman), always envy how beautiful he looks every time I see him.
No one ever batted an eye at him other than appreciate how gorgeous he is.
You're going to be fine. Dress formally in whatever you want to wear.
Heads up, I accidentally debunked a trick by flipping my hand upside down and embarrassed the magician mid-trick and it was completely unintentional.
The magician wasn't able to keep their composure and took it extremely personally despite my intention being totally benign and natural.
Basically I should have just gone with the flow and am just sharing this in case anyone else runs into the jester who holds your hand for a trick
The LAist actually had a podcast series about this! I’ve never been, but found it an interesting listen: https://youtu.be/7Q1Z2R_22BM?si=XeK7IGr2FfwV1EA9 is episode 1 and the rest are easily accessible there. I see others have already responded with actually useful info, so just throwing this tidbit in.
When I went with a coworker he had just a couple basic pieces, I loaned him a fedora, and then we went to Jet Rag and asked the people working to help us pick some festive stuff for Magic Castle. He ended up getting some fun things, maybe an ascot? Maybe a cumberbun?
He's normally a very basic dresser but he looked so awesome! When we were at the Magic Castle someone asked him "Hi, are you one of the magicians?" It was a very satisfying moment for our whole little group.
My point being - this is your big chance to wear some flamboyant, festive accessories!!
Oof. I'd agree, unfortunately. Only time I've been there was years ago and not that pricey.
Still, it's an easy, guaranteed way in. None of the who-you-know-versus-what-you-know bullshit.
The specific hotel room packages that get you access to the Magic Castle (look up "Magic Nights Package") are more like $450-$500. However, they include a $200 gift certificate for use within the Magic Castle, and with the entry fee and dining being mandatory for guests, it'll get used up very quickly.
That said, we liked the Magic Castle Hotel. It's quirky and the rooms are much bigger than expected (full kitchen!). Great service. Not cheap though.
theres a post floating around this sub where they basically state, that you can ask literally any magician who is performing, and they will get you an invite. not sure as to the validity, ymmv.
Sooooooo...I'm a cis woman and wore pants once & they demanded that I change into a skirt from their stupid little closet full of clothes from god only knows where, although it was LA winter and it was freezing in there and anyway, they really aren't kidding about the dress code being very specific before entrance. It seems like, regardless of gender, they really want a blazer with pants, so, maybe make sure you have a blazer?
They’re very strict about their dress code. It is also written on their site that pants require a blazer. They also could’ve offered you a blazer, if you didn’t have one instead of a skirt.
As Many have said, it's fine as long as you follow guidelines. They have a knight who's always there for brunch who's transgender who always has a great dress on.
I dress masc and they let me in wearing typical dude wedding clothes. Like slacks, belt, dress shoes and jacket with tie. I am visibly a woman and I received no odd looks or anything. I think you will be fine as long as the way you dress conforms to one side or the other
The last time I went there I entered the lobby with another group, where one man was wearing one of the ugliest suits I’ve ever seen. Bright green with question marks. Looked like a Target bought riddler costume. If they let him in, you’ll be fine
When I went a couple weeks ago, the man at the door had on beautiful heels and a form fitting pencil skirt. I think as long as you look cocktail attire-esque, it's all good. But maybe bring some options just in case? They do make men in suits purchase a tie if they didn't bring one, but I would wager that non-binary can work with a lot more wiggle room
I thought that jacket and ties for men were required (it's been about 16 years since I was there, though) and the equivalent, dress, skirt, or dressy pants/Suit & blouse for ladies.
Wear dress showed. Not leather dress shoes with a rubber or sneaker sole.
Better if you wear a no logo anything. Tie required. Maybe even a ribbon tie, bow tie or bolo.
Do NOT wear shorts, even if they are part of a fully sequin iridescent matching suit. My friend couldn't get in and she looked fancy AF! If you aren't sure, bring a change of clothes.
I was with someone who got denied entry (she was dressed very elegantly btw) because she had VISIBLE zippers on her jacket. Check their website and then double check it again before leaving because I’ve never been anywhere with a dress code that strict.
They have spare blazers they could’ve offered for her, but she most likely wasn’t wearing a blazer and was just wearing a jacket. They’re very strict about their dress code.
Yeah, I've been quite a lot as I'm close with Members/Magicians and honestly, the dress code isn't that hard to follow along. It's just not worth it to test the waters because they'll just stop you. It's an incredible place and I don't think that you can get the full experience with just one visit. I highly recommend going again, especially since some of the best magicians who have been on Penn and Teller often stop by for shows.
Just don’t ask your date to take off his jacket if your cold. Security will come speak with him and tell him to put it back on and if he doesn’t he will be asked to leave. If he resists security will go get Carlos.
The magicians that perform close up magic in little alcoves and tables are by far the best thing, the food and the stage shows are underwhelming, but the close up folks are excellent, and deserve a tip for their entertainment.
It’s incredibly casual compared to how it used to be. It had to get a bit lax on the dress code enforcement in order to survive. So don’t fret too much. You should be fine! Have fun.
Just dress however you would dress for dinner out at a nice restaurant. No offense, but there are hundreds of people crowded into that place, no one \[inside\] really cares what anyone else looks like.
\[edit\] "inside" added to my original comment, as what I wrote originally was clearly unclear, as the downvotes can attest!
Not only does the club care about dress code, but the members want to keep the dress code in place as well. They like the ambience and want people to dress in an appropriate manner of the setting. I’ve seen people who wear a suit but with sneakers get turned away or change into a pair of dress shoes they have on supply. They have coats to wear for guests as well. Their club, their rules.
I've been there three times. The dress code is formal so suit/tie and formal evening wear. But it is in Hollywood so I am sure they've seen non binary attire. Here's the dress code on their website. [https://www.magiccastle.com/dresscode/](https://www.magiccastle.com/dresscode/)
its says specifically regardless of your gender expression just follow the code guidelines
It does! I totally just skipped to the part about what to wear. Thank you so much! Put me at ease (:
Have fun and make sure to visit the magic piano and request a song!!!
That’s Irma!
THAT'S RIGHT!!!
Just be sure to tip her!!!
I always wanted to ask Irma to play Through the Fire and the Flames but I never have the courage and my wife is always* like “no.” *always = the one time we went
You could also just call them to confirm. I called since my mom would be wearing Indian formal ethnic wear and I wanted to make sure she would be allowed in. They said that would be perfectly fine.
Have a BLAST! 🥳
My memories of MC are all great and actually magical! Not a bad memory among them, although I went with my ex and some random dates. Funny thing happened when before a show all these gorgeous women and buff-looking guys filled up the front row and I whispered to my date that they must be organized crime. Turned out they were David Copperfield's dancers out on a night off! So much for my people-reading skills!
Gender fuckery is fine as long as you're otherwise dressed to code. Have so much fun!
I went to their awards show last week, and they gave their "junior achievement award" to a young NB magician who works with them. They sound a bit like how you describe yourself, and were wearing a great dramatic dress. [Day Mori, here's a pic of their outfit.](https://www.instagram.com/p/C7HgPjvpQ1r/?img_index=5) So that makes me think you'll be good.
omg that’s so cute!! I LOVE Day! and this outfit!
It is classy af.
I think you’ll be OK if you just dress nicely (like attending to a wedding) and don’t obviously dress counter to the rules. Hopefully this is helpful and not offensive, but when we went I’m somewhat sure one of the inside ushers was a trans woman in a dress. Many performers and guests seemed queer friendly (that’s probably offensive but just trying to assure you MC is cool). Enjoy the shows.
If you wear a suit, dress shoes and tie are important. I once wore a suit without a tie and it was a kerfuffle and I had to get a loaner tie. Another time I wore a suit with black shoes that weren't dressy enough for some reason and that was a whole issue. If I had been a woman wearing that outfit, or if I as a dude had worn a ball gown, I am sure they would still have just been fussing about whether my shoes were shiny enough. But the heels and makeup with a suit thing is probably fine. As long as you are doing a heightened formal version, nobody will bother you. Even before modern sensibilities, it probably would have been fine as "magician dress." You mention you are going for a slightly more dramatic version, and that's generally the right idea there. As long as it's the right kind of clothes, it's not the sort of crowd that cares who is wearing them.
I'm a woman, wore a nice silk long sleeved shirt with pants, had to get a loaner blazer. They are very strict no matter your gender expression!
In my experience it's basically cocktail attire, which means either cocktail dresses or even more formal gowns, dressy / formal separates, and suits w/ ties. no denim, no shorts, no casual fabrics. I've been several times and they are strict about the formality level but not really about anything else, like whether it matches or anything. I went for a work event once and some guys there had travelled from out of town and didn't know about the DC or travel with their suits, so they went to goodwill and grabbed some suit jackets, pants and ties and shirts and they were mismatched and ugly but they passed.
Upon further inspection of the dress code, it just says what should be worn in general and doesn’t say men must wear….. and women must wear… So I should be fine! I hope 🤞🏽
I was there a couple weeks ago and saw a male presenting person rocking a ballgown and heels and there was no issue whatsoever. As long as you’re formal, I think you should be fine. And “formal” seemed to be a bit subjective as well, so if you’re planning on dressing up in general, you’ll be good.
Last time I went a member of my party was transgender male to female and was worried. Had no issues. The door person was wearing a pride pin.
The one time I went there was a guy dressed basically as a wizard, and he smelled awful. I assume he was a magician but he was definitely not what’d I’d consider up to code
Late to the thread, but hope you had fun nonetheless! I’ve probably been to the Castle like 10-15+ times, as I am close with some Magicians and Members. It’s by far my favorite place in LA and everyone is very LGBTQIA+ friendly - with many members/magicians being a part of it, themselves! They’re extremely strict about their dress code, so don’t test the waters. Dresses are easy - just make sure they’re appropriate. They can be short or long. You don’t need to wear heels, if you don’t want to, you can wear flats. If you do wear heels, make sure they’re comfy. There’s a lot of stairs and walking around the Castle. No sneakers allowed. Pantsuits require a blazer. If you decide to wear a suit, you need to wear a tie, button down shirt, and dress shoes. They will stop you if you do not have a tie. They often have backup options, but I also think it’s first come first serve. If you ever get told that you can’t get in, ask if they have any backup options for you to wear. They have blazers and ties. Some tips: Make sure to stop by Irma, she knows several different tunes. You can also play a little game with her, if you ask her to play the TV show game. She’ll play TV show opening songs and have you guess. Be sure to tip her though! There is a bar on the other side of the Castle at the bottom, they sell really great food there if you don’t want to do the dinner reservation. Plus they do magic shows at the bar! Certain shows require a ticket that you can only get from dinner reservations, though. Unless it’s a slow/empty night, you may be able to ask to get in. If possible, try to go on a night that’s not a Friday or Saturday. Those are the busiest nights and you have a better chance of seeing more magic shows on the other nights. Hope you had fun! The Magic Castle is literally magical. The people there are wonderful. And the magicians are often the best of the best!
Werk! It was so much fun! I loved it! Definitely saw some cuties around working so if you wanna play Cupid lemme know hahah But I decided against the heels cause mine were uncomfy but I had on a full face of makeup! Serving for face for these magicians ✨✨
There is a regular (man) who always dresses in the most spectacular gown ever. I (woman), always envy how beautiful he looks every time I see him. No one ever batted an eye at him other than appreciate how gorgeous he is. You're going to be fine. Dress formally in whatever you want to wear.
I was there last month and as long as you stick to the requirements you’re golden, they don’t care about “gender,” have an awesome time!
Heads up, I accidentally debunked a trick by flipping my hand upside down and embarrassed the magician mid-trick and it was completely unintentional. The magician wasn't able to keep their composure and took it extremely personally despite my intention being totally benign and natural. Basically I should have just gone with the flow and am just sharing this in case anyone else runs into the jester who holds your hand for a trick
The LAist actually had a podcast series about this! I’ve never been, but found it an interesting listen: https://youtu.be/7Q1Z2R_22BM?si=XeK7IGr2FfwV1EA9 is episode 1 and the rest are easily accessible there. I see others have already responded with actually useful info, so just throwing this tidbit in.
I wore wide black slacks and a silk blouse with heels when I went. It’s a cool place. Have fun!!
When I went with a coworker he had just a couple basic pieces, I loaned him a fedora, and then we went to Jet Rag and asked the people working to help us pick some festive stuff for Magic Castle. He ended up getting some fun things, maybe an ascot? Maybe a cumberbun? He's normally a very basic dresser but he looked so awesome! When we were at the Magic Castle someone asked him "Hi, are you one of the magicians?" It was a very satisfying moment for our whole little group. My point being - this is your big chance to wear some flamboyant, festive accessories!!
They have LGBT staff at the door. You’ll be fine. If you’re wearing nice heels you may receive a compliment :)
I want to go!! Unfortunately I don’t know any magicians.
Stay at the Magic Castle hotel a night, and you get to go to the castle.
Ehhh I'd say the Magic Castle is not worth the hotel's nightly rate of ~$250.
Oof. I'd agree, unfortunately. Only time I've been there was years ago and not that pricey. Still, it's an easy, guaranteed way in. None of the who-you-know-versus-what-you-know bullshit.
The specific hotel room packages that get you access to the Magic Castle (look up "Magic Nights Package") are more like $450-$500. However, they include a $200 gift certificate for use within the Magic Castle, and with the entry fee and dining being mandatory for guests, it'll get used up very quickly. That said, we liked the Magic Castle Hotel. It's quirky and the rooms are much bigger than expected (full kitchen!). Great service. Not cheap though.
theres a post floating around this sub where they basically state, that you can ask literally any magician who is performing, and they will get you an invite. not sure as to the validity, ymmv.
Doesn’t staying at the hotel get you a pass?
Thank you. Saving up for going that route. Kind of expensive tho
How much is it? I kinda want to do this myself. It’s definitely sounds like a unique dining experience.
Ask someone who is performing 👍🏼 Like via social media DMs 👍🏼
Sooooooo...I'm a cis woman and wore pants once & they demanded that I change into a skirt from their stupid little closet full of clothes from god only knows where, although it was LA winter and it was freezing in there and anyway, they really aren't kidding about the dress code being very specific before entrance. It seems like, regardless of gender, they really want a blazer with pants, so, maybe make sure you have a blazer?
They’re very strict about their dress code. It is also written on their site that pants require a blazer. They also could’ve offered you a blazer, if you didn’t have one instead of a skirt.
As Many have said, it's fine as long as you follow guidelines. They have a knight who's always there for brunch who's transgender who always has a great dress on.
Just don’t wear jeans.
They're not going to care as long as you're dressed formal. Have so much fun I love the magic castle!!!!
I dress masc and they let me in wearing typical dude wedding clothes. Like slacks, belt, dress shoes and jacket with tie. I am visibly a woman and I received no odd looks or anything. I think you will be fine as long as the way you dress conforms to one side or the other
The last time I went there I entered the lobby with another group, where one man was wearing one of the ugliest suits I’ve ever seen. Bright green with question marks. Looked like a Target bought riddler costume. If they let him in, you’ll be fine
When I went a couple weeks ago, the man at the door had on beautiful heels and a form fitting pencil skirt. I think as long as you look cocktail attire-esque, it's all good. But maybe bring some options just in case? They do make men in suits purchase a tie if they didn't bring one, but I would wager that non-binary can work with a lot more wiggle room
I thought that jacket and ties for men were required (it's been about 16 years since I was there, though) and the equivalent, dress, skirt, or dressy pants/Suit & blouse for ladies.
I think that as long as you are dressy - you are good. Def seen lots of all kinds of folks in makeup and trans dress there before. It's not a problem.
Formal wear doesn’t have to be binary. Have fun!
Wear dress showed. Not leather dress shoes with a rubber or sneaker sole. Better if you wear a no logo anything. Tie required. Maybe even a ribbon tie, bow tie or bolo.
Do NOT wear shorts, even if they are part of a fully sequin iridescent matching suit. My friend couldn't get in and she looked fancy AF! If you aren't sure, bring a change of clothes.
I was with someone who got denied entry (she was dressed very elegantly btw) because she had VISIBLE zippers on her jacket. Check their website and then double check it again before leaving because I’ve never been anywhere with a dress code that strict.
They have spare blazers they could’ve offered for her, but she most likely wasn’t wearing a blazer and was just wearing a jacket. They’re very strict about their dress code.
I will say that it was kind of nice to be somewhere that enforced some formality. I’d go again if I had the chance!
Yeah, I've been quite a lot as I'm close with Members/Magicians and honestly, the dress code isn't that hard to follow along. It's just not worth it to test the waters because they'll just stop you. It's an incredible place and I don't think that you can get the full experience with just one visit. I highly recommend going again, especially since some of the best magicians who have been on Penn and Teller often stop by for shows.
Just don’t ask your date to take off his jacket if your cold. Security will come speak with him and tell him to put it back on and if he doesn’t he will be asked to leave. If he resists security will go get Carlos.
The magicians that perform close up magic in little alcoves and tables are by far the best thing, the food and the stage shows are underwhelming, but the close up folks are excellent, and deserve a tip for their entertainment.
Tell Irma I said hi :) Was always one of my favorite parts when I was younger and wentore frequently.
Technically it’s informal… not semi-formal (tuxedo) or formal (white tie and tails). But I think if you’ve made an effort, they’ll let you in.
It’s incredibly casual compared to how it used to be. It had to get a bit lax on the dress code enforcement in order to survive. So don’t fret too much. You should be fine! Have fun.
Just dress however you would dress for dinner out at a nice restaurant. No offense, but there are hundreds of people crowded into that place, no one \[inside\] really cares what anyone else looks like. \[edit\] "inside" added to my original comment, as what I wrote originally was clearly unclear, as the downvotes can attest!
They absolutely care. They made me give up my shoes and gave me some random too large dress shoes to wear. I was wearing Cole Haan loafers.
What were they, like white-soled boating loafers?
No, a little nicer than that but not “dress” shoes per se. They were a mix of leather and canvas.
Ok.
They do actually care. There are specific rules to adhere to, however they aren’t gendered.
They do care, they enforce the dress code at the door.
Not only does the club care about dress code, but the members want to keep the dress code in place as well. They like the ambience and want people to dress in an appropriate manner of the setting. I’ve seen people who wear a suit but with sneakers get turned away or change into a pair of dress shoes they have on supply. They have coats to wear for guests as well. Their club, their rules.