Renowned magician David Copperfield has called the American Museum of Magic (107 E. Michigan Ave., 269/781-7570, www.americanmuseumofmagic.org, by appointment 2nd weekend of each month, $5 adults, $3.50 seniors and children, children under 5 free) one of his “favorite places on earth” and, if you believe the local rumor mill, wants to purchase the museum and move it to Las Vegas. For now, anyway, this fascinating attraction remains in Marshall, housed in a historic 1868 building.

The late Robert Lund, a retired automotive writer, and his wife, Elaine, opened the American Museum of Magic in 1978, after spending years collecting “notional whimsies, cabalistic surprises, phantasmagorical bewilderments, and unparalleled splendors.” Roughly translated, that means anything and everything remotely related to the practice of magic.

Spanning six continents and over four centuries, this extensive collection of more than 87,000 artifacts and memorabilia includes showbills, programs, books, magazines, photographs, and antique props (even the milk can used by Harry Houdini for a popular escape stunt).