Downtown in Appleton in Outagamie County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Harry Houdini (1874 – 1926)
October 31, 2026
1. Harry Houdini Marker
Harry Houdini was a world-famous magician and escape artist. Born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary, he immigrated to the United States with his family when he was four years old, settling in Appleton in a home near this site in 1878. Houdini’s father, Mayer Samuel Weiss, was the first rabbi of Appleton’s Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. Throughout his career, Houdini claimed Appleton as his hometown. In 1897, he and his wife, Bess, performed at the Appleton Opera House. He even challenged the local police, escaping from handcuffs and a jail cell. Houdini traveled to Europe in 1900, where his performances brought him international recognition. Houdini was also an author, aviator, silent film star, inventor, and collector. He died at age 52 in 1926. Appleton proudly remembers its connection to the legendary “Handcuff King.”
Erected 2026 by Creative Downtown Appleton and Wisconsin Historical Society. (Marker Number 648.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment.
Location. 44° 15.686′ N, 88° 24.426′ W. Marker
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Fox River Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lawrence University (approx. 0.4 miles away); First Commercially Successful Electric Street Railway (approx. half a mile away); Vulcan Street Plant Replica (approx. half a mile away); First Edison Hydroelectric System in America (approx. half a mile away); The Merging of Milwaukee-Downer and Lawrence Colleges (approx. 0.6 miles away); Henry James and Cremora Rogers Residence (approx. 0.6 miles away); 9-11 Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge
October 31, 2026
2. Harry Houdini (1874 – 1926) Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. World's First Hydroelectric Central Station (was approx. half a mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Hearthstone (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on November 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2026. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 10, 2026. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
