Abandoned Funeral Home Where Houdini Was Embalmed

Back on October 22nd of 1926, Harry Houdini was in Montreal, Quebec for some shows. He was approached by a student of McGill University, the student wanted to punch Houdini in the stomach. Houdini had long claimed that he had a superhuman ability to sustain any punch to the stomach, due to his unimaginably strong abdominal muscles.

Houdini accepted the challenge, however before he was able to stand up and brace himself and tighten his stomach muscles – the student wound up and punched Houdini in the abdomen 4 to 5 times very hard.

The punch didn’t do any immediate or obvious damage to Houdini, as he proceeded to perform shows in Montreal before heading to Detroit for another series of shows.

However, on his way to Detroit and while in Detroit, Houdini had been complaining of stomach cramps, discomfort and pain, which turned severe with cold sweats and fatigue. It was suspected that he had appendicitis.

Harry insisted on doing his show on the night of October 24th, he struggled through the show and collapsed to the floor as the curtain dropped. That night Houdini was taken to a hospital for surgery where it was discovered that his appendix had been ruptured several days earlier. The appendix was removed but the damage was done, it had poisoned his insides.

Houdini held on for 7 more days but he died on Halloween, October 31st, 1926.

Following his death, Houdinis body was transported to this funeral home where his body would be embalmed and prepared for transport and funeral. Following the embalmment, the magician was placed into one of his very own trick coffins that he had just completed working on for a future stunt. He was left in this coffin until a more suitable one could be obtained, he was then moved to the new coffin, transported to Michigan Central Train station for the ride to New York and his burial at a cemetery in Queens, New York.