More than one visitor to Las Vegas has wished for a quick release after a bad run at the tables. An escape to the new Houdini Museum at the Venetian won't turn your luck, but it makes a great Vegas side trip.
This tiny, tidy museum honors vaudeville-era escape artist and daredevil Harry Houdini. Born Erich Weiss in Budapest in 1874, he was America's first great magician. Artifacts and documents line the room: cuffs, keys, placards, an original water torture device. Film reels run highlights of Houdini's varied career, tracing his evolution with a spotlight on amazing stunts, such as jumping between biplanes or making an elephant disappear at New York's Hippodrome Theater.
"Houdini wasn't just a magician," says curator Geno Munari, whose collection comprises the bulk of the exhibits. "He was an inventor." The museum holds Houdini's patent for the first deep-sea diver suit. Information: (702) 796-0301,
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