By sure coincidence and chance, my mom and I ended up at The Glen Tavern Inn & Restaurant in Santa Paula.  As we walked up the driveway, we read a plaque that said the building was erected in 1911; I thought to myself, Houdini was alive then.  The 35 room Glen Tavern Inn opened in September 1911.

We walked into the Inn and noticed that the hallway walls were covered in classic Hollywood movie posters and photographs.  I thought to myself, Houdini was in Hollywood movies (e.g., The Grim Game, Terror Island). 

 As we were seated at our table, I noticed a placard that said HOUDINI Happy Hour, so I asked the waitress about it.  The waitress informed me that Houdini had actually stayed at the Inn.  You can imagine our surprise when we heard that.  I asked if they had any brochures that mentioned Houdini; the waitress kindly gave me a 2 page print-out that had a brief history of The Glen Tavern Inn. The waitress did not know what room in which Houdini stayed, but pointed out that John Wayne usually had room 208.

My mom and I proceeded to have a wonderful conversation and brunch.  Afterwards, we went exploring the 3 story inn looking for signs of Harry Houdini.

In the 1920s and ’30s, a host of Hollywood notables, including Charlie Chaplin, Carole Lombard, John Wayne and Harry Houdini, took a train to Santa Paula to stay at the Glen Tavern Inn while filming any number of classic early films.

Story goes that Houdini’s train broke down nearby and he needed to stay at the Inn on an emergency basis.  He used the Tavern’s 3rd floor as storage space for his magic props so he could keep an eye on them and make sure no one would discover his secrets.

The 3rd floor was also once used as a gambling parlor and brothel. One of the more popular stories of the inn is that of a gambler, “Calvin,” that was shot to death in room 307 after he was found to be cheating. Calvin is probably the most well-known spirit that haunts the inn. He is said to be flirtatious with the female guests and sometimes the scent of his sweet pipe tobacco permeates throughout room 307. Calvin, of course, is not the only ghost to haunt the Glen Tavern.

The story goes that an entity of Houdini has been seen standing at the railroad station across the street