The Chicago Reader, a free weekly newspaper, spent the bulk of this week's issue on covering magic in Chicago. Here is the full list of articles. 

And here is the one most relevant to us: The secrets of Chicago’s not-so-secret society of magicians

What do you get when you combine a turn-of-the-century mansion with the impish imagination of magician David Parr? You get Haunting History, a unique Halloween treat, equal parts history, mystery and magic!Explore the corridors of the historic Dawes House, completed in 1895, and step into a shadowland where fact and folklore intermingle in surprising ways. With David Parr as your host and guide, each room offers an encounter with the strange and supernatural:

• Accept an invitation to dine in Renaissance Italy, where the wine selection is to die for — literally.
• Examine one of the key pieces of evidence in the Salem witch trials. A child’s toy? or something more sinister?
• Sit in on an old-fashioned séance, where cryptic messages are written by invisible hands.

Is some mysterious force at work in the Dawes House? The answer is yes: his name is David Parr.
You’ll find that Mr. Parr is well qualified to host a celebration of the magical and mysterious. He is the costar of Chicago’s longest-running weekly magic show, The Magic Cabaret, which was chosen by the Travel Channel as one of the best magic shows in America!
“History is much weirder than the version we learn in school,” explains Parr, the creator of Haunting History. “People in the past believed they were surrounded by the supernatural, especially around Halloween. Haunting History gives a sense of what it was like to live in that world.”

And what about that tag line, “a Halloween treat for grown-ups”?

“Halloween is my favorite holiday,” says Parr. “And in the past, it wasn’t so identified with children. The Halloween season was a time when social constraints were loosened, and grown-ups could have fun and indulge in make-believe.” Which is Mr. Parr’s way of saying that no one under the age of thirteen is admitted to Haunting History. “There are plenty of grown-ups who enjoy a good ghost story as much as I do. And I enjoy ghost stories very much!”

Tickets for Haunting History are in limited supply, so get yours before they are sold out. And get ready for a unique Halloween treat!
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Tickets are on sale now!