Harry Houdini died on October 31, 1926, at age 52, from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix. The legend says a college student punched Houdini in the stomach to test his famous abdominal strength, causing the rupture. Medical historians debate whether the punch actually caused the appendicitis or simply exacerbated an existing condition. Houdini had been experiencing abdominal pain for days but refused to see a doctor, performing through the pain. He collapsed during a show in Detroit and was rushed to the hospital. He died on Halloween - a coincidence that has fueled supernatural speculation ever since. His last words to his brother were reportedly about his mother.

Houdini designed his own grave monument before his death, choosing an elaborate exedra that would be the largest in Machpelah Cemetery. The curved marble bench features a bronze bust of Houdini and a weeping female figure representing grief. The monument incorporates Masonic symbols - Houdini was a member of St. Cecile Lodge No. 568. The original bust was stolen in 1975 and replaced; the replacement was damaged and repaired. The Society of American Magicians, which Houdini led as president, maintains the grave and holds an annual 'Broken Wand' ceremony each October. The wand-breaking symbolizes that a magician's magic has ended.

Before his death, Houdini and his wife Bess agreed on a secret code: ten words that would spell out 'Rosabelle believe' through a prearranged cipher. If Houdini could communicate from beyond death, he would transmit this code. Bess held annual séances for ten years, never receiving the message. In 1929, a medium named Arthur Ford claimed to have received the code, but Ford's legitimacy was questioned, and Bess later wavered on whether the séance was genuine. She finally abandoned the effort in 1936. But Houdini's fans haven't stopped trying. Every Halloween, 'Official Houdini Séances' are held at various locations, and visitors gather at the grave hoping for contact.

Houdini spent his later career exposing fraudulent mediums, testifying before Congress, and publishing books debunking spiritualism. He was motivated partly by anger at mediums who preyed on grieving families, including attempts to deceive his own mother. Yet the man who made his name escaping from locked boxes and straitjackets clearly hoped to escape the ultimate prison - death itself. The code he arranged with Bess suggests he wasn't entirely certain the afterlife didn't exist. His grave has become a pilgrimage site for both skeptics honoring his debunking work and believers hoping he finally found a way through.

Machpelah Cemetery is located at 82-30 Cypress Hills Street in Ridgewood, Queens, New York. The cemetery is typically open during daylight hours. Houdini's grave is in the Beth Olom section; cemetery staff can provide directions. The Society of American Magicians holds the annual Broken Wand ceremony on the Sunday closest to October 31. Halloween draws visitors year-round, but especially on the anniversary of Houdini's death. Public transit via the M train to Fresh Pond Road is the easiest access. JFK Airport is 8 miles southeast. Manhattan is 30 minutes by subway. The grave is maintained by the magic community; visitors often leave playing cards, flowers, and other tributes.