Those yearning for a spellbinding experience this Halloween would be well-served by visiting The Hand & The Eye, a new Chicago dining and entertainment establishment that’s become a premier destination for live magic and illusion.

Just steps from Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, The Hand & The Eye has completely transformed the historic L. Hamilton McCormick Mansion, turning it into what’s being touted as the world’s largest magic venue.

Entering the 1895 mansion now evokes a speakeasy, a fun house and a cabaret all at once. Guests are whisked up grand staircases and through secret passages into three floors of drawing rooms, parlors and lounges, each doubling as a performance space.

The Hand & The Eye began as a passion project for Glen Tullman, a longtime magic enthusiast. The Illinois-born healthcare entrepreneur reportedly poured $50 million into renovating the 36,000-square-foot mansion, which previously served as a private residence, a casino, a puppet theater and a restaurant, from the ground up.

He also tapped architect and designer David Rockwell, whose résumé includes sets for the Academy Awards as well as recent productions of “Chess” and “Into the Woods” on Broadway, to develop a space that would harken back to a bygone era while eschewing the tired image of magicians pulling rabbits out of top hats.

“I’ve been in love with magic since I was 8 years old,” Tullman told HuffPost. “That’s when I turned ‘professional,’ and did my first job for $5. The challenge was that my fee never improved, so I had to stay in school ... but the dream to create a unique home for magic, where people would travel from all around the world to experience and share the wonder and joy magic creates, has never been far from my heart and imagination.”

Tullman and Rockwell’s vision also appealed to Bre Smith, who was soon brought on as The Hand & The Eye’s executive vice president. Collectively, she said the trio worked to cement The Hand & The Eye’s motto of “magic plus hospitality equals astonishment,” and expand its scope of immersive offerings so each visit would feel “truly bespoke for everyone who comes in.”

To guarantee that all magicians keep their tricks under wraps, guests are prohibited from taking photos or videos during their visit. That policy, Smith said, was a no-brainer: “You can turn off the real world for a moment, and forget about what’s happening outside the walls of the mansion.”

Since opening to the public in April, The Hand & The Eye has hosted a rotating lineup of nightly performers, including esteemed magician Michael Ammar and mentalist Richard Osterlind.

On a recent September evening, magician Jeff Kaylor dazzled a roomful of guests with some disappearing (and reappearing) shrimp, while Richard Turner proved he’s still one of the world’s greatest card sharks by showcasing his sleight of hand in a cozy, second-floor lounge.

Between performances, guests retreat to one of two dining rooms, where they can enjoy steaks, seafood and a variety of pasta dishes, among other options.

The Hand & The Eye will give its offerings a seasonal twist at its first-ever Halloween event on Oct. 31. Dubbed “The Midway of Wonders,” the all-night event pays homage to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and famed illusionist Harry Houdini, who died exactly 100 years ago.

Though Smith is tight-lipped on what Houdini’s, ahem, participation in the evening’s festivities will entail exactly, she quipped: “We’ll be awakening the spirit of him. I know he’ll be present.”

The Hand & The Eye wouldn’t feel out of place in New York or San Francisco, among other cities; still, Tullman has acknowledged that his enterprise is a gamble. It’s also high-end, with cocktail attire required and a nightly admission of $225 per person, which includes a $75 dinner credit.

So far, the response has been encouraging. In September, The Hand & The Eye was named a finalist for a 2027 Jean Banchet Award, Chicago’s prestigious culinary honor, in the best design category.

That same month, Rockwell celebrated his 70th birthday at the mansion alongside his girlfriend, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” actor Jane Krakowski, and guests that included Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka, among other celebrities.

Smith, meanwhile, is confident The Hand & The Eye will become a luxury destination for milestone occasions ― so far, the venue has hosted at least seven marriage proposals ― as well as the Windy City’s home base for new generation of up-and-coming magicians.

“A lot of them have grown up together. They travel together ... it’s a really beautiful community,” she said. “We truly believe in the power of magic to inspire all of us.”

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.