Beloved magician Milt Larsen leaves behind magical legacy in Santa Barbara

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— Milt Larsen, founder of the Magic Castle, has passed away at the age of 92.

Larsen was a long time Montecito resident who was best known for his life-long role in the world of magic and illusion.

He came from a family of magicians and started performing by the age of 6.

In addition to founding the Magic Castle in 1963, he has been a huge supporter of the Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara.

We spoke to Milt at the Lobero Theater back in March, where he had an annual show called “It’s Magic.”

“If you really think about it, magic is the escape from the world that we live in today. It's imagination…takes over. You could do the impossible,” said the Magic Castle Founder and beloved magician.

“He was a man of kindness, a man, as I said, and being deeply committed to his community and deeply committed to magic and being able to share it with people,” said James Dougherty, who is a long time friend of Milt’s.

Larsen was involved with the Lobero Theater for over two decades.

He leaves behind his wife Arlene and a magical legacy in arts and entertainment.

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