Former Las Vegas Magician’s Castle Hits Market For $10M

Posted on: August 8, 2024, 05:45h. 

Last updated on: August 8, 2024, 06:48h.

Magician Lance Burton wanted to live in a castle on a hill, so he conjured one up.

He had it built Las Vegas-adjacent Henderson, Nev., with a watchtower, secret passageways, hidden doors, a great room with 30-foot ceilings, a two-story gilded library, and an indoor grotto.

Of course, that was in 2006, back when Burton was in the midst of a nearly 30-year run as the most celebrated prestidigitator on the Las Vegas Strip after David Copperfield.

Vanishing Act

After Burton’s $10 million annual contract with MGM Mirage ended in 2010, he seemed to vanish himself.

Though reportedly asked to perform a limited run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Burton instead decided to semi-retire. Now 64, he still performs, but on his own schedule and almost always outside Las Vegas.

His next scheduled appearances are Aug. 10 at the Aqua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage and Aug. 29 at the Lowes Arlington Hotel & Convention Center in Texas.

Burton first came to national attention via 10 appearances on the Johnny Carson-era “Tonight Show.” The notoriety led to an eight-week tryout with the “Folies Bergère” showgirl show at the Tropicana in 1982, when Burton was only 22. That tryout was extended for nine years.

A five-year contract with the Hacienda Hotel followed before MGM Resorts hired Burton to open its brand new Monte Carlo casino resort on the Strip in 1996, where he headlined for the lifetime of the property. (It became Park MGM 14 years later.)

By his own estimation, Burton performed more than 15 thousand shows for 15 million audience members over 28 years.

Leaving Las Vegas

In 2020, Burton sold his Vegas castle for $4 million to cannabis entrepreneur Tarek Tabsh, who commissioned updates that added nearly 2,000 square feet. He’s now trying to sell it for more than twice the price he paid. Here’s the listing. 

As soon as he made the sale, Burton retired with his animals to his grandfather’s 100-acre farm in Kentucky, where he grew up. He posted the following goodbye note to Las Vegas on Facebook…

“Ever since I was a young boy growing up in Kentucky, I dreamed of one day moving to Las Vegas. On television I got to see many of the great magicians that performed there, including Siegfried & Roy, The Great Tomsoni, Marvyn Roy, and many others.

“I didn’t know where Las Vegas was located. I didn’t know anything about gambling or resorts. All I knew was Las Vegas was where the professional magicians lived and worked and I wanted to join them one day.

“Please know that I am forever grateful for the mythical city called Las Vegas. I will miss you all. I love you all. Maybe I will return one day as a visitor. Until then, may God keep watch over you.”