Magic Shop Near Me on Hollywood Boulevard: Hollywood Toys & Costumes

On a stretch of Hollywood Boulevard best known for stars in the sidewalk, one of the few businesses that has outlasted nearly everyone around it is a costume shop. Hollywood Toys & Costumes, at 6600 Hollywood Blvd, opened in 1950 and still sells masks, wigs, makeup and, in a corner many visitors miss, magic. If you searched magic shop near me while walking the boulevard in October, this is the shop where a rubber werewolf mask and a magician's thumb tip are rung up at the same register.

The business began as the Hollywood Toy Shop. Its own history places that first storefront between a Thrifty Drug Store and a J.J. Newberry Co. five-and-dime, a small family-run shop selling toys, masks, wigs, costumes and novelties. As business grew, the family expanded and, in the early 1990s, moved into the historic art-deco building that had once housed J.J. Newberry's. That is the building you walk into today, at the corner block near Whitley Avenue.

The magic connection came later. When the Hollywood Magic shop closed its doors to the public in 2010, Hollywood Toys & Costumes brought in some of its materials and staff to keep supporting local magicians. That moment explains why a costume store carries working props alongside party novelties, and why some longtime Angelenos still head here when they want a basic magic supply without driving to the Valley.

Start at the magic shelf with the classics. A Thumb Tip costs $2.99, the same small gimmick beginners use to make a silk or a bill vanish. A 9-inch Magician Silk Square in turquoise is $3.99, and the two together are the cheapest way to learn your first vanish. Ball Climax, a close-up item, is $8.99. These are the kinds of tricks a child can master over a weekend and an adult can carry in a jacket pocket.

Bigger effects suit a stage or a party. The Chapeaugraphy Hat Act, a felt ring folded into dozens of hat shapes for a comic character routine, is $31.99. Jumbo Mouth Coils, the long streamers a performer seems to pull from their mouth, are $30.99. The Magic Cauldron is $27.99, and the Invisible Dog, the stiff leash and collar that walks an empty space, is $12.99 and still gets a laugh on the boulevard.

October changes the rhythm of the store. The homepage tells visitors that it stays open later as Halloween nears, and the aisles fill with people hunting for costumes, masks and makeup. Online shoppers are told to order by October 22 for ground delivery before Halloween. If the magic shelf is your goal, go on a weekday morning, when the costume rush has not started and staff have time to show you how a thumb tip is worn.

There are a few store rules to know. Purchases made online cannot be returned at the store. Online returns are accepted within 14 days if the item is unopened, and you need a return number from customer service at cs@hollywoodtoys.com first. In practice that means it is worth handling and asking about a trick at the counter rather than ordering several online and hoping one works for you.

The costume side is the reason most people walk in, and it is worth a slow lap even if you came for magic. The store says it carries adult and children's costumes, styled and standard wigs, masks, jewelry, makeup, novelties, hobbies and collectibles, and that it has served tourists, locals, talk shows and movie studios for more than 70 years. An Adults Ghost Face Skeleton Reaper Hooded Robe costume is listed at $53.99, a good example of the licensed Halloween stock that dominates in autumn.

Parking takes a little planning because the shop has no private lot. Its directions page points to metered parking on the surrounding streets, a privately owned lot less than a block north on Whitley Avenue, and other private lots on Schrader Boulevard, Wilcox Avenue and Cahuenga Boulevard. Coming from the 101, take the Cahuenga exit, turn onto Hollywood Boulevard, and the store is about three blocks down on the left.

Once you have your bag, the walk west along Hollywood Boulevard is full of film history. Larry Edmunds Bookshop at 6644 Hollywood Blvd has sold movie books, scripts and posters for decades, and it pairs naturally with a magic shop visit for anyone who loves stagecraft. A few steps further, Musso & Frank Grill at 6667 Hollywood Blvd has been pouring martinis since 1919, and the Egyptian Theatre at 6712 Hollywood Blvd is one of the boulevard's original movie palaces.

Going east instead takes you along the Walk of Fame toward Cahuenga Boulevard, where the nightlife picks up after dark. If you came specifically for magic, it is worth knowing that the Magic Castle sits up the hill on Franklin Avenue, though it is a private club that needs an invitation. A beginner trick from this counter is a better souvenir than a photo in front of its gate.

Practical notes. Hollywood Toys & Costumes is at 6600 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028. Regular hours are Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday 10:30 am to 7 pm, with later closing as Halloween approaches. There is no private lot, so use street meters or the private lots on Whitley, Schrader, Wilcox and Cahuenga. Online orders cannot be returned in the store.

This is the right stop for families who want a costume and a first trick in one trip, for performers who need a quick silk or thumb tip in Hollywood, and for anyone who wants to see a 1950s family business still running on the boulevard. If you want Karpo to line up dinner on Hollywood Boulevard or a show to see after your shopping, ask in the Karpo APP and it will plan the rest of the evening.