Magic supplies in Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana

Lodge weddings and company retreats around Big Sky and the Gallatin Canyon are the best-paid work in the county, and the audience is usually adult, relaxed and standing with a drink. Strolling close-up is the format. Coins are ideal for that: the Transparent Coin — Half Dollar and our guide to coin magic for beginners are a good start. A set of sponge balls that multiply in a guest's hand never fails at a cocktail hour. Browse close-up magic.

MSU gives Bozeman a large audience of students and faculty, and they like magic that feels like a test they can't pass. Mentalism suits them. The Mental Die — Brass and forcing dice let you predict a choice with nothing to examine but the object itself. Our article on mentalism versus traditional magic helps you decide which style matches you. The mentalism collection lists current stock.

There is no local club to join, so build your own practice routine. Learn one effect fully, then perform it for anyone who will watch: housemates, co-workers, a table at a brewery. Watch for touring magicians at the Ellen and in the university's halls, and study how they handle volunteers.

When you buy, buy little. A self-working deck, a coin effect and a close-up mat are enough for a first season. Read magic tips for beginners and start with the beginner collection.

We found no magic shop in Bozeman or elsewhere in Gallatin County. Toy shops downtown sell trick kits, which are fine as gifts but rarely survive a working performer's use.

Online is how magicians in southwest Montana buy. Our listings say what is in the package, whether instructions are included and how much practice it takes. Unopened items can be returned within 30 days of delivery if they turn out not to be what you wanted.

Montana's other city pages are Billings, two hours east on I-90, and Missoula, about three hours west; Butte and Helena are closer. Bozeman performers often work Big Sky, Livingston and West Yellowstone in season. A small kit that fits a car and a carry-on bag suits a state this big. See magic in Montana for the full list.

The Ellen opened in 1919, built by the sons of Bozeman founder Nelson Story and named for their mother. It hosted variety and vaudeville, silent-film premieres and concerts, then sat for decades in disrepair until Montana TheatreWorks restored it in 2008. Today it presents musicals, plays and touring artists. If you are building a parlour or stage act, start with props made to be seen from the balcony: linking rings, silks and the rest of the stage magic collection.

We send orders to every address in Bozeman and the rest of Gallatin County, including Belgrade, Big Sky and Four Corners, on the same terms as the rest of the country. Most of the range ships from our supplier, so we don't quote a delivery date; plan ahead of a booking. See shipping and returns and refunds.