Grandfather's college roommate, Edward, has spent years collecting toys, gadgets, and rides from carnivals and state fairs. When the Boxcar Children visit Edward, his mansion seems like a toy-filled paradise for the Boxcar Children. But they soon discover that something is very wrong in the old house. Strange music plays in empty rooms, machines turn themselves on and off, and furniture moves itself from room to room. When the Boxcar Children find out that the world's most famous magician once performed there, they begin to wonder—could Edward's house be haunted by the ghost of Harry Houdini?