<Page>

Exhibit 3.53

WISCONSIN

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

PLAYBOY CLUB OF GENEVA, INC.

* * *

The undersigned, being natural persons of the age of twenty-one years
or more, for the purpose of forming a corporation under the Wisconsin Business
Corporation Law, do hereby adopt the following Articles of Incorporation:

ARTICLE ONE

The name of the corporation is

PLAYBOY CLUB OF GENEVA, INC.

ARTICLE TWO

The period of existence of the corporation shall be perpetual.

ARTICLE THREE

The purpose or purposes for which the corporation is organized are:

To establish, build, purchase, lease, acquire, own, hold, maintain,
improve, use, manage and operate and to franchise others to operate supper
clubs, restaurants and eating places of all kinds; to manufacture, purchase,
acquire, own, hold, use, deal in, sell and dispose of foods, beverages,
condiments, confections, provisions, tobaccos [not legible] of all kinds and any
articles, materials, ingredients, products, machinery, equipment and property
related or incidental thereto or suitable, necessary or convenient

<Page>

in connection therewith; and to build, purchase, lease, acquire, own, hold,
maintain, improve, use, manage and operate hotels, motels, golf courses,
offices, stores, store-houses, commissaries, buildings, structures, works and
properties used for or in connection with any business of the corporation.

The corporation may also engage in any lawful activity within the
purposes for which corporations may be organized under the Wisconsin Business
Corporation Law.

ARTICLE FOUR

The aggregate number of shares which the corporation shall have
authority to issue is one hundred (100) of the par value of Ten Dollars ($10.00)
each.

ARTICLE FIVE

The address of its initial registered office in the State of Wisconsin
is 900 Gay Building, 16 North Carroll Street, Madison 3, and the name of its
initial registered agent at such address is C T Corporation System.

ARTICLE SIX

The number of directors of the corporation may be fixed by the by-laws
but shall not be less than three (3).

ARTICLE SEVEN

The name and address of each of the incorporators forming the
corporation are:

2
<Page>

<Table>
<Caption>
NAME ADDRESS
---- -------

D. T. Witter 208 South LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois

D. L. Hannum 208 South LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois

H. G. Yost 208 South LaSalle Street
Chicago, Illinois
</Table>

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands, this twenty-second
day of July, A. D., 1965.

/s/ D. T. Witter
------------------------------------
D. T . Witter

/s/ D. L. Hannum
------------------------------------
D. L. Hannum

/s/ H. G. Yost
------------------------------------
H. G. Yost

STATE OF ILLINOIS
SS:
COUNTY OF COOK

Personally came before me this twenty-second day of July A. D., 1965,
the above named D. T. Witter, D. L. Hannum and H. G. Yost to me known to be the
persons who executed the foregoing instrument, and acknowledged the same.

/s/ Lillian Arndt
------------------------------------
Notary Public

(NOTARIAL SEAL)

My Commission Expires: July 18, 1969

3
<Page>

RESOLVED, That the name of Playboy Club of Geneva, Inc. be changed to Playboy of
Lyons, Inc. by amending Article One of the Articles of Incorporation, so that as
amended it shall read as follows:

The name of the corporation is

PLAYBOY OF LYONS, INC.

RESOLVED, that Article Three of the Articles of Incorporation of Playboy Club of
Geneva, Inc. be amended, by adding the following as additional purposes of the
said corporation:

The corporation shall, as one of its primary purposes, hold, own,
control and utilize liquor, intoxicating beverage, and all other appropriate
licenses and permits for the operation of restaurants, taverns, nightclubs,
cabarets, inns, hotels, and resorts, in the State of Wisconsin and elsewhere,
and the carrying out of the other functions set forth in this Article Three.

The undersigned officers of PLAYBOY CLUB OF GENEVA, INC.

_______________________________________________________________________certify
(Use correct and complete corporate name)

1. The foregoing amendment of the articles of incorporation of said
corporation was consented to in writing by the holders of all shares entitled to
vote with respect to the subject matter of said amendment, duly signed by said
shareholders or in their names by their duly authorized attorneys. (See
instruction 2)

<Table>
<Caption>
Classes of shares Number of shares Number entitled Number voted
outstanding to vote For Against

Common 10 10 10 -0-

Preferred NONE
</Table>

3. (See instruction 6)

<Page>

4. The original articles of incorporation were recorded with the register
of deed of Dane county, Wisconsin in Vol. 430 And Page 18

Dated and seal (if any) affixed this 31st day of January 1968.

/s/ Robert F. Lehman
-----------------------------
Robert F. Lehman, President

(Affix seal or state that there is none)

/s/ William L. Seymour
-----------------------------
William L. Seymour, Secretary

2
<Page>

ARTICLES OF MERGER
MERGING
PLAYBOY CLUB OF LAKE GENEVA, INC.
A DELAWARE CORPORATION
INTO
PLAYBOY OF LYONS, INC.
A WISCONSIN CORPORATION

The undersigned corporations, pursuant to Section 180.68 of the
Wisconsin Business Corporation Law, hereby execute the following articles of
merger:

FIRST: The names of the corporations proposing to merge and the
names of the States under the laws of which such corporations are organized, are
Playboy Club of Lake Geneva, Inc.. a Delaware corporation, and Playboy of Lyons,
Inc., a Wisconsin corporation.

SECOND: The laws of Delaware, the State under which Playboy Club of
Lake Geneva, Inc., the foreign corporation is organized, permit such merger.

THIRD: The name of the surviving corporation shall be Playboy of
Lyons, Inc. and it shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wisconsin.

FOURTH: The plan of merger is as follows:

1. Playboy Club of Lake Geneva, Inc. shall be merged into Playboy of
Lyons, Inc. pursuant to Section 180.68 of the Wisconsin Business Corporation
Law, and Section 253 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

2. Upon completion of the merger the separate existence of Playboy
Club of Lake Geneva, Inc. shall cease. Simultaneously all the estate, property,
rights, privileges, franchises, immunities and powers of Playboy Club of Lake
Geneva, Inc. shall vest in and be held and enjoyed by Playboy of Lyons, Inc. and
Playboy of Lyons, Inc. shall assume all the duties, liabilities and obligations
of Playboy Club of Lake Geneva, Inc.

3. As of the effective time of the merger, all of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock of Playboy of Lyons, Inc. shall be deemed to be cancelled
and redeemed.

4. The Articles of Incorporation of Playboy of Lyons, Inc. shall be
the Articles of Incorporation of the surviving corporation.

5. The manner and basis of converting the shares of Playboy Club of
Lake Geneva, Inc. into shares of Playboy of Lyons, Inc. shall be as follows: At
the effective time of the merger, each share of Common Stock of Playboy Club of
Lake Geneva, Inc., shall thereupon be converted into .040 of a share of Common
Stock of Playboy of Lyons, Inc. No fractional shares shall be issued but the
number of shares issued shall be rounded to the next higher whole number. Upon
surrender to Playboy of

<Page>

Lyons, Inc. of the certificates for Playboy Club of Lake Geneva, Inc. Common
Stock the holder shall be entitled to receive certificates for the number of
shares of Common Stock of Playboy of Lyons, Inc. represented by the certificates
so surrendered. Until surrendered, each such certificate representing
outstanding shares of Common Stock of Playboy Club of Lake Geneva, Inc. shall
for all corporate and legal purposes represent the ownership of the number of
shares of Playboy of Lyons, Inc. Common Stock into which such certificate is
entitled to be converted pursuant hereto.

6. The effective time of the merger shall be September 15, 1981.

FIFTH: As to each corporation, the number of shares outstanding, the
number of shares entitled to vote, and the number and designation of the shares
of any class or series entitled to vote as a class or series, are:

<Table>
<Caption>
Name of Corporation Total Number of Total Number of Designation of Number of Shares
Shares Outstanding. Shares Entitled to Class or Series of Such Class or
vote. entitled to vote as Series (if any)
a Class or Series
(if any).

Playboy Club of Lake 2,500 2,500 Not Applicable Not Applicable
Geneva, Inc.

Playboy of Lyons, Inc. 100 100 Not Applicable Not Applicable
</Table>

SIXTH: As to each corporation, the number of shares voted for and
against the plan, respectively, are:

<Table>
<Caption>
Name of Corporation Total Shares Voted for Total Shares Voted Against

Playboy Club of Lake Geneva, Inc. 2,500 None

Playboy of Lyons, Inc. 100 None
</Table>

SEVENTH: All provisions of the laws of the State of Wisconsin and the
State of Delaware applicable to the proposed merger have been complied with.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF each of the undersigned corporations has caused
these articles of merger to be executed at Chicago, Illinois, in its name by its
president or vice president and secretary or assistant secretary, as of the 1st
day of SEPTEMBER, 1981.

2
<Page>

PLAYBOY CLUB OF LAKE GENEVA, INC.

By /s/ M.L. Huston
------------------------------------
President

[Corporate Seal]
By /s/ Dale C. Gordon
------------------------------------
Assistant Secretary

PLAYBOY OF LYONS, INC.

By /s/ Rober L. Lehman
------------------------------------
President

[Corporate Seal]
By /s/ Gene A. Pahud
------------------------------------
Secretary