Harry Potter: A NYC Exhibition in Herald Square

A "MUST DO" EXPERIENCE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

I recently had the opportunity to visit the new Harry Potter exhibition in New York City, on 34th Street. Not only is it a marvelous representation of the wizarding world we all know and love, but it is also a fantastic activity that invites children and adults alike to explore the magic around them. Through interactions, movie clips, authentic costumes on display, and out-of-this-world props and decorations, your family will be transported through this mystical realm. Encouraging interaction, this experience offers real-world opportunities to become a witch or wizard through a life-size game of quidditch, spell-casting, potion-making, and so much more. Although there are a couple of rooms without hands-on experiences, the visuals, audio, and scenic surroundings more than compensate for it.

Welcome to Harry Potter: The Experience

As you begin on this quest, you are provided a wristband adorned with a golden snitch that will guide you through your experience and will allow you to participate in all interactive adventures. Upstairs, you are met with your first opportunity to see the power of this golden snitch on your wrist as you use the kiosks to insert your information and choose your wizard house, patronus, and wand. Moving forward, you are entered into a spirited competition to see which Harry Potter House will obtain the most points. Through a series of more than 10 rooms, you will find yourself living out your own Harry Potter fantasy, accumulating points, and helping your "House's" overall score.

Tracing spells with my fingertips, using a wristband to make magic appear before me, walking through a forest of ten-foot wizards' wands, having dragon statues towering above me, and getting to defeat an enemy with my wand during an epic battle are just a few experiences in which I found myself living as a kid again. This child-friendly exhibit even offered a life-sized Hagrid chair about 5 feet wide, where I witnessed two small kids during my visit being almost swallowed up by the pure quantity of leather. The chance for photo-ops alone is a reason to witness this - we took many fun pictures throughout the page-to-screen galleries, Hogwart's Castle, the Great Hall, Hogwart's Houses, the classrooms, and the Forbidden Forests to name a few. Many of these rooms offer not only artwork all around you but also specific locations where you and your family can pose like real wizards in a scene straight from the movies including Harry Potter’s original bedroom under the stairs. 

I personally also found great pleasure in wandering through all four Harry Potter houses, surrounded by the great wizards. The 10-foot plaques lining the walls that tell the stories of those who had founded the houses, the legendary movie producers, and costume designers are incredibly interesting and informative.

But that's not all...

If you think that the Harry Potter films are the only ones covered in this exhibit, you would be mistaken. There is also an area filled with memorabilia and depictions of the Fantastic Beasts series; the spin-off prequel to Harry Potter. Here you get a small peek into the adventures of Artemis Fido Lurch Scamander, “Newt’s” life, and the mystical creatures he works with, unveiling yet another layer to the world of magic around you. 

One of my favorite moments, near the end, is The Hogwarts Pensieve: a large goblet-shaped cauldron used by a long line of headmasters and headmistresses in the Harry Potter movies to see into the past. It is here that once again you can tap your golden snitch wristband to see your own face, from a previously taken photo within the exhibition, and relive your very own magical memories. I feel that this was one of the very best ways to conclude my time here as it gave me the sense of leaving a small piece of myself behind in this sensational realm.

Not only is this experience one to be remembered for a lifetime but its ingenious creativity and immersive activities for all ages are something that must be seen once, if not several times, to remind us all that life is and will forever be magical in its own right. 

And...

Don't forget to visit their extensive gift shop filled with memorabilia for all ages to bring the magic back home with you!

TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS VISIT:
THEIR WEBSITE
or walk in at:
50 W 34th Street (34th Street and Broadway in Herald Square, NYC)
Tickets Start at $29 for adults

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