I went to this exhibit a while ago and had an absolute ball! Then again, I love the Harry Potter books and films… So of course someone like me would enjoy it. 😀

“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” is a must-see for HP fans of all ages.  This traveling exhibit is similar to the “Lord of the Rings” exhibit from a few years ago.  There are props, costumes, and models of magical creatures from all six films that have been released so far.  Fans will see replicas of some of the most memorable HP locations, from the Great Hall and the boys’ bedroom at Hogwarts, to Hagrid’s hut and the Forbidden Forest.

• Kids can volunteer to wear the Sorting Hat and learn which house in Hogwarts it places them.
• You can pulling up shrieking Mandrakes in a replica of the Herbology classroom.
• You’ll see all of the robes/costumes worn by the Hogwarts professors, including all of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers.  The clothes look great on camera, but up close they’re so beautiful.  The amount of detail that went into each piece of clothing is just incredible.
• My favorite part of the exhibit was probably the Great Hall.  It feathred lots of Yule Ball “food,” dresses, androbes featured in “Goblet of Fire” (Book/movie #4); the Weasley twins’ joke candy and contraptions; a model of Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix; and those impressive gold doors at the entryway.
• You can do an “audio tour” for a few extra dollars.  Using a cellphone-like device, you can get some extra “behind-the-scenes” tidbits on the characters and some of the more famous props, costumes, and scenes.  These tidbits come directly from the people who know best: The costume, makeup, set design, and special effects crew of the Harry Potter films.
• The gift shop at the end is wonderful!  I bought a t-shirt and an exhibit companion book as souvenirs, but they had lots more there: DVDs, flags from each Hogwarts house, wands, chess and checker boards, …