Harry Potter – Up Close and Interactive

May 4, 2024 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susan Rosenbluth –  Two Sues On The Aisle [Updated from 2023]

Harry Potter became an unlikely phenomenon with the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by author JK Rowling. The obsession grew with the release of a series of books and movies, followed by a Broadway show, and now there is an interactive Harry Potter The Exhibition located at 50 West 34th Street, (diagonally across the street from Macy’s) in New York City until August 11.

After closing in NYC, The Exhibition will move to Boston.

This innovative experience is designed to appeal to all age groups from the very young drawn to the gamification, and hands-on activities, to older audiences captivated by displays of original props, and costumes from stage and screen accompanied by little-known facts and trivia. Harry Potter The Exhibition gives visitors a personalized journey into the creative process of the legend which captivated a generation of readers. It was created through a collaboration between Warner Brothers, Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, Imagine Exhibitions, and EMC.

Like the book, the interactive exhibition delivers action, adventure, and magic.

Enter A World of Wonder

Whether you are a Harry Potter neophyte or a huge fan, this interactive exhibition offers a one-of-a-kind experience with fascinating displays of memorabilia, and the behind-the-scenes process that brought these books to life. The enthusiasm of fans, costumed children, and adults exploring the venue is intoxicating. Feast on the many movie clips, presented on large screens and hidden peek holes at child-eye level. Open your mind and allow The Exhibition to fill in the missing pieces complete with sights, sounds, and even smells.

We were struck by their attention to detail, both in the production of costumes, and props on display, making it a magical way to spend an afternoon.

Personalized Experience

Each visitor gets a personalized visit. It begins with your “golden snitch’ wristband, which visitors can customize by taking a profile picture. Then select your favorite Hogwarts house, Partonus, and a wand. To a Potter novice, the registration on a kiosk felt a bit administrative. But for fans, the personalization lets them step into the magic, participating in a competition between the Houses adding intimacy and personalized involvement.

Wandering through the maze-like exhibit swiping the “golden snitch” provides visitors with access to each interactive experience. We were less excited when we realized it was also used to limit the number of times we could complete each game. It would have been more enjoyable if the technology was used for crowd management, allowing visitors to play the games multiple times when the exhibit was empty.  We would have enjoyed getting access to Harry Potter games remotely after our visit. Maybe this could be a next-generation enhancement to The Exhibition.

Entertaining and Engaging

Visitors are encouraged to actively engage with the exhibit and touch everything. This was a foreign concept for us, but we adapted, throwing the Quaffle into the Quidposts to score, which we successfully did! Your adventure begins with each group posing for a picture while holding wands (both the pictures and wands are available for purchase at the end of your visit).

Upon entering The Exhibition, we were welcomed by a guide who initiated our tour.  Entering a room where the walls are covered by an ancient map on which each visitor’s name magically appears. Then the map dissolves, replaced by a projection of seasonal scenes as a train journeys through the mountains to Hogworth. Reciting the correct magic phrase opens the door leading to the hall of talking pictures.

Visitors are free to wander through the winding castle-like halls, designed to create the illusion of walking through a maze. The guides are replaced by interactive experiences. We began by exploring The Houses [Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin] each segment provides information including displays of original costumes and props, organized behind faux stained-glass windows. Patrons can snap pictures wearing the storing hat which selects which house the children go to on their arrival at Hogwarts. Next up was a room displaying the unique wands featured in the movies, beside totem-pole-sized replicas with an interactive activity challenge, casting your very first spell.

Wander from room to room, each with a different theme, and an experiential engagement, including sitting in Hagrid’s giant chair, squeezing into the cupboard under the stairs, potion making, and yanking a mandrake from a planting pot just to name a few. There are unlimited opportunities for selfies throughout the exhibit.

Finding Holes in the Wall

Every nook and cranny is filled, providing a new adventure. As a novice, I was awed by the sheer amount of content and the care with which it was curated and organized. For the very young, there are holes in the wall showing clips from movies, and for the older visitors, informational placards provide background and context.  We spent two hours and probably overlooked some of the nuanced references.  Immerse yourself in the world of Harry Potter, and see why it captivated audiences young and old since the early 2000s.

A visit to Harry Potter The Exhibition will open your eyes to the world of magic, and fantasy.

*******

Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) in order to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed. 

Harry Potter The Exhibition -received a four Challah rating