Have you ever imagined what it would be like to immerse yourself in the Wizarding World? Now open at CambridgeSide until April 27th, you can take a trip down a magical lane in “Harry Potter: The Exhibition”. The spellbinding event put together by The Imagine Team invites fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series to visit, in which they offer interactive hands-on experiences and close-up looks at authentic props and costumes, providing an exciting and surreal environment.
The plan for the exhibition was led by Katie Restuccia and Patrice Cleaves, Director and Senior Directors of Sales & Marketing at Imagine Exhibitions.
“It is the perfect thing for families, for people of all ages. Whether you’re a fan of the world of Harry Potter or not, looking to immerse yourself in a new world is pretty phenomenal,” explained Cleaves. “Enjoy it! Don’t think about what you think you’ll see. I think it’s such a wonderful experience, you forget where you are,” added Restuccia.
The tour begins when you are given a wristband that tracks your points for the house of your choice and your decisions at the interactive stations. While setting up their profile, guests can also select a wand and their patronus, animal guardian.
Once you are all set, you enter a room with the first edition of the book series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, a copy with its original name. The remainder of the experience was based on the movies and their accurate depictions rather than the novels.
For the first two rooms, guides played quick trivia games while demonstrating a recap of the first movie in the first room and showcasing the four seasons of Hogwarts in the second room on multiple large screens. After the quick showing was over, attendees were free to roam the exhibit and watch stories become reality.
After a quick walk through Hogwarts’ hallways, which used clever technology to make the paintings move and come to life, students are taken to a “House Hall of Fame” of sorts, in which you can go through four different arches. Past each arch—Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff—visitors can take close looks at replicas of a variety of costumes worn on set by well-known characters of each house. Each costume has a description on the side, explaining each character’s role in the story, primarily focusing on supporting leads.
Throughout the exhibit, visitors could take a look at costumes, props, and replicas used in the movies, with descriptions given for each of them.
There were key moments in the series depicted in various rooms. We begin with Potter’s origins and the exhibit mostly going in chronological order. After seeing the houses, students are taken past the Great Hall to a showcase of different characters’ wands and directions for casting common spells.
The wand room is one of many opportunities for guests to engage in activities. Students could cast spells in the wand room, have their futures foreseen through a crystal ball in the Divination room, or create potions in Professor Snape’s Potionology classroom.
Following those rooms, guests make their way to the Herbology greenhouse, where students must deposit a mandrake, a sentient plant that screeches. Past that, students engage with the dark arts, in which they must confront shapeshifting creatures called Boggarts. To dissuade your fears, casting a simple “Riddikulus” spell would send the foe away.
Moving past Hogwarts and its enchanting classes, the next part of the exhibit showcases Hagrid’s Hut, the cozy home of Potter’s mentor and first friend at Hogwarts. Eerie sounds coming from the Forbidden Forest can be heard through the hut’s backdoor, leading to an interactive segment where guests can learn more about their chosen patronus.
Following the walk-through of the outskirts of Hogwarts, the Triwizard Tournament room sends a thrill through guests with a towering sculpture of a dragon, accompanied by many props from the movies such as the Triwizard Cup and the Goblet of Fire.
The popular sport in the series known as Quidditch—a game in which wizards ride broomsticks and score points through tall hoops, where the game is finalized once the Golden Snitch is caught—is brought to life in the next room, where a replica of Potter’s broomstick is shown and a fan-favorite segment in the exhibit allows for guests to stop their tour and shoot foam balls through hoops as though they are playing a real game of Quidditch.
One of the final rooms displaying the Harry Potter series consists of a dark arts display. The walls display the experiences of Lord Voldemort, also known as Tom Riddle. The room captures the alluring and seemingly evil nature of the antagonist—despite the character not seeing himself as such
As the exhibit nears its end, the final rooms showcase the spin-off prequel to the Harry Potter series, the Fantastic Beasts films, and the musical and novel Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The section was less concise, encouraging guests to explore the final story-telling section of the exhibit.
Just before the experience comes to a close, the humble origins of the story—Potter’s cupboard under the stairs—is shown. The exhibit represents the beloved series and characters’ growth and development, made for fans of all ages to enjoy. The interactive tribute serves as not just a museum for eager fans, but it is a place to immerse yourself in the magical world of Harry Potter.
The exhibit ends with a scoreboard of the total points collected from each house, next to the gift shop with many trinkets and merchandise available, as well as Butterbeer, a popular drink in the series.
To learn more about the exhibit and The Imagine Team’s current and future projects, check out their website and socials at @harrypotterexhibition on all platforms.
