"Harry Potter: The Exhibition" Brings The Magic

“Harry Potter: The Exhibition”

By Siena Oliver, ’27

For fans of the iconic Harry Potter books and movies, Harry Potter: The Exhibition, produced by Imagine Exhibitions, gives an interactive and behind-the-scenes view of the Wizarding World. The self-guided tour showcases real props and costumes used in the Harry Potter movies, allows visitors to experience the magic of different rooms like the Hogwarts Great Hall and the Forbidden Forest, and even has a gift shop and Butterbeer waiting at the end. The exhibition is located in Cambridge, Mass., until April 27.

At the beginning of the tour, participants are given a bracelet to act as their “wand” and are encouraged to create an online profile for themselves, which includes their preferred Patronus, wand type, and Hogwarts House. Throughout the exhibition there are several opportunities to scan the bracelet and participate in an interactive activity such as potion-making or scoring in Quidditch. The House Points earned by completing these activities are displayed at the end of the tour.

There are over 20 different Harry Potter themed galleries included, and participants are allowed to take the self-guided tour at their own pace. Despite this, the tour is not overly expansive, and probably won’t take any more than an hour to an hour and 30 minutes to walk through, which can be seen as both a pro and a con. While young children may not get as bored or easily distracted, the relatively short length means that the tour is not extremely large or detailed, and some die-hard Harry Potter fans may be left wanting more.

When visiting the exhibition myself, in a preview for student journalists sponsored by Headliners in Education, two elements stood out the most: the real movie props included in glass cases throughout and the aforementioned interactive activities. Each gallery – dedicated to a specific scene, room, or character from the movies – showcased different props or costumes. It was cool to see the recognizable items and know that they were the actual pieces used during filming.

In an interview, Katie Restuccia, Director of Sales and Marketing at Imagine Exhibitions, explained the process of securing real movie props for their interactive tour. “All of it came from the Warner Bros. archive,” Restuccia said. “I think it’s just a matter of getting licensed through Warner Bros.” Patrice Cleaves, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing at Imagine Exhibitions, emphasized that the tour is about the Harry Potter films, not the books. “Our exhibition is literally focused and licensed with Warner Bros. for the movies,” she said.

Overall, Harry Potter: The Exhibition is an exciting and magical experience for fans of all ages. The self-guided tour, and interactive games along the way, allow participants to feel as if they are part of the Harry Potter movies, and create an overall positive and engaging experience. Harry Potter fans, you may want to see this before it’s gone!

The exhibit runs at CambridgeSide in Cambridge through April 27, with tickets starting at $25. For more information on the exhibit or to purchase a ticket, visit https://harrypotterexhibition.com/

This article is published in partnership with Hanover High School. It first appeared in the Hawk, the school’s student newspaper.