To this day, I still don’t think I’ve read a series of books that captured my imagination as much as Harry Potter. I’ve done Twilight, The Hunger Games, His Dark Materials, and others. But none had me pre-ordering the next installment so that it arrived at my doorstep on the day it was released. None had me consuming their 500+ pages over the span of 24 hours. I loved Harry, Ron, & Hermione’s magical adventures and following J.K. Rowling’s carefully and cleverly crafted plot twists.
So for me, it felt like a religious pilgrimage of sorts to visit the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour London at the end of the summer. Because I’m not just a fan of the books but also of the movies and the practical magic of movie making. Here, at Leavesdon, where they filmed all the Harry Potter movies, the studio saved many of the sets, costumes, and props to give visitors an immersive experience into the magic of filmmaking, to give them their own Harry Potter adventure.
Privet Drive, Platform 9 3/4, the Hogwarts Express, Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common rooms, the Ministry of Magic, Diagon Alley, they’re all here. The Creature Room, in particular, was a favorite of ours. And I could not help but be in awe of the skill, craftsmanship, and artistry that went into creating Harry’s magical world and making it come alive.
It was spectacular. This Muggle can’t wait to go back.
