By Amanda Young
If you’re anything like me, you have never fully stopped waiting for your Hogwarts letter. So what if I’m 32? I would gladly give up my 9 to 5 the moment that owl swoops in through my not-blocked-up fireplace and march gladly into 7 more years of school.
Seriously, the fireplace is totally open. Ya know, just ready for missives from the Wizarding World.
In case anyone magical is wondering.
Fortunately for the world’s Potterheads (and there are MANY of us), there are some truly spectacular spots that we can visit on our breaks from staring longingly out the window waiting for rescue from our own version of the cupboard under the stairs. And while some of them may be a long journey, with a bit of planning and saving you can make it happen. From the truly immersive, swear-you’re-there experience to the familiar sights from the films present in Europe’s landscape and architecture, there’s something here for everyone.
So grab your quills and get ready to make some plans.
Platform 9 ¾
King’s Cross Station, London
Let’s begin with the holy grail of all Potterhead photo ops. The entrance to infamous Platform 9 ¾ is located inside the real King’s Cross Station in London. There you can grab the trolley (half-immersed in the wall between platforms 9 and 10) and live out your omg-I’m-going-to-Hogwarts fantasies.
While the station (and attraction) is technically open 24/7 and personal photos are completely allowed and free, get there between 9am and 9pm if you want a professional photo for a small fee, complete with your house scarf artfully thrown by a helpful attendant (or, ya know, magic…I won’t tell).
For more information, including tips about timing and surrounding shops and food, check out the official site here.
The Millennium Bridge
London
If the whole ‘free’ and ‘London’ thing is your style, be sure to also check out the Millennium Bridge, memorably blown to bits by Death Eaters in Deathly Hallows Part 1. This pedestrian-only bridge is more than a functional way to cross the Thames; it’s also a damned work of art and the site of tons of other movie scenes (Bridget Jones’s Diary, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc.).
There are also the teensy little matters of it being built to perfectly frame St. Paul’s Cathedral (so good luck not absolutely fainting at the beautiful view on your way across) and being the host to 400 mini-paintings done on chewing gum by a local artist called (appropriately) The Chewing Gum Man.
London…you wacky bugger. Don’t ever change.
The Jacobite Train Ride
Scotland
One of the truly memorable images from the Harry Potter film series is the journey of the Hogwarts Express across the beautiful Scottish countryside on its way to Hogsmeade Station. While the Jacobite Train may not actually end by delivering you into Hagrid’s loving arms (if only), you will get to cross the gigantic Glenfinnan viaduct and its 21 arches, i.e. the image that you immediately think of when you recall the journey on that iconic scarlet steam engine.
And I’ll be damned if you don’t believe for juuuust a second that you are in fact heading straight to the Sorting Ceremony in the Great Hall. Oh yeah, and the rest of the holy-shit-this-looks-like-a-painting Scottish countryside on your ride ain’t too shabby either.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Universal Studios, Orlando, FL
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, located at Universal Studios in Orlando and divided into Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, is an absolute must. Don’t be thrown by the amusement park thing- when you are within these sections of the park you are completely immersed.
While seeing Hogwarts rise on the horizon will be sure to draw a gasp and (in my case) a few tears, the true beauty here is in the details. I won’t spoil anything for you, just be sure to take it all in (seriously…don’t miss the newspapers casually strewn about in the queue for Escape from Gringotts).
From the food and drink (read: Butterbeer) to the wares of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes and the dark arts-infused Bourgin and Burkes, you will truly be transported. While the Wizarding World also occupies Universal Studios Hollywood, in Orlando you can board the Hogwarts Express and ride between Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, again completely immersed due to the scenes running outside your “window” (just be sure to purchase the park-to-park ticket).
Wait until the second half of the year for a visit though, as a new Hagrid-themed ride will be opening this summer.
Christ Church College
Oxford
This ancient campus, part of THE Oxford University, was the site of several filming locations for the Harry Potter film series. Remember when deputy headmistress and my personal queen Minerva McGonagall meets the baby first years, including Harry, Ron, and itsy bitsy Draco, before the Sorting Ceremony in Sorcerer’s Stone? Yeah, that’s Bodley Tower Staircase.
And who can forget when Mad-Eye Moody (well, sort of) turned Malfoy into a ferret in Goblet of Fire? The site of that absolute FLEX was the Oak Tree located at the Bridge of Sighs in the New College Cloisters.
The list goes on and on- they filmed a lot of Hogwarts interior here and in surrounding structures that are all walkable from Christ Church College- so the fact that this is a self-guided walking tour is perfect. There’s also, ya know, like a bunch of history and stuff that doesn’t have to do with The Chosen One that is…I guess…pretty cool too.
LeakyCon
Dallas- August 2019
Boston- October 2019
If conventions are more your style, you won’t find a better Potter-themed convention than the annual LeakyCon, and it’s celebrating its tenth year in 2019 by holding two conventions- LeakyCon Dallas in August and LeakyCon’s 10th Anniversary Celebration in Boston.
This convention is for die-hard fans only…previous panel discussions range from “Civil Rights and Segregation in Harry Potter” to “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Memes”. Major nerd alert and I am 1000% HERE FOR IT.
In addition to the panels, attendants will also experience 2-3 days jam-packed with house meet-ups, autograph and photo opportunities with stars from the films and other HP influencers, a giant marketplace with unique themed merchandise, and some truly epic cosplay.
The details are still in the works for 2019’s events, but if previous years are any indication you should absolutely make it happen if you can swing the ticket price, which ranges from $59 for a one-day pass to $349 for the fully-loaded “Marauder’s Pass”, which includes priority panel seating, advanced access to various convention areas, and autograph and photo vouchers.
Buy them here and buy them early- the past couple of years have sold out completely weeks before the event.
The Cliffs of Dover
Kent, England
Alright, alright, so these breathtaking cliffs were famous long before Harry Potter was a name literally everyone with a pulse recognizes, but they were put to extraordinarily good use in the most recent Fantastic Beasts installment, The Crimes of Grindlewald. The sweeping shots of the stark white stone, shockingly green grass, and seriously-is-this-even-real blue sky may have been only on screen for a few brief moments, but let’s face it… the fact that these cliffs are real…and not CGI…and visitable…and not that far from London (seriously, it’s like an hour and half by train) is about as close to true magic as we are can get. Bring your hiking shoes and a camera and for god’s sake leave your acrophobia at home cause that shit’s HIGH.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of Potter-related travel destinations, but I hope it’s given you some ideas for a good starting point on your Potter pilgrimages regardless of your geographic location and budget.
So start planning and don’t fret about your timeline- remember that looking forward to a trip is half the fun, and above everything else, count yourself lucky to be a part of the best fandom in the world. In the words of Remus Lupin, I feel certain we’ll meet again some time.
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
London, New York, Melbourne
San Francisco (opening October 2019)
Hamburg (Spring 2020)
Alright fellow Potterheads, before you launch into your opinions about the Cursed Child script (and trust me, I have many of my own), hear me out. The stage production is truly mind-blowing. While it will definitely cost you a good chunk of your hard-earned galleons and roughly the equivalent of an average US work day (the total length of the show is around 7 hours), you won’t miss either after seeing this two-part production.
From the moments that will have you gaping at the stage whispering “how the HELL did they do that?” to your neighbor (and trust me, those moments are too numerous to count) to the moments that will have you laughing so hard you’ll literally miss the next few lines, to the moments that will leave you quietly and unabashedly weeping, you will be totally in awe and completely removed from the initial reactions you had after reading it. Except for the Trolley Witch stuff…that’s still pretty weird. Find your tickets here.
Warner Brothers Studio Tour
London
Want to stand in the very room in which Snape drawled that he would teach young potioneers to “bewitch the mind and ensnaaaaare the senses”? Want to stand right next to Ron’s truly horrible Yule Ball dress robes or Fleur Delacour’s impeccable Beauxbatons uniform?
Well, you can. At the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, visitors will explore actual sets from the 8-film Harry Potter series and stare slack-jawed at an absolute Gringotts-vault worth of set props and costumes. Speaking of Gringotts, the goblin-run wizard bank is the setting of the Studio Tour’s newest addition, which opens in April of this year. Tickets will run you about $60 for the tour, and it’s highly recommended that you purchase well in advance, as this is an understandably popular attraction.
Live Taping of Harry Potter and The Sacred Text
Various
If you’re not familiar with Sacred Text, oh boy am I about to enrich your life. This podcast, hosted by two students of Harvard’s Divinity School is a deep-dive into the symbolism and life-lessons present in JKR’s iconic series. Each episode takes one chapter and reads it through a theme, which changes every week.
Imagine reading Beyond The Veil from Order of the Phoenix through the theme of failure, for example. Also, sob. Don’t be thrown by the name- the content is actually quite secular, borrowing recognized practices from all manner of religious practice to gain insight from the text that can be applied to living a more mindful and meaningful day-to-day life regardless of one’s own belief system.
The podcast has exploded in popularity, with the show now periodically going on the road for live tapings. Check out their site here to see if an upcoming show is close by.
Livraria Lello
Porto, Portugal
Liviraria Lello, or The Lello Bookstore, has a grand sweeping staircase, and has long been rumored as the inspiration for the Hogwarts staircase. Supposedly, when J.K. Rowling lived in Porto, she was a regular customer at the bookstore. She was so moved by it, she found a way to incorporate it into the Harry Potter series. The bookstore itself was built in 1906.
Though Melissa warns that in person, the bookstore is a little less than impressive and extremely crowded, for any true Harry Potter fan, it should be on your list of places to visit. Porto is also just a really wonderful place to go.
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