I’m not sure which group was more excited to see the Harry Potter the Exhibition in Philadelphia – the big kids (adults) or the actual kids.  From my visit, I think it’s safe to say the big kids, especially those dressed in their Hogwarts gear (scarves, glasses, waving wands).  With a wizarding universe that has existed for over twenty years now, safe to say that Harry Potter magic continues to enthrall and cast a spell around the world across multiple generations on a daily basis at Universal Studios in Florida, the Harry Potter movie studio in London and the live theatre Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway and the West End.  Whether you read the books, watched the films or are a casual observer, there’s something fun for everyone at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter The Exhibition at the Franklin Institute. The Philadelphia run ends soon before flying away to Europe (first stop Vienna) and back to the U.S. in New York City.

Harry Potter Exhibition Interactive

The timed tickets are in ½ hour groupings and when your time is called you will line up to begin your interactive journey.  Visiting one of the kiosks, staff will guide you to

• • • • enter data for each visitor and assign to your wristband tag
      • choose your Hogwarts house (I was torn between Hufflepuff and Slytherin)
      • choose your wand (I picked Grindewald)
      • choose your Patronus (I went with a Phoenix).

You can choose to put in real data or false data, an email will be sent after your visit if you use real email information. The name you choose to assign to your wristband will follow you in the exhibition to the interactive displays.  Your tag is aligned to the Hogwarts house you’ve chosen so you can earn points as you play along. If you have a big group, know that it will take time for each person to play some of the interactive games to earn points.

Once the data is entered into the kiosk, you will then need your photo taken (if you are tall like me, you’ll need to bend down to get to the camera level).  Once the administrative work is done, you will tap your wristband square against the snitch keypad.  Throughout the exhibit you will see interactive displays that require you to tap your wristband to activate. So make sure it works at the onset. (note: the radio frequency wristbands may interfere with other technology you are traveling with so be aware.  I had problems with my iPhone so hopefully they have worked that out).

Once you’ve completed the first task, you’ll have your ticket scanned at the entrance to the ramps up to the exhibit.  At the top of the ramp there is one (yes, only one) person taking photos of your group against a green screen which creates a backup as you can imagine. If you want to have a souvenir photo then wait in line but if you want to skip the photo and bypass the line, you can do this as you get closer to the top of the line.

The Harry Potter Exhibition Journey

At the entrance of the exhibit, groups are limited in number to begin the journey.  You will be led into a room and asked to tap your wristband on either the right or left of the room.  You’ll then hear the familiar music of Harry Potter and see the train journey to Hogwarts with your name floating on the screen. This is just one of many personalized features of the journey through the exhibition. Once that is done, you are free to enter the exhibit and follow the lines or go as you wish through the various rooms (there are over 20 rooms set up, including a smaller version of the Great Hall, Hagrid’s Hut, Hogwarts Houses, the Ministry of Magic and more).

Your first room is likely the Great Hall or a smaller version that uses music, video and in room props to help transport you to the Great Hall.  While not as Great (or Grand) as the movie set in London, this will suffice as your starting point in the exhibition.

With original costumes and props, the magic of Harry Potter movies comes alive from the first movie to the last movie.  There’s also a room for Fantastic Beasts fans with costumes and props.

 

Throughout the exhibit there are interactive displays to make potions, use your wand, cast a spell and win points for your house. It’s been designed quite well although a few popular rooms will cause a buildup of people, lines and slight annoyance.  Decide in advance if you are ok to skip one or two interactive kiosks, have the patience to wait or will circle back later.  The potion room had three kiosks in a small space so a few families causes a traffic jam.  We skipped our potions and the dark arts which had only two kiosks.  These small rooms are best to visit when crowds are lighter (early morning or late night).

Harry Potter The Exhibition Review

Having loved the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London where the films were made, I wasn’t sure how I would react to the exhibit but I found it quite entertaining as they found a way to bring the movies, creativity and story to a traveling exhibit albeit on a smaller scale. While I spent over three hours exploring the Harry Potter studio movie magic in London, the exhibit at the Franklin Institute can be done in about an hour and a bit depending on your group size, entry time and how much time you spend with the interactive kiosks as well as time in the gift shop.  The gift shop had the largest crowds and lines so be prepared for that if you are keen to buy souvenirs (or overpriced bottles of butter beer).

The Harry Potter exhibition runs through September 18th at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, its only US stop currently scheduled.  The Harry Potter: Exhibition will move on to Vienna, Austria next before traveling onward (Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe) bringing the joy of Harry Potter’s world to fans around the world.     It’s definitely worth a visit for your family of muggles.