Discover your Hogwarts house. Cast your Patronus. See your future in Divination class.
For most Harry Potter fans, these activities have been restricted to the imagination, trapped in book pages or behind screens. Now, they have a chance to experience all the magic for themselves in the world premiere of “Harry Potter: The Exhibition,” hosted by the Franklin Institute.
The exhibit opened in February and will run until mid-September, when it will launch its tour around the world. It is an immersive experience that allows visitors to engage directly with the wizarding world, with plenty of fun facts and movie set pieces scattered throughout.
“All indications show that ‘Harry Potter: The Exhibition’ will be one of, if not the most, successful exhibition of all time at the Franklin Institute,” said Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the Franklin.
Exact sales numbers are not typically shared, Dubinski said, but he added that the Franklin is proud to support Philadelphia’s tourism with the exhibition, which has drawn in a “great number” of college students from the area.
“This exhibition has widespread global appeal, and it’s attracting visitors from all over the world to Philadelphia,” Dubinski said. “And it comes, really, at a critical time in the city’s economic recovery.”
Current undergraduate college students, most of whom were born from 1998 to 2003, are part of the generation that grew up with Harry Potter. The final book of the original series was published in 2007, with its movie adaptation releasing in two parts in 2010 and 2011.
Over a decade later, those who enjoyed the series growing up can see their favorite childhood fantasy world brought to life, and can even participate in it themselves.
As soon as visitors enter the exhibit, they are given a wristband, which can be scanned at a kiosk to select their Hogwarts house, wand and patronus, which dedicated fans will know off the top of their heads. The movies’ most quotable sound clips (“You’re a wizard, Harry!”) play in the first room before visitors are sent off.
Next, exhibition guests loosely follow the journey of a new Hogwarts student, and then, after their first Quidditch match, they emerge into a more open area full of other iconic locations, such as Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic.
As visitors move along, they can scan their wristband to be sorted by the Sorting Hat, see themselves on the Marauder’s Map and earn points for their Hogwarts house. Displayed along the walls are props and costumes from the sets of the Harry Potter movies, as well as from the prequel movie series, “Fantastic Beasts.”
The Great Hall, with its sky of floating candles and grand wooden tables that are just within reach if you dare to lean over the barrier rope, is one of the most immersive rooms, making visitors feel like they really are surrounded by magic.
For Sophia Martino ’25, who went to the exhibit on March 5, the interactive elements were the best part.
“[The exhibit] was very interactive and personal, so it wasn’t just you going and seeing everything,” Martino said. “You actually got to interact with the stuff and see yourself in things which I thought was really, really cool.”
The exhibit has something for everyone, fans and non-fans alike. Even those who know nothing about the series can appreciate the immersiveness and authentic behind-the-scenes content, and there are countless references and subtler details for owl-eyed fans to pick up on. Plus, for self-proclaimed witches and wizards, explaining all the exhibit’s intricacies to the Muggles of the group can be half the fun.
Philadelphian Lana Valente brought her friend Briana Salatino to the exhibit on April 13. The 25-year-olds have very different histories with Harry Potter. Salatino said she only got into the series at the end of last year, while Valente said she grew up with it. For them, the exhibition was a way to engage in their newfound shared interest.
“I’m very late to the game, but it’s all very exciting,” Salatino said. “I’m in town visiting [Valente], and she was like, ‘This is happening, would you like to go?’ And because this is all very fresh for me, I was like, ‘Absolutely, we’re going.’”
Martino said there is also a sense of community to be found as you travel through the exhibit.
“Seeing everyone there was fun because you’re around people who like the same stuff as you,” Martino said, adding with a laugh, “You’re not being judged.”
Tickets for “Harry Potter: The Exhibition” can be purchased on the Franklin Institute’s website, and must be purchased in advance for a specific date and time. Tickets cost $43 per adult and $39 per child for daytime hours (9:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.), which includes admission to the rest of the Franklin Institute.
For evening hours (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.), tickets cost $30 for children and adults, which includes admission to the Harry Potter exhibit only. Members of the Franklin Institute receive free admission to the rest of the museum and can buy Harry Potter exhibit tickets for $20 for all ages.
