Move over, Disney World. Hogwarts is the new most magical place on earth.
As you walk through the Great Hall for the first time, you see Dumbledore standing at the podium, flanked by the Hogwarts staff dressed in their best robes. The table is set for dinner, and you suspect that somewhere freshly baked pumpkin pasties are waiting to be consumed.
Welcome to Hogwarts. Since the publication of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 1997, every reader, Quidditch player and self-proclaimed muggle in the world has dreamed of going to Hogwarts. Millions of fans have become enchanted by Harry Potter’s world of witchcraft and wizardry, attending midnight book releases and movie premieres annually for nearly 15 years. Now that every book and movie has reached completion, some Potter fans struggle to find new ways to propel their obsession. Fortunately, you can now visit Harry Potter’s magical world for yourself. 
The Warner Bros. “Studio Tour London—The Making of Harry Potter” opened to the public in 2012, and swarms of Potter fans have been filling the aisles of the Great Hall ever since. Celebrities such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and even J.K. Rowling herself have roamed the hallowed halls, wielding wands and sampling the concession stand butterbeer. While the starry ceiling and self-stirring pots prove to be just lighting and animatronics, the studio still holds a splendor that feels otherworldly. The magic isn’t witchcraft, but that doesn’t make it any less real.
Step outside to visit 4 Privet Drive, where the quiet, suburban street of Harry’s childhood has been transformed by relics of the wizarding world. The covered bridge, which usually leads the way to Hogwarts, sits isolated on the concrete outside the perfect little row of houses. The Knight Bus and Hagrid’s flying motorcycle are parked nearby, across from the tombstone of Tom Riddle, on a concrete pavilion where concessions are served.
The real magic lies behind the scenes, in the construction and artistry of each set, prop and special effect. View rows after rows of costumes and animatronics, with ghostlike Dementors extended from the ceilings above “petrified” wax bodies from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Examine intricate scale models fit for an architect’s workshop. Hagrid’s cottage, the Weasley’s “Burrow,” and the flying Durmstrang ship all sit in one room, surrounded by sketches and video animations to illustrate the creative process.
Yet the highlight of the entire tour is the Hogwarts castle itself. The scale model is large enough to fill a small house and feet taller than the average adult. While the model is 1/24 of the size of the “real” Hogwarts, the model takes up an entire sound stage, measuring 50 feet in diameter.
Witnessing the artistry and engineering behind the 10-year cinematic venture brings a different light to Harry Potter’s world. The franchise employed hundreds: set designers, robotics specialists, animators, costume designers, cinematographers, you name it, leaving behind remnants of some of the most intricately designed constructions and and artwork ever to grace the the silver screen. A visit to the Harry Potter studios is not just an ode to a fictional world, but an inspiration to future filmmakers in our own.
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