It’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since Harry Potter first entered our muggle universe. What may be more difficult to believe is that we ever lived in a time without the magical wizarding world and dreams of Hogwarts. And while many of us in the millennial generation are still anxiously awaiting an owl with our acceptance letter to Hogwarts, there are still a few places where we can leave our muggle woes behind and enter the magical world of Harry Potter.
For those who want to be part of the movies, you can visit sets around the world
The most obvious place to visit would be Harry Potter World in Orlando, Florida.
In true fashion, this park is the movies come to life! You can eat lunch at The Three Broomsticks, purchase sweets and tricks from Zonko’s and sip an ice cold butterbeer while perusing the windows of Diagon Alley.
But if you want to see the real thing (as real as a fictional world can get), you need to visit the Warner Bros. Studios in England. This is the site where the movie magic literally came to life and gives guests an opportunity to walk through the set of the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, Privet Drive and more. The tour starts with the sets and costumes where you can even fly a broomstick against a green screen and ride the Hogwarts Express. Half-way through the tour is a cafe where just like Harry Potter World, you can have a butterbeer or even a butterbeer ice cream, before continuing to the effects section of the tour.
You’ll see hundreds of drawings and models that were used to bring the magic to life throughout the eight films.
But for the die-hard fan, it’s all about the books
This year, the British Library has collaborated with J.K. Rowling herself to share original notes and sketches alongside artifacts that inspired her when creating the wizarding world.
The exhibition opens in London in the fall and is accompanied by trivia nights and other opportunities to discuss the books with fellow witches and wizards.
It’s well-known that J.K. Rowling wrote the books while struggling as a single mother, often writing in cafes while her daughter slept. One such café is in Edinburgh, known as The Elephant Café which overlooks a cemetery where Rowling drew inspiration for character names and the pivotal graveyard scene in "Goblet of Fire." The café has stayed true to its roots though and is not completely decked out in Harry Potter memorabilia—unless you visit the bathroom.
Just around the corner from the café is the street which inspired Diagon Alley, complete with a joke shop although the shop was not there until after the Harry Potter series was started.
And of course, there’s the continuation of the franchise through “The Cursed Child," following Harry’s son twenty years after the traditional series ended. While it’s currently in London, “The Cursed Child” is slated to come to Broadway in the next year.
So whether you’re in the US or the UK, there is plenty of Harry Potter magic in the world to see for “happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."
