Harry Potter: The Exhibition

Last Sunday my husband Bob and I went to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago to see the Harry Potter Exhibit. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you don’t want to miss this. I think there where more adults there than children!

From the time you get in line waiting to enter into the exhibit they are entertaining you! First of all, everyone working at the Harry Potter Exhibit has a British accent. When you get in line they have someone asking trivia questions until it is your time to enter the exhibit. Once you enter there are ladies dressed in robes telling you, “Come on, we’ve been waiting for you all day!” as you come to the entrance of the exhibit. To the left of the entrance there is a roped off area that has a stool and the sorting hat! Yes, you’ve guessed it; they sort some of the children waiting to get into the exhibit. It is really cute and everyone enjoyed it and cheered the children on! My husband and I secretly wished that we had been sorted into The Slytherin House!

As you enter the main doors into the exhibit you are greeted by many pictures on the walls just like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, some of them talking to you! Then, of course, you have to get by the Fat Lady to enter! Then it’s on into the exhibit to see authentic costumes and props from all the movies. We were surprised that they had things from the newest movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, also. Favorites of mine were Hagrid’s Hut and playing a little Quidditch. I threw the quaffle and scored a goal my first try! A little girl next to me kept trying and trying to score, much to her father’s amusement! I must say that I was very embarrassed when I knocked over a display of a replica of the Golden Snitch just as I was leaving the exhibit store. I hurriedly picked it up and said, “Hey, I guess I won, I caught the Golden Snitch!”

I could go on and on, but I won’t, you’ll just have to see it for yourself and have some great fun! I will tell you that the exhibit ends into an awesome shop for all things Harry Potter. The first t-shirt that caught my eye had Muggle on it, well I turned to my husband and said, “I definitely can’t get that shirt, I’m not a Muggle!” To which my husband truly agreed! My husband ended up purchasing an Azkaban Prison t-shirt and I settled for an Azkaban Prison magnet, Gryffindor earrings and a chocolate frog, of course!

Do see this exhibit if you have the chance, you won’t be disappointed! It will be in Chicago until September 27, 2009.

Here’s the web site: http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/harry-potter/

Just as a side note, they do not let you take any videos or photos in the exhibit.

And don’t miss the Museum of Science and Industry too! They have live science experiences during the day. We enjoyed Potions, Poofs and Pows! So, do you think that was influenced by the Harry Potter Exhibit?! Have fun!