A Harry Potter exhibition immerses fans in the wizarding world

WBUR | November 15, 2024

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” That’s the phrase characters in the Harry Potter universe declare to open the Marauder’s Map — a magical piece of parchment that shows where people are walking around in Harry’s school, Hogwarts, in real time.

In a new immersive exhibition, fans can watch their own footprints moving on a projected version of that map before physically entering the wizarding world that’s entranced readers and moviegoers since the Harry Potter book series debuted in 1997.

“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” runs at CambridgeSide through Jan. 5 with more than 20 set recreations, from Harry’s tiny bedroom under the stairs to the sinister Chamber of Secrets from the second film. The Harry Potter book series is a household name, selling over 600 million copies worldwide — and it currently holds the record for the best selling book series of all time.

Gustavo Diaz adjusted his round-framed glasses and wizard robe as he entered the interactive experience with his fiance Amy O. The couple flew in from Las Vegas, and Diaz said they bond over Harry Potter.

“We’re like nerds and we do a marathon like probably every other week or so,” said Diaz. “We just love Harry Potter, everything about it.”

He and O previously traveled to Japan and California for Harry Potter-themed experiences. Here, the couple signed in and were given wristbands that allowed them to play enchanting games – like making potions and spell casting.

Before entering the exhibition, an attendant asked if the couple knew the spell to unlock the door. The super fans recited “Alohomora” in unison and stepped into a reimagination of the iconic films.

One of the most notable moments in the first movie is when Harry is sorted into one of four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. These houses act like fraternities for the students at the school.

O wore a robe with the crest of her favorite house. “I also have the Ravenclaw scarf as well, so I feel like this is definitely my house,” she said.

The couple “virtually” tried on an animated sorting hat – just like in the movie. O was dubbed Ravenclaw, and Diaz got Gryffindor, the same house as Harry and his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

The couple walked past authentic costumes and props from the movie franchise in glass cases. The case holding Harry’s invisibility cloak from “The Sorcerer’s Stone” was seemingly empty. Then, they entered the grand dining hall. O and Diaz walked over to long, wooden tables below candles that floated in the air.

“I wish our dining room looked like this,” Diaz said, laughing.

“I want them to feel like they’ve entered into this world,” said Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagination Exhibitions. Over the past 25 years, he’s produced more than 40 immersive events including Jurassic World, Downton Abbey and Harry Potter.

“This is a four dimensional experience, right? We have smell machines that, when you go in Hagrid’s hut, it smells like you’re going into the forest before you get there, and there’s a fire burning in there, it smells like a fire,” said Zaller.

Zaller wanted visitors to feel immersed in the world as much as possible, even through hearing the screeches of human-like plants known as mandrakes. O beelined over to a raised table in a greenhouse, then lifted the leafy head of a mandrake out of its pot to make it shriek.

The Harry Potter experience wouldn’t be complete without a game of Quidditch. In the movies, house teams pass a ball – called a Quaffle – through tall hoops while flying on broomsticks. O and Diaz simply threw the Quaffle through golden hoops set up in a booth like a carnival game. A successful shot resulted in cheering sound effects.

The final room screened a floor-to-ceiling montage of memorable moments from the films. The couple watched a sequence of Harry, Hermione and Ron growing up.

And there’s a reason so many fans, including Diaz, have fallen in love with the young trio.

“I love how they’re still so innocent, they’re still learning, but yeah, they, they’re still brave, even though they get into trouble or they look scared, but they’re still brave enough to actually fight,” he said.

Diaz and O smiled as they hit the gift shop before returning to the muggle world where people wield smartphones instead of wands.