A Magical World Tucked Away In London
If you are a fan of the film adaptations of Harry Potter, you may already have a visit to the studio where the series was filmed on your radar. If not, let me suggest that, if you are ever in London, you book a trip to the Warner Bros. Studio to get a glimpse into the making of the films.
A visit to the studio has to be planned ahead of time because tickets generally sell out a couple of weeks in advance. As of 2021, ticket prices range from 38 pounds to 150 pounds depending on age and group size. When I went in 2018, I actually booked a tour through Trip Advisor for 82 pounds, to ensure I had on-time transportation for my visit.
The studio has quite a large area to explore, so you can easily make a full day trip out of the tour. The grounds even have several cafes and a food hall so you can stop for lunch or a snack. And, during your exploration, there are plenty of famous sets and props to see. I have listed just a small sampling below, as it is hard to capture just how much you can see on this magical tour. Obviously, there are some spoilers ahead.
Hogwarts
In the studio, Hogwarts is a lot smaller than you likely envisioned it. In fact, the Hogwarts Castle model is something you could easily walk around in a minute or two. But, the incredibly detailed model really helps to give a sense of how large and complex the castle is in the wizarding world. Hogwarts has large and complex school grounds, as we see many times throughout the films.
In the studio, you can also see the filming sets of specific areas on the school grounds, such as the Hogwarts Great Hall and the moving staircases.
Diagon Alley
In the Harry Potter world, Diagon Alley is a shopping area for wizards located in London. It is where Harry first experiences the wizarding world on a trip with Hagrid to pick up his school supplies. Access to Diagon Alley is granted through a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. In the studio, the set of Diagon Alley is presented as an actual alleyway. And you can see many of the same sites that Harry Potter sees on his visits to Diagon Alley in the films.
Platform 9 3/4
This platform is an enchanted section of a train station where Hogwarts students go to catch their train ride to school. Entry to this platform involves running into what initially appears to be a brick column, but is actually a magical portal to Platform 9 ¾. This platform is such an icon that there is actually another one located in London, at King’s Cross Station — which is also its location in the Harry Potter universe.
Number 4 Privet Drive
This is the house that Harry Potter grew up in. It is the residence of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, their son Dudley and Harry Potter, who is their nephew. The set is in the outdoor portion of the studio grounds and is the size of an actual residence.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Props
If you are excited to see props from this movie, then you are in luck. This is probably the most prop-rich film featured in the studio. To start off with, the studio has very active self-knitting needles. According to a Harry Potter fandom page, self-knitting needles are sold in Spindlewarps Wool Shop in Diagon Alley. In this film, Harry sees self-knitting needles when he enters the Weasley house for the first time.
Speaking of Weasley property, you can also see the flying Ford Anglia that Ron and Harry use to fly to Hogwarts in this film — a magical car which later saves them from a forest full of spiders. There are a lot of interesting facts about this car, both in the magical sense and in the muggle sense. First off, this flying car has the magical capabilities of flight and invisibility as well as the ability to expand to fit eight passengers. It has also been noted by fans with eagle eyes that the license plate of the flying car changes between the movie, book cover, and Harry Potter merchandise. In at least one depiction, the license plate reads COS 207 which directs fans to the page number of the book where the car saves Harry and Ron in the Forbidden Forest.
You can also get a glimpse into Dumbledore’s Headmaster Office, which Harry first enters in this film, but which is featured in later films as well.
And you can see a mandrake. Mandrakes are the young plants that the Hogwart students learn about in their Herbology class in this film. The scream of a mandrake can kill you. Maybe that is why the studio encloses its mandrake in a glass case?
Lastly, you can get a glimpse into the Forbidden Forest and see some life-size Acromantulas, which are the spiders that comprise Aragog’s colony in this film. Though it might not be the best part of the studio experience if you are arachnophobic.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Props
For this film, you can find two very important props related to the Hogwarts students’ Care of Magical Creatures course. First off, the Monster Book of Monsters textbook. This is likely the most frustrating textbook that these students had to deal with during their time at Hogwarts and probably the most likely textbook to nibble on them.
And, of course, you can find Buckbeak in the studio. Buckbeak is a hippogriff that the Hogwarts students learn about in their magical creatures class with Hagrid. Buckbeak was taunted by Draco Malfoy during one of the magical creatures lessons and ended up attacking Malfoy. For this, Buckbeak was sentenced to death, but Harry and Hermoine end up saving his life by the end of the film thanks to the power of time travel.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Props
Most of the props that are featured in the studio from this film are related to the scenes from the Yule Ball. For instance, the formal clothing worn by the main characters at the ball (yes, Hermione’s famous pink dress is among them) and background items from the festivities. You can also see uniforms worn by the girls from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and the boys from the Durmstrang Institute, who were visiting Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. Additionally, replicas of many of these pieces of clothing are for sale in the gift shop at the studio.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Props
If you want to bask in the glory of a full set, you can easily experience that feeling for this film. The studio includes the Ministry of Magic fireplace set, which is how wizards generally arrive to the ministry. In official Harry Potter terms, this is called the Floo Network. In this film, this is how Dubmledore enters the ministry during Harry’s fight with Voldemort.
The studio also has the set of the office of Dolores Umbridge. In other words, a pink room with many pictures of cats. Professor Umbridge is a prominent villain in this film and her office is where she inflicts unethical punishments on her students.
Other Props
There are plenty more props to see throughout the studio, and even outside. In front of the entry to the studio, you can see three of the chess pieces used in the first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone, depending on which country you live in). You can also view the portrait of the Fat Lady who guards the entryway to Gryffindor Tower.
Or, you can step foot into one of Snape’s classrooms. You can also take a peek inside of Hagrid’s house or view different models of broomsticks. Better yet, you can take a look at the train used to get students from the muggle world to Hogwarts. There is plenty to do in this magical world.
Further Reading: If you are a fan of literature and performance, while you are in London you should consider seeing the longest continuously running play in the world, which is The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie.
