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| The NYC Dudes Group venturing into Harry Potter: the Exhibit at Discovery Times Square |
Harry Potter! Hogwarts! Voldemort! The successful Harry Potter book & film series has created nothing short of a mania in our world. Sadly, now that we are coming to terms with the fact that there won’t be any more books or films (JK Rowling – are you listening?), parents and children alike are seeking ways to satisfy their “Harry Potter fix.” We’ve got dads in our group that read the books with their children at bedtime, dress up in Hogwarts House costumes with their children when they watch the movies together, and use pretend play on the playground with a good old fashioned game of Quidditch. So, the fellas of NYC Dads Group were pretty pumped to be able to share our love of Harry Potter with our children last week at Discovery Times Square for Harry Potter: The Exhibit. Looking for another way to enjoy Harry Potter with your children? Check out this engaging guest post by Jason Greene…
Every member of my family is a Potter fan. Let me clarify that – we are HUGE Harry Potter fans. Almost on the verge of it being an issue. All of us except for the one year old that is. We all have our favorite characters; mine is Professor Snape, my wife’s is Luna, my 8 year old son, of course, loves Harry, and my 6 year old daughter adores Dobby. The books are a big reason why my son began to really love reading. And watching the movie after reading each book is an added bonus to his experience… and mine. So it was with great pleasure that we were able to visit the Harry Potter exhibition at the Discovery Museum in Times Square.
Get ready Harry Potter fans to be jealous: My family has attended the exhibit, not once, but twice. The first time was the result of winning tickets through NewYorkFamily.com and the second was through a meet-up with the New York City Dad’s Group. Both times were equally enjoyable. If you are a fan of the movies and you haven’t been to the museum, you must check it out. Here is what you are missing:
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| Some of our kids on the “green screen” |
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| “Gryffindor!” |
At the first stop along your trip to Hogwarts, you head into a room where you watch highlights from the movies. Cautionary note – there are some intense scenes that might frighten younger children.
Next, you are taken to a room where the Sorting Hat awaits. Kids and even adults are encouraged to try on the hat and see which house the hat will chose. For some reason, Gryffindor seems to be the most popular choice. I, of course, always encourage my children to desire Slytherin, but they haven’t taken me up on that.
Finally, the real fun begins and you enter what is my favorite part of the exhibition; you are guided by the Hogwarts Express. The first time I went, snow surrounded us, and on the second visit, we were engulfed in smoke and fog. If you are lucky enough to be there when snow is falling, it is a magical experience.
Throughout the rest of the exhibit, you get to see amazing props and costumes from the films. I was amazed at the artistry given to pretty much everything associated with the film. For me, the wands were particularly interesting. Each wand was made distinctly from the others.
Of course, the clothes worn during the films are also on display and I couldn’t help measuring myself up to some of the actors to see if I’m taller than them. And yes, I am taller than Kenneth Branaugh which delighted the Shakespeare fan in me. But we’re talking about Potter and not Henry V. But again, the the attention to detail in the clothing is amazing. Ron’s clothes have tiny holes in them to show that they’ve been passed down from brother to brother. And I got a kick out of seeing Ron’s homemade sweater.
Other highlights include walking through Hagrid’s hut, tossing balls through rings to replicate a Quidditch game, a singing painting, pulling up mandrakes in the greenhouse, Tom Riddle’s diary, a visit to the Great Hall, and Ron and Harry’s room at Hogwarts. And to the Twilight fans out there, you get to see some clothes Robert Pattinson wore. Not that I’m a Twilight fan or anything. Just letting you know they are there if you’re interested – you know, just in case you wanted to see if you’re taller than him.
Like all exhibits, the tour ends in the gift shop. Items are overpriced, verging on exorbitant, so either prepare to plop down a fair amount of money for your Harry Potter collectibles or manage your kids’ expectations before you even start the tour.
The exhibition closes in April so you’d better hurry up and make your plans. We’re thinking about going back for a third time.
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