Create Play Travel Pacific Northwest family lifestyle and creative ideas
  • Home
  • Do It Yourself
  • Kids Activities
  • Family Travel
  • Homeschool
  • Pacific Northwest
  • About
June 9, 2023

Harry Potter Studio Tour London

by Katie Wallace

Adventures await at the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour London! Our family had a great time exploring the Hogwarts classrooms, seeing costumes used in the movies, and learning about wizarding world special effects. This tour of the Harry Potter studio sets in London is memorable for families of all ages!

Video: Harry Potter Studio Tour London

Follow Create. Play. Travel. on Youtube ⭐

A double decker bus brought us to the entrance of the Warner Bros. HP studio building. Evidently, this set was used for 10 years during the making of the 9 Harry Potter movies. Statues of figures from the game of Wizard’s Chess welcome visitors outside the doors.

Harry Potter Studio Tour building entrance

Once inside the Harry Potter studio, we discovered all sorts of amazing things to learn, see, and experience.

magic wand interactive activity Harry Potter Studio Tour London

We began the studio tour outside the immense doors of Hogwarts Great Hall. Armored knights decorate the stone walls, resembling the same knights which Professor McGonagall brought to life to protect the castle with “Piertotum Locomotor” in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

Hogwarts guards outside of Great Hall

Hogwarts Great Hall

Inside the Great Hall, we saw long tables set up for the students of the different houses, along with stone magical creatures holding lanterns on the walls. Costumes and robes from the movie are on display, next to rows of pewter plates and goblets on the tables.

Hogwarts Great Hall Harry Potter Studio Tour

The Hogwarts Great Hall is just as impressive as you might imagine! However, at the time of our visit, the ceiling didn’t appear to be enchanted to look like the night sky.

view of Hogwarts Great Hall in London

Up front, costumes worn by Professor McGonagall, Headmaster Dumbledore, and Professor Snape stand imposingly before the long head table. Beautiful leaded glass decorates many of the windows in this room.

Hogwarts studio tour in London

Gryffindor Common Room

After the Great Hall, we headed into the labyrinth of studio sets, among which includes the Gryffindor Common Room. The fat lady greets visitors at the door, and the interior set of the common room looks just as cozy as it appeared in the Harry Potter movies.

Gryffindor fat lady portrait

Character outfits, well-worn furniture, and books look right at home next to ancient wall paper and austere portraits. I love how this set brings to life centuries of magical training in a homelike sort of way.

Gryffindor common room Harry Potter Studio Tour

Also on display is this collection of characters’ wands seen throughout the Harry Potter movies.

magic wands used by Hogwarts characters on set

Potions Classroom

It’s easy to imagine yourself learning under the strict instruction of Professor Snape in the Potions Classroom. Countless bottles of labeled specimens line the dark stone walls, behind a table filled with caldrons.

Potions classroom Harry Potter Studio Tour

We got an idea of how the moving staircases worked with this example of green screen support beneath a fabricated stone stairway. Next to the staircase, a collection of portraits on the wall are fun to look at.

moving staircase at Hogwarts

Yule Ball | Harry Potter Studio Tour London

Continuing on through the studio tour, we saw outfits on display which Harry Potter characters wore during the Yule Ball. Next to the costumes, an ice palace decorates a table filled with potions.

Yule Ball costumes Harry Potter Studio Tour London

Of course, most fans will recognize Harmonie’s tiered ruffled lavender gown, next to Harry’s dapper dress robes. She wears this to the Yule Ball in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Triwizards cup in London

Equally iconic, the Triwizard Cup stands on display; the grand prize of the Triwizard Tournament.

swinging pendulum in Hogwarts

I especially liked seeing the dramatic castle accents like this swinging pendulum, used to give Hogwarts classrooms a sense of grandeur. Below, we saw Quidditch uniforms from the four houses of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Game equipment including a quaffle, two bludgers, and the golden snitch stand ready for use in the next Quidditch match.

quidditch outfits and gear studio tour London

Dumbledore’s Office

In another section of the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour, we saw Dumbledore’s grand office. We could imagine the professor working behind his imposing desk, with Fawkes perched next to shelves of dusty books. It was so fun to see this full-sized movie set where so many important moments in the Harry Potter movies took place!

Dumbledore's office in Hogwarts

Next to Dumbledore’s desk, the cabinet of memory vials and Pensieve dish stands ready for a magician to review their memory of choice. The etched and corroded mirrors set behind the Pensieve look as if they’ve withstood hundreds of years of academic use.

pensieve in Dumbledore's office

Professor Umbridge's office at Hogwarts

Understandably wary a student should feel, who wanders into Professor Umbridge’s office. We saw her desk set up for ominous work, in front of somehow ominous-feeling pink tile and plates decorated with cats.

movie props monster book Harry Potter Studio Tour

Additionally, we enjoyed seeing some of the fantastic props used in the movies, like these feisty monster books. We also saw examples of silicon faces and artificial hands used to create some of the interesting magical characters.

Outside the movie set studio building, the triple decker Knight Bus stands ready to pick up the next wizard in need of transport. An up-close view of this vehicle reveals just how tall the Knight Bus would be!

Knight Bus set in Harry Potter movies

Hogwarts Express & Platform 9 3/4

Continuing on, our kids enjoyed pretending to board the Hogwarts Express at platform nine and three-quarters. The half of a luggage cart makes it feel like you could actually get onto the platform through the brick wall.

Hogwarts Express and Platform 9 3/4

The Hogwarts Express stands billowing smoke and ready to depart, next to the train platform at the station.

Hogwarts Express Harry Potter Studio Tour London

Additionally, our kids enjoyed riding on Hagrid’s motorbike and pretending to fly over London.

Hagrid's motorcycle studio tour London

Gringotts Bank | Harry Potter Studio Tour London

We also enjoyed exploring the sets used to create Gringotts Wizarding Bank. These sets were truly amazing, as the set architects put great detail into the vaults and piles of treasure.

making treasure Gringotts bank

According to the sign on display, thousands of pieces of fake treasure were created to fill the Lestrange vault. The multiplying pieces of treasure bouncing around the actors were made from rubber polyurethane, in the vault scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Gringotts bank Lestrange Vault in London

Our son Joshua did his best to nab the Sword of Gryffindor from the Lestrange vault in Gringotts Bank.

Sword of Gryffindor Gringotts bank Lestrange Vault

Buckbeak the Hippogriff

Further around the corner, we met an animatronic fantastic beast, Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Fortunately, Kiera knew exactly how to make a new friend. The designers spared no detail in the creation of this magical creature, from its soft griffin feathers to its sharp claws and powerful legs.

Buckbeak hippogriff Harry Potter Studio Tour London

Buckbeak appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and even helps Sirius Black make his escape out of the clutches of the Ministry of Magic.

Buckbeak griffon studio tour

Diagon Alley & Ollivanders Wand Shop

Last but not least, we toured a very cool collection of shops known as Diagon Alley. Books and wands were on display in the shop windows, along with owls, baubles, and fantastic treats. Of course, Diagon Alley is more amazing in the movies, but it was at least fun to see the sets where the movie magic began.

Diagon Alley London Harry Potter studio tour

Diagon Alley and Ollivander's Wand Shop

Ollivanders, makers of fine wands since 382 B.C. – Harry Potter Studio Tour London

Hogwarts Castle | Harry Potter Studio Tour London

The cobblestone street through Diagon Alley led us straight to the enchanting model of Hogwarts Castle itself. Evidently, this model was used for aerial shots, overhead views, and CGI scenes of the immense castle and its towers. Even as a model, the detail and complexity of the Hogwarts wizardry school is amazing.

Hogwarts model studio tour London

Overall, we really enjoyed the Harry Potter Studio Tour London and the glimpse we got into movie making. Understandably, hundreds of talented people worked on creating the magical world surrounding the Harry Potter stories. Our family spent most of an afternoon exploring the Warner Bros. studio and learning about movie production, filming equipment, and special effects.

Flying letters and owl Warner Bros. studio tour

Letters being delivered by owl at the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour London.

Undesirable Harry Potter poster Warner Bros. studio tour London

Outside the WB studio, wanted poster for “Undesirable No. 1 Harry Potter.”

Katie Wallace
Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 3 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, taking photos and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!

Tags

  • Europe
  • Videos

Post navigation

Exploring Bristol & Bath with Kids
Exploring Paris with Kids

Related posts

Great Camping Activities at Priest Lake in Idaho
June 8, 2021
by Katie Wallace  /  2 Comments

Great Camping Activities at Priest Lake in Idaho

Lunch Peak Fire Lookout | Idaho Family Campout
March 10, 2023
by Katie Wallace  /  1 Comment

Lunch Peak Fire Lookout | Idaho Family Campout

Sprinkle Rush Kids Cupcake Baking Challenge
July 17, 2020
by Katie Wallace  /  1 Comment

Sprinkle Rush Kids Cupcake Baking Challenge

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Hello

Hi I'm Katie! Create. Play. Travel. is my family lifestyle blog based in the Pacific Northwest. Our family homeschools, goes on adventures, and even travels internationally with our three kids. I hope you enjoy our creative ideas.

Do it Yourself

do it yourself watermelon fruit bowl Creative projects, kids activities, and party ideas »

Homeschool Ideas

katie wallace homeschool ideas Homeschool tips & ideas »

Popular Tags

  • Baking
  • Beauty Tips
  • California
  • Camping
  • Colorado
  • Crafts
  • Do It Yourself
  • Europe
  • Fashion
  • Gift Ideas
  • Idaho
  • Kids Activities
  • Kids Science
  • Pacific Northwest
  • Party Ideas
  • Valentines Day
  • Videos
  • Wood Projects

createplaytravel

🌟 Traveling with kids & family adventures! #createplaytravel

Katie Wallace | Create. Play. Travel.
📍Grassington UK 🎬 We stopped by and PBS just 📍Grassington UK 🎬 We stopped by and PBS just happened to be filming scenes for All Creatures Great and Small season 4. It was fun to see behind the scenes! #createplaytravel #allcreaturesgreatandsmall #homeschoolfamily #worldschooling #adventureswithkids
When we don’t know where we are going, we can AL When we don’t know where we are going, we can ALWAYS trust God. 😀🌄 #createplaytravelTrust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬#travelwithkids #worldschooling #familyadventures #takethekids
Stopping by a fruit stand 🍓 in England and feed Stopping by a fruit stand 🍓 in England and feeding a baby lamb. ☺️ #createplaytravel➡️ See more of our adventures on YouTube 🎬#homeschoolingfamily #worldschooling #adventureswithkids #takethekids
Take the kids! 🍁 There’s so many things to ap Take the kids! 🍁 There’s so many things to appreciate about exploring with kids. Yes, we have to travel slower. But once we started, I want to show them everything. Next trip, we’re bringing a baby. 😉😊 #createplaytravelBackstory: we quit our tech careers, moved to a small town and learned how to be entrepreneurs. Now we Airbnb our home and began traveling internationally with our 3 kids. I’m not really sure where this path we’re on leads, but God knows. 🙂
Beautiful Sgwd yr Eira waterfall in Wales along th Beautiful Sgwd yr Eira waterfall in Wales along the Four Waterfalls Walk. 🍁😃 Who else would like to explore this waterfall after school? 😉 #createplaytravel #worldschooling
We brought some fun things back from Europe! Our a We brought some fun things back from Europe! Our adventures will continue into 2024 and beyond 😉🍁 #createplaytravel #adventurefamily #uktrip #exploringwithkids
Yay! Feels like we finally know what we’re doing Yay! Feels like we finally know what we’re doing. 😄 Our family’s homeschool style is to combine workbooks with family adventures. I’m not a teacher at heart, but I’ve learned to enjoy the rhythms of our school routine. 📚 I like the structure of workbooks, completing lessons, and encouraging my kids.😉 I DO NOT like collecting school supplies.🍁 This fall we’ll enjoy simple school days, followed by more family adventures!⁉️ What gets you excited about back to school? #createplaytravel #homeschoolfamilylife⁠⁠#thisishomeschool #adventurefamily #exploringwithkids #learningisfunwithus #homeschoolkids
Super cute pumpkin candy machine! 😍 I snagged t Super cute pumpkin candy machine! 😍 I snagged this for $5 from Target in the dollar section. 🎃 Let the fall decorating begin! #createplaytravel #hellofall🍂 #targetdollarspotfinds #creativefamily
Load More Follow on Instagram
  • Elara Pro by LyraThemes.com
  • Copyright © Create. Play. Travel.