As a Harry Potter fan, I had to go to the exhibit on its last American leg of the tour – Discovery Time Square. So, Anna and I set out to see the exhibit. It was a lot of fun!

While I’m a Harry Potter fan, I am not necessarily a fan of the movies. Movie 6 really disappointed me and I thought that 5 and 2 could have been done … well .. differently. Of course, they did the best they could with the story. The books are rich with imagery, so I didn’t expect them to take everything and regurgitate it on film, but some of the things that were cut or changed, it made me cringe.

That aside, one of my favourite things about the movies was the world they created. From the Yule Ball costumes – I thought Ginny’s was cute in the movie – to the Death Eater’s costume, to the horn-tail dragon model and different parts of the set – including Hagrid’s hut – there was so much to see and take in.

The Exhibit: Hagrid's Hut (via antenna mag)

Hagrid’s Hut featured a chair that you could sit in, it was rather large. I felt like a child sitting in it.

The Exhibit: Gryffindor's Dorm (via antenna mag)

I especially love the details in the Gryffindor dorm rooms, the bed hangings that were found – by chance – in a fabric store, that turned out to be perfect for the set.

The Exhibit: Marauder's Map (via nycsinglemom)

The work that went into making these sets, especially the items on the set, is amazing. However, the best prop – in my opinion – was the Marauder’s Map!

They didn’t have costumes from the wedding scene, but Fleur’s dress is awe-inspiring! I wish they had it in the exhibit.

Hogwarts Express (via NYT)

Overall it was a ton of fun! It made me excited for my trip to Hogwarts at the end of September. I only wished there was a Hogwarts Express to Universal.

If you missed the exhibit you can check out this New York Times slideshow of some of the pieces.