“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” to Open at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in February 2022

Move over, Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Calling all Potterheads! The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia has announced the premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition, for which tickets are now on sale. The special exhibit comes as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first film, celebrates its 20th anniversary. The display was organized by Imagine Exhibitions in partnership with Warner Bros., and will open Feb. 18.

While the Wizarding World of Harry Potter already exists at Universal Studios, this show prides itself on being “the most comprehensive touring exhibition ever presented about the Wizarding World.”

The exhibit will show a behind-the-scenes look at the inner lives of the characters, as well as iconic scenes and memories from the books and films. The experience spans areas from Hogwarts Castle, to the Great Hall, to Hagrid’s Hut, and it will even include original film props and costumes. Besides including the original collection of Harry Potter stories, the museum will also include settings from J.K. Rowling’s more recent works, including Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The display will give Harry Potter fans “an opportunity to engage with innovative, awe-inspiring and magical environments and installations in ways never before experienced in a touring exhibition” (even you, Slytherins), according to the press release statement. Fans can even select their Hogwarts house and wand with a customized walk through the museum.

During the press conference yesterday morning, Jim Kenney, the Mayor of Philadelphia, talked of his excitement about the exhibit coming to the Franklin Institute, over the Philly Pops playing parts of the Harry Potter musical score. Ecstatic that this exhibit will come when the world is finally feeling a return to normalcy, he said the Franklin is “a local treasure with a global reputation.” Visit Philly, which is the city’s tourism marketing company, hopes Harry Potter: The Exhibition will help bring back tourism to how it was before the pandemic.

Imagine Exhibitions CEO Tom Zaller gave audience members a small teaser of the immersive components of the exhibit, like views of the Hogwarts Castle, a Quidditch broomstick, and a Golden Snitch. There’s even a game called “Seek the Golden Snitch” that is accessible through a QR code that allows guests to attempt to catch the golden ball in an effort to win prizes, like a two-night stay in a Philadelphia hotel and four tickets to the exhibit’s premiere, as well as exhibition merchandise and money.

While the exhibit won’t open until February of 2022, the Hogwarts Castle pop-up will stay at the Franklin Institute through Nov. 10. Tickets can be purchased for a specific date and time when it opens. Daytime tickets for access between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. are $43 for adults, $41 for seniors and military members, and $39 for children ages 3 to 11. For evening tickets, entry is between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, and costs $30, with the exhibit ending at 8 p.m. For the hardcore Potterheads, we recommend checking out the VIP anytime passes, which cost $59.

 

You might want to pick up your tickets here ASAP, as more than 20,000 tickets had already been sold within hours of their release during press time.

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