A huge part of the reason we traveled all the way to London, is because both my wife and I are huge Harry Potter fans. Sure, the food, culture, and history were a big motivator, but like so many, the Harry Potter books and films are a huge part of our lives. My wife hemmed a bit at spending the money to see the WB Studios where much of the Harry Potter films were shot, but I couldn’t imagine how disappointed she would be if we came this close, and didn’t take the few hour bus ride.
We had to get up very early that morning (around 5:30am), which is no simple task a few days into a trip halfway around the globe. We needed to be at St. Pancras International (a beautiful red brick train hub in the central part of London, right across a black cab filled street from the perhaps more famous Kings Cross Station), to catch our morning bus to the studios. A fun fact about these two stations for Harry Potter fans that we learned while visiting: the outside shots of Kings Cross Station in the films are actually shots of St. Pancras International, because, to be honest, it is an incredibly beautiful building. Also, apparently J.K. Rowling confused Kings Cross Station with Euston Station while writing the books, so the descriptions don’t actually match the inside of Kings Cross (here’s more detail: source). This was something we noticed while in Kings Cross, so after some research, we found this interesting bit of trivia.
Upon arriving at the Studios (a rather long bus ride, mostly long due to the immense amount to traffic in London!), there are a few things to see outside, like some of the chess pieces from the first film. Thankfully we had pre purchased our tickets with the bus ride, so we avoided that line. This being shoulder season, lines really weren’t bad. Inside there were a few items from the new Fantastic Beasts film, as well as the set of the cupboard under the stairs. They queued you up and only let groups of around 50 – 100 in at a time, since the first thing you see is the entry way to the Great Hall (the first photo on this page). Once the doors are open, you are allowed into the Great Hall set. It’s quite impressive, a vast room with all the detail you would expect. Being able to walk through is a once in a lifetime kind of experience for most Potter fans.
Once you exit from the Great Hall (a little too quickly, it’s such a large room, and there are so many things to see, but you don’t get much time, as the next group needs to enter), you enter into one of the large warehouses where the sets and props are stored. There is an unbelievable amount to see. From the wands used in the films (above), to others sets, like Dumbledore’s Office, the Gryffindor Common Room, the Weasley’s Kitchen, and so many more. There are props from every film. If there’s something you want to see, odds are it’s here.
After you see many of the props and sets, you travel through a short section of the Forbidden Forest. This area isn’t the actual set use (apparently that was dismantled), but is a recreation done by the original artists. It’s neat, but nothing amazing, to be honest. After you pass through, you enter a recreation of Platform 9 3/4, which is (at least for me), very cool. Inside there is one of the actual Hogwarts Express trains used during filming, and you are allowed to walk onto it. Individual cabin cars inside are decorated to represent each of the films.
Next you come to large cafeteria, with food and butter beer. The food is typical cafeteria food (think back to your school days), but certainly not bad, and not as exorbitantly expensive as it could be. Butter beer is basically cream soda with some white foam on top. It’s very sweet, and honestly nothing special, but you didn’t come all this way to not have some, right?! You’re probably going to want some food at this point, most people are at the studio for around 3 1/2 hours, and it is front loaded, so you’ve probably been walking for 2 1/2 hours or so by now (not to mention the bus or car ride that got you there!).
Outside the cafe is even more too see. The Knight Bus, the set of the Dursley’s House, Hogwarts Bridge, and more. These are neat sets, most of which you are allowed (limited) access to. The bridge in particular is something of a landmark of the movies, and I hope it stays well preserved in the elements. As much as the purpose of the studio is to make WB (even more) money, it also is a bit of a museum of sorts, and I hope WB is taking that into consideration.
Upon entering the second building, you find yourself in a portion of Diagon Alley. Inside this part of the tour is also a lot of the creature and makeup department items, as well as concept art and models that allowed for working out dimensions before building. It’s a strong reminder of just how many people pour their creativity into something like this.
Finally you enter a cavernous room that contains the model of Hogwarts Castle used to film exterior shots. The model is by far the largest I have ever seen. The detail is incredible, and I can’t tell you how many photos I took (it would be embarrassing I’m sure). The room lighting cycles between day and night every few minutes, so you can see the castle at different times. It’s an impressive achievement, and it’s nice that something so many people put so much craftsmanship into is shared.
Once we returned to central London, we took a quick tube ride to the Millennium Bridge (which joins the north and south banks of the Thames between the Tate and St. Paul’s). We walked from the north bank to the south (braving one of the sudden rains London is so known for), and set off in search of some food. We walked among churches and restaurants, and around almost every corner there was a placard of some historical even or piece of architecture. It’s amazing to think about all the history that happened on these same cobbles.
As we walked, we came to a local market (near to Borough Market), with the sounds and smells of delicious food. As I stood under an awning, head in phone, huddled from chilly rain and wind, trying to decide a good place for dinner, acting the part of a lost tourist so well, someone said to us, “You should turn around, there’s quite a rainbow over there”. We would have totally missed it, too concentrated on other things, but it was an impressive view. The photo does not do it justice (I wasn’t as impressed as this guy, but it was something to see). It was interesting to see how many people stoped from the bustle of London, for just a moment, to enjoy the sight. It seemed a fitting end to another day.
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