Harry Potter Studio Tour

For our last day in London, we went to Hogwarts! We actually went to the HP WB Studio Tour, which is basically the same as going to Hogwarts. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and thus was extremely thrilled to be going on this tour!

We passed by the gift store on our way to the studio tour and it was so hard to not run in and drool over everything in there! But we resisted and would make sure to spend plenty of time in there on our way out.

The cupboard under the stairs, it is so tiny in person!

"The Harry Potter film series made Leavesden its home for more than ten years. As the books were still being released while the films were being made, the production crew saved many of the iconic sets, props and costumes that were created especially for the films - just in case they were ever needed later on in the series.

Once filming wrapped on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 in 2010, the production crew were left with a treasure trove of thousands of intricate and beautifully-made artefacts, many of which wouldn't have been saved on a typical production.

The team behind Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter wanted to preserve and showcase these iconic props, costumes and sets so that Harry Potter fans could experience the magic of filmmaking first-hand. Many of the original cast and crew returned to reassemble the sets and record their memories from filming, and on 31st March 2012, the Studio Tour opened its doors.

Set adjacent to the working film studios where all eight Harry Potter films were made, the Studio Tour offers visitors the unique opportunity to explore two soundstages and a backlot filled with original sets, animatronic creatures and breathtaking special effects."

And with that, we entered The Great Hall ...

After the touring through the Great Hall, we then got to explore a studio full of hundreds of props, sets and costumes. I love Harry Potter so much because of the magical world J.K. Rowling so fully created. I liked the movies, but after seeing all those props and sets up close, I have a whole new appreciation and love for them. Everything made for this film was so detailed and gorgeous! The movies definitely didn't do these props justice.

The drink table from the Yule Ball in HP 4 

may have been my favorite thing we saw

I mean look at it!

Chocolate sculptures from the welcome feast in HP 4

Harry and Ron's dormitory 

This costume is only in the film for like 2 seconds, that is not nearly long enough to appreciate everything going on here...

All of the wands! I liked Fleur Delacroix's and Hermoine's the best

The font gates to Hogwarts

Mirror of Erised 

Griffindor common room! Again, so small in person!

Triwizard cup and golden egg clue from HP 4

These were some of my favorite props to see up close:

Dumbledore's Office!! The headmasters office has always been one of my favorite sets. Even though I never loved the movie's portrayal of Dumbledore, they did a great job with his office.

My second favorite set, Snape's potion classroom.

All of the animal actors that was used in all the movies

Hagrid's hut

Door to the Chamber of Secrets 

The secret behind all those flying brooms

Learning the art of casting spells

The Burrow!

All 7 Horcruxes

Borgin and Burkes' creepy curiosities

The Black family tree

Fireplace portals at the Ministry of Magic

Dolores Umbridge's office. If she wasn't so evil, this office would be adorable

And that was only the first of three studios!

The tour continues in the next post...