Seattle's Child

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A Parent’s Review: “Harry Potter – The Exhibition” at the Pacific Science Center Through Jan. 30

My muggle family was spellbound at the new Harry Potter Exhibition. The props that made author J.K. Rowling's magical world come to life on the big screen may be behind glass and ropes, but the immersive nature of the exhibit makes you forget you are at the Pacific Science Center at all.

Guests are greeted by a witch (complete with a British accent) who welcomes them to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and demonstrates the Sorting Hat on one guest. My daughter was lucky enough to be selected and was further thrilled that the hat chose to put her in Gryffindor.

Visitors are then escorted into a pre-show area where they view a montage of Harry Potter film clips. With the sound of a train whistle and the roar of the Howarts Express, the exhibit opens and visitors are escorted from the platform into the Gryffindor Common Room. Visitors are admitted every fifteen minutes, but you can make your way through the exhibit at your own pace.

An audio tour is available for an additional $6 fee that shares fun movie-making tidbits. Apparently, Daniel Radcliff, who plays Harry, was allergic to something in the glasses, so new ones had to be made. Samples of the audio tour are available on the Pacific Science Center website.

It's clear that the people involved with making the Harry Potter films didn't skimp on details. Everything feels authentic. Ronald Weasley's costumes do indeed look worn (as is fitting for his character). My 7-year-old was especially impressed with the details on the prop wands, noting that Voldemort's is suitably creepy. The clawed bone on the end is a cinematic addition, as the detail is never mentioned in the books.

While most of the exhibit is hands-off, there are a few interactive parts. My girls had fun pulling up Mandrakes and hearing them scream in the Herbology greenhouse and tossing a Quaffle in the Quidditch area. In Hagrid's hut, you really get a sense of the immense size of the Hogwarts Keeper of Keys by sitting in the half-giant's chair.

Just as the books get darker, so does the exhibit. It's a bit unnerving to come face-to-face with one of Aragog's eight-legged children in the Forbidden Forest. The Dark Forces section is the spookiest, but my daughter was fascinated to see what a dementor looks like up close.

The mood is lightened in the final Great Hall section where props include Hermione's Yule Ball gown and those scrumptious feasts that appear before hungry students. We exited through a gift store that offers a range of Harry Potter collectibles.

My 7-year-old's assessment: "That was awesome!" We headed home for a Harry Potter movie marathon.

 

IF YOU GO

Where: Pacific Science Center, 200 2nd Ave. N., Seattle.

When: Through Jan. 30, 2011. Open Monday and Wednesday through Friday 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Extended hours for the Harry Potter Exhibition only are on Fridays and Saturdays, with admissions every fifteen minutes from 5 to 7 p.m.

Admission: Daytime admission (includes a time specific entry to the Harry Potter Exhibition plus access to the rest of the museum): Adults (ages 16 to 64) $26, youth (ages 6 to 15) $24, kids (ages 3 to 5) $17. Evening admission to Harry Potter Exhibition (does not allow entry to the rest of the Pacific Science Center): Adults $19, youth $15, kids $13. Additional $4 fee for each ticket purchased online.
Tickets are also available that include exhibition entry plus the Harry Potter movie playing in the IMAX Theater.

Contact: 206-443-2001; www.pacsci.org/harrypotter.


Laura Spruce Wight is a muggle Seattle-area freelance writer and mother of two Harry Potter fans.

About the Author

Laura Spruce Wight