Originally I was planning on doing a “Geeking out in the UK” post about all the nerdy things I got up to while across the pond, but I felt my trip to Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the home of Harry Potter, was so fantastic it deserved it’s own post.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, it is located about an hour train ride north of London in Hertfordshire, and where a large part of all 8 Harry Potter movies were filmed.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Harry Potter…well you’ve apparently been living under a rock for the last 20 years and I can’t help you there.

But for those of us who started reading the books pretty much from the beginning and/or are huge fans, or Potterheads as we have affectionately been dubbed, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is like our mecca. It’s the place that brings the books that were such a huge part my childhood to life.

And it’s a seriously magical place.

*WARNING* - My nerdiness is completely unchecked in this post. You have been forewarned.

THE BEGINNING

As soon as you get off the train at Watford Junction, there is a shuttle bus waiting to take you to the studios in style.

When you purchase your tickets, you indicate the time that you’re going to be starting your tour. I got there a bit ahead of schedule, so that gave me plenty of time to explore the entry way, and of course, the shop.

I wanted to buy ALL THE THINGS.

It became one of those times that I cursed traveling with a small carry on backpack. If given the opportunity I would probably have maxed out a credit card or two and had to buy 3 new suitcases back in London to get it all home.

Once my time came to begin the tour, I got in line and my excitement grew as the line is located next to the ‘cupboard under the stairs’!

From there you walk into a room that shows a quick video before you’re herded into a larger theater for a longer, sit down type movie where the cast of the movies talk about their time at the studios filming.

When the movie finished and the lights came up, so did a curtain which revealed the door to the Great Hall. A special young volunteer was given the opportunity to open the doors and we entered into the great hall itself!

My nerdiness hit the roof.

I was snapping as many pictures as I could, and even threw in a few selfies (which I generally hate taking). Because I’M IN THE ACTUAL GREAT HALL!

THE SETS

Because Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is where a large part of the movies were filmed, a great deal of the tour involves the original movie sets.

There was the Gryffindor common room

The Potions classroom

Dumbledore’s Office

The Burrow (home to the Weasley family)

Hagrid’s Hut

The evil Umbridge’s Office (I still think I hate her more than Voldemort)

#4 Privet Drive (I got to knock on the door!)

And of course, Diagon Alley (probably my favorite)

THE COSTUMES

A huge part of any movie, besides the set, are the costumes. The Harry Potter movies have so many distinctive ones, and a large majority of them were on display for all to admire.

There was Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonnagall

Hagrid and Filch

Harry, Ron, and Hermione (of course)

and Umbridge (*involuntary shudder*)

THE PROPS

I absolutely loved seeing all the iconic props from the movies. There were so many of them scattered everywhere through out the tour.

From the giant Knight Bus

To the chess pieces from the first movie

The Philosopher’s Stone (or Sorcerer’s Stone)

The Sorting Hat

Hagrid’s flying motorcycle

The Mirror of Erised

Also Hagrid’s robotic head (a bit creepy but cool at the same time)

And so, so much more. The shear number of props and complexity of the sets was mind blowing. When you got to look closely at them, you could see just how intensely detailed they were. There were props and details in the sets that you would never notice on camera, but the incredible artists and set decorators gave these sets/props 200% dedication to make it look like the real thing. And it sure paid off because each and every one of them was phenomenal.

THE CREATION

As we neared the end of the tour (at this point I’d been here for like 3 hours exploring…apparently the record is 11 hours), the tour delved a bit more into the creation of the movies, from conception art, to 3D models of the sets. It was amazing to learn how they turn an idea into reality.

THE BEST PART OF THE TOUR

Now up until this point it felt like every new thing I witnessed was my favorite. My geek-o-meter was at an all-time high and I didn’t think it could go any higher!

Wrong.

After walking through the concept art area, I turned the final corner and saw every Potterhead’s dream.

Hogwarts.

It’s hard to understand the shear size of this thing. Everyone enters the room from the SECOND FLOOR, and you walk a 360 loop around it while walking downhill to the bottom.

This model is what the filmmakers used for their closeups of the castle, and for any sweeping arial shots you see in the movies

And, per usual, the detail was unbelievable. Every bush, every stone, every minuscule detail could be seen. The talent of the people who worked on these movies is out of this world.

And speaking of the people who worked on the movies, there was an incredible number of them. After leaving the Hogwarts room, you enter a version of Ollivander’s Wand Shop, except here the room is filled with wand boxes labeled with the names of every single person associated with these movies

They even have staff in the room with binders to look up the location of a name in case you know someone who worked on the films.

Or you can just ask them where J.K. Rowling’s wand is.

THE END

It was tough to leave the tour behind (mostly because it dumps you out into the shop again and I started having to exercise some serious monetary restraint), and I wanted to jump right back in line and do it all again.

But the last thing you see before you exit is a lovely quote from J.K. Rowling, and I think it sums up my love of Harry Potter and that world perfectly.

Right. Off to re-read the books now for the 3rd 4th 8th time.

GO THERE YOURSELF!

If you’re in London and have a day to spare, you should definitely put the Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden at the top of your to-do list.

Purchase your tickets online before you go. It’ll save you time, and you’ll know you have a spot reserved for you.

Take the train from London Victoria to Watford Junction - Cost: approx. £13.80 (RT) TIP: Use an Oyster card and travel between 0930 and 1600 to travel off-peak for cheaper prices

Take the shuttle bus from the station to the studios Cost: £2 (RT)

Allot at least 3 hours for the tour itself. It’s a free flowing tour, so you can go at your own pace. As you can see though, there is so much to see and experience!

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Are you a huge Harry Potter fan? Have you been on the Making of Harry Potter tour? What was your favorite part?

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