Visit Harry Potter Sites
For not a few children (and adults), a trip to England is suddenly more magical, thanks to a young boy named Harry Potter. Want to find out about Potter places? You can start in London, but there are lots of places all around England (and Scotland) that were a piece of the Harry Potter movie-magic making.
London -
Kings Cross Station is over 150 years old and pretty impressive all on its own. Do try to find Platform 9 ¾, between platform 9 and 10, and you might also see a luggage cart about to vanish ... Harry was actually filmed catching the Hogwarts Express between platforms four and five for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Want to look for Wizard gold? Head to Australia House on The Strand in London - your kids will tell you it's really Gringott's bank.London Zoo - A trip to the London Zoo has always been fun, but now your kids can walk in Harry Potter's footsteps, remembering his one happy day with those Muggles the Dursleys. Check out the great owl exhibit, but don't miss the reptile room, where Harry realized he could talk to a boa constrictor. Oxford - Bodleian Library at Oxford University appears in the movie as Hogwarts dining room and library. The Great Hall of Christ Church College "is" Hogwarts School, a pleasure that sure to make young eyes sparkle.
Gloucester Cathedral (Gloucester, Gloucestershire) - Gloucester Cathedral is Gothic architecture at its best and avid fans will recognize many exteriors from the movie (students of the King's School next door were extras.)
Lacock Abbey (Lacock, near Devizes, Wiltshire) - Another wonderful place to visit is Lacock, the medieval town that is home to 13th century Lacock Abbey, used for interior scenes of Hogwarts School.
Goathland (near Grosmont, Yorkshire) - The village of Goathland on the Yorkshire Moors has a train station that's been virtually unchanged for 135 years: perfect to recreate "Hogsmeade Station," end of the line for the Hogwarts Express. Best of all? You can catch a steam train not unlike the Hogwarts Express for 18 miles that run through the spectacular North Yorkshire Moors.
Alnwick Castle (Alnwick, Northumberland) - Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, home to Earls and Dukes since 1309. The castle itself is pretty spectacular, but kids may be more thrilled to recognize the grounds as Hogwart's "quidditch pitch." Open March - October.
Harry Potter Steam Train (Fort William, Scotland) - In Fort William Scotland, kids can ride The Jacobite steam train to Hogwarts. It's the train filmed in the movies, and the landscape is magical! For the full effect, book a Harry Potter compartment on the train.
