Harry Potter New York is the first official Harry Potter flagship store in the heart of New York City next to the iconic Flatiron building. The store, which was officially announced at the beginning of 2020, had its opening postponed due to the pandemic and it is finally open on June 3rd. I had the opportunity to visit the place with exclusivity at an event this weekend and I also took lots of photos and collect information to update you about this new place that promises to be a new destination for the Harry Potter fans that visit NYC.
Fun fact? I have not read the books or watched the movies – but there are things that we know that are important to cover for your audience, right? But, don’t worry, I’m already planning to catch up with the story by watching the movies soon. My brother and sister have always been super fans!
The store
Harry Potter New York will house the largest ever collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products, from Hogwarts House robes to Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans. Visitors will be able to explore a store spanning 20,000 square feet and three floors full of Wizarding World merchandise.
Through three floors, the store houses the world’s largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products. With a 20,000 square feet, the place offers exclusive lines, magical photo opportunities, and much more! Even if you leave without buying anything – which must be an impossible task for those who are fans – the visit to the place itself is already a super cool thing to do because the store is like an attraction! You will really find everything: clothes, accessories, cosmetics, candies, chocolates, bed linen, plush toys, legos, decorative objects, books, stationery …
Photos opportunities and interactive experiences
What makes the store special and a real attraction are all the corners and experiences that refer to the films. The first thing you should do is download the Harry Potter Fan Club app and, all over the place, you will find a code – like a QR Code – to scan. Each time you do this, you will learn something about the items and you will also receive a letter, which you will need to solve a puzzle. Upon completion, you will receive a prize/gift.
Among all the experiences and moments, you can “try on” Hagrid’s boots, “duel” with another wizard on an interactive wand table, look at the majestic griffin in the middle of the grand main atrium, be inside a red phone box and so much more! Throughout the store, you will see props from the films among the merchandise, from the major characters’ actual wands to some of Voldemort’s horcruxes like Tom Riddle’s journal and the Ravenclaw’s diadem. “With over 1,000 Wizarding World props on display (including some authentic items which featured in the movies), the incredible theming, along with experiences such as photo opportunities and the fantastic range of products, there will be something special for every fan”, said Sarah Roots, EVP Warner Bros. Worldwide Tours and Retail.
The Wand Store
One of the areas that I was most impressed about it was The Wand Store. There are more than 50 wands, including the Golden Snitch wand, exclusive to New York’s Harry Potter. You can even customize the wand. Each wand comes in a box and it is perfect for gifting someone.
ButterBeer Bar
The store also features the ButterBeer Bar, with a cascade of almost 1,000 glowing Butterbeer bottles – it looks like they are floating over the bar! The copper pipes decorating the ceiling make it look like the Butterbeer is flowing through them. Also, the table inside the bar is covered in newspapers from Harry Potter and one of the brick walls features Butterbeer barrels. The ButterBeer (which is not alcoholic, lol!) is U$10 and it comes with the cup. You will also find cupcakes and cookies.
MinaLima
Downstairs, there is a MinaLima store, the design studio behind the graphic props of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, founded by Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima. This was my favorite part of the store and the sales representative told us everything about it (remember: I’m not a fan, so I didn’t know anything!). Miraphora Mina graduated in Theatre Design from London’s Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in 1987. Eduardo Lima graduated in 1997 in Visual Communications from Pontifical Universidade Catolica, Rio de Janeiro – yeah, he is Brazilian! They started working together in 2001 to imagine and create the graphic universe of the Harry Potter™ film series for Warner Bros. films. Sharing a common artistic vision, they crafted the entire graphic style of all the Harry Potter™ movies. Motivated by this flourishing collaboration, in 2009 they formed their own design studio, MinaLima™, with the objective of creating distinctive and unconventional design and illustration for the entertainment and publishing industries. At the store, all the stationary is so beautiful and unique – like cards and posters – but the coolest thing is probably the new edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone book, fully illustrated and featuring interactive papercraft elements, including a foldout Hogwarts letter and more. Another fantastic gift idea!
VR Experiences
The third floor will be dedicated to VR experiences – one will be “Chaos at Hogwarts” games, which put you inside the castle, where magical creatures and secrets are ready to be found, and “Wizards Take Flight”, which allows you to fly in a broom while fighting in the London skies and around Hogwarts castle. These attractions require a paid ticket.
Address: 935 Broadway. All visitors will have to scan a QR code to enter a virtual queue and then return to the store when they are notified. According to a store employee, they created this system because they are already anticipating that the demand will be high.
(with information from Time Out New York)
Also, since we are talking about Harry Potter, you should check DIFF Eyewear and Harry Potter collaboration. There are unique blue light glasses and sunglasses in the collection that are characteristic of the four Hogwarts houses.
Content creator and journalist in New York City. Here, I share lifestyle, beauty, NYC tips, thoughts, and the struggles about living in the most amazing city in the world! I’m not gonna pretend to be another person: I’m a Brazilian immigrant and I think this is my soul, it is part of who I am. I hope you enjoy my content! Follow me on Instagram!
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