Eight Harry Potter experiences in NYC
Step into the wondrous world of The Boy Who Lived with these activities that bring Hogwarts to Gotham
Whether or not you were able to score tickets to Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (our theater critic listed it as one of the best Broadway shows), NYC offers plenty of other ways to experience J.K. Rowling’s spellbinding stories. From museum tours at the best museums in NYC to bar specials a couple of the best bars in NYC, these are the top ways to get your Potter on.
Harry Potter experiences in NYC
Down something way stronger than Butterbeer
Accio, alcohol! Barcelona Bar is well known for its long list of elaborate pop-culture–inspired shots (more than 100!), but its most famous is the Harry Potter. Order one of these wizarding bad boys and stand back as the bartender dons a full Potter look—complete with a scarf and round glasses—then lines up the shots along the bar and repeatedly sets them on fire while casting spells with a wand. $8
Take a magical tour of the Met
With soaring granite domes, statue-packed rooms and a fair share of hidden treasures, the Metropolitan Museum of Art could easily be mistaken for Hogwarts. Leaning into those similarities, the Fable & Lark: Storied Adventures tour “Griffins, Goblets and Gold” museum tour highlights objects in the collection that recall J.K. Rowling’s books, including castle staircases, stone Gryffindor-esque lions and Horcrux look-alikes.
Meet up with your fellow magic-loving Muggles
Gather with other Potterheads at one of the monthly events put on by The Group That Shall Not Be Named, which boasts more than 3,000 members. Past trips have included everything from a Diagon Alley–inspired cosplay excursion at the Oddities Flea Market to wizard-attired ice-skating and crafting nights. (Currently, there are no outings to Hogsmeade on the schedule.)
Witness the New-York Historical Society’s transfiguration
If you’re anything like Hermione, you already have “Harry Potter: A History of Magic” on your calendar. Starting October 5, the immersive exhibit brings wizardry classes and mythological artifacts to the New-York Historical Society. On display are a reputed philosopher’s stone, J.K. Rowling’s original scribbles and drafts, and even a 17th-century invisibility incantation (way better than a cloak).
Catch that other play about a certain boy wizard
The Off Broadway play Puffs tells the tale of a certain boy wizard—no, not that one. Years before the arrival of Cursed Child, this comedy by playwright Matt Cox reveals the behind-the-scenes story of the lesser-known, yellow-and-black–clad students at a certain school of magic. Cursed Child and its Gryffindor stars are much flashier than the characters in this adorable tale, which features jokes about Voldemort’s stand-up routine and Ron Weasley played by a mop.
Nab cheap tickets to Cursed Child without waiting all day
Does it seem like you have a better chance of getting a Hogwarts acceptance letter than getting tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? We’ll help you sort it out. We have three proven ways to make sure you get tickets to the hottest show of the season.
Here’s what it’s like to play real-life Quidditch in NYC
You don't have to to possess magical powers to play the wizarding world’s sport of Quidditch. Muggles can try their hand at the game by participating in one of the regular New York matches put on by US Quidditch. (Yes, that’s a real league, with more than 4,000 members around the country.)
Study for your OWLs
To help you study, we stopped by one of Trivia A.D.’s monthly Harry Potter nights to ask die-hard fans what tricky questions stumped them. Does reading them feel like being hit with an IRL stupefy spell, or are you able to answer them as well as Hermione Granger would? Try your luck with these 10 tough questions.
Can’t get enough of Harry Potter?
Check out the seven places in NYC that make you feel like you’re Harry Potter
Want to go to Hogwarts? These places in NYC are the next best thing, from an actual castle to the Ministry of Magic.