As a long-time Harry Potter fan, I hopped on the chance to visit the new Harry Potter NYC store during its June opening week. In this article, I will cover what to expect when you visit and experiences that were particularly memorable.
What is Harry Potter NYC Store?
Located on 935 Broadway in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, the flagship store opened with much anticipation and fanfare. The Harry Potter NYC store boasts over 21,000 square feet and three floors of the Harry Potter collection and Fantastic Beasts products. It’s no wonder why Harry Potter fans flocked to the store to experience this Wizarding World brought to life.
Virtual Line
In order to visit the store, you will have to enter a virtual queue.
I was in the queue for about 4 hours; thankfully, I made plans to visit things in the area. Once the app told me that it was finally my turn, I went to the storefront where a staff member scanned our QR codes. Given that I went during opening weekend, I imagine that the hours in the queue are much less long.
Stepping inside a magical shopping experience
As soon as you walk in, all the Harry Potter-themed items may trigger a dopamine rush as your childhood dreams of attending Hogwarts comes closer to life. A few customers even came dressed in the Hogwarts uniform when I was there. The Phoenix soared above my head, suspended from the ceiling. Below this beautiful creature lie sweaters, socks, shirts, and many other garments sporting the four Hogwarts houses. I fought the temptation to purchase all the Gryffindor items.
Soon you will enter the atrium, which connects all three floors of the shop. Plenty of photo opportunities await – from Hagrid’s gigantic shoes to the Ministry Phone Box. You’ll certainly enjoy taking pictures here and reliving childhood memories. I always knew that Hagrid was big but his shoes reminded me how much of a giant this beloved character is!
There are plenty of products from garments, pillows, kitchen towels, to chocolate frogs.
Wand Shop
Enter the wand shop where boxes of wands pile far behind your head.
A glass case displays wands belonging to some of our favorite characters. You can enjoy the interactive wand table which took on the appearance of the blue Pensieve.
Wrap your fingers around any of the wands and the Pensieve reveals its history. You can even enter a wand duel with another fan holding onto another wand!
House of MinaLima
A great opportunity to view graphic art designed by MinaLima, which is the design studio behind the Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts’ graphic props. Within this space is a great photo-op opportunity to take a picture next to the fireplace with letters flooding out!
Book Archway
Walkthrough an archway of books and find yourself on the other side underneath a ceiling full of books. It’s another great place to take pictures!
Butterbeer bar
Enjoy a delicious soft drink, which has a butterscotch flavor. My favorite was the butterbeer ice cream. The butterbeer dessert was SO smooth, delicious, and flavorful. I highly recommend trying it. The bar, itself, is gorgeous with a cascade of illuminated floating Butterbeer bottles.
Overall Impressions:
As a long-time Harry Potter fan, I enjoyed this visit to the NYC Flagship store. The Butterbeer ice cream definitely was the highlight. The space is beautiful and thoughtfully constructed. With plenty of opportunities to take pictures, it’s a great place to make new memories and revisit old ones.
I didn’t get to experience the VR experiences since they had not opened yet. Looking forward to experiencing these when I go back!
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