Harry Potter: The exhibition - the interactive and magical experience

On 15 December, we had the honour of being invited to the European premiere of „Harry Potter: The Exhibition“. 

Harry Potter: The Exhibition - A little moment of nostalgia for me. A journey back in time, to a wonderful childhood. Like many others, the films have accompanied me over the years. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone hit cinema screens in 2001 and an era ended in 2011 with Deathly Hallows - Part 2. For 10 years, we were all accompanied by the magical world of Harry Potter. That's why it was one of the best moments for me in 2022 that we were invited to the exhibition in Vienna. 

A brief insight into the exhibition - don't panic, nothing will be spoilt here😁. You can expect characters, animals, locations, well-known scenes from the films and stories about Harry Potter and the associated Wizarding World. A MAGICAL experience - with new, innovative and interactive technology. If that's still not enough for you, the original props and costumes will blow your mind. No matter how old you are, which house you belong to or whether you are a muggle. None of that matters here. 

Wizarding World - what is it?

The Wizarding World is nothing more than an ever-expanding „universe“. From the first letter from Hogwarts, through the wall to Platform 9 3/4, visiting Mr Ollivander, Hedwig - Ron - Hermione or the best chess game ever played. These moments, the 8 blockbuster films based on the original stories by J. K. Rowling were the beginning of all these magical stories.

The Wizarding World is not just made up of the Harry Potter films. This vast, interlocking universe also includes three Fantastic Beasts films, the multi-award-winning play: Harry Potter and the Enchanted Child, video and mobile games and much, much more. The Wizarding World is constantly evolving to offer Potterheads new and exciting ways to engage with it. It invites the global fan community and all future generations to explore and discover the magic for themselves.

Directions and parking - what options do you have to get to Harry Potter: The Exhibition?

Travelling by public transport

The best option for me personally. Perfectly plannable in advance, no unnecessary stress with traffic or the hassle of looking for a parking space. Just sit down, enjoy the journey and do something good for the environment to boot. A little tip from me: buy tickets as soon as possible, the earlier you get a ticket, the cheaper the journey will be for you.

Take the train either to the main station and then take the S80 or the regional train R81 to the Erzherzog-Karl-Straße stop and get directly to the METAstadt. Another option would be to travel by train to Hütteldorf, then take the S-Bahn S80 and also travel to Erzherzog-Karl-Straße.

Enquire about public transport right here

Travelling by car

By car you could drive right up to the front door of the METAstadt get there. However, I would not recommend this due to the limited number of parking spaces. The better option would be to take the Westautobahn motorway to the P&R facility in Hütteldorf and park there. From here, take the S-Bahn S80 and continue as usual to the Erzherzog-Karl-Straße stop. 

Opening times and venues of Harry Potter: The Exhibition

From today, 16 December 2022, you can visit „Harry Potter: The Exhibition“. The gates will be open for you every day from 09:00 - 21:30 in Vienna's METAstadt, with the only exceptions being 24 and 25 December, when the exhibition will be completely closed, on 31 December only until 19:00 and on 1 January only from 12:00. The last admission is from 20:00 or 90 minutes before the METAstadt closes again.

From 09 January 2023, the opening hours will change as follows: 

• Mon - Thu from 10:00 to 19:00
• Friday from 10:00 to 20:30
• Saturday from 09:00 to 20:30
• Sunday from 09:00 to 19:30

Venues

World premieres have already been celebrated in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in the USA and with Vienna, Harry Potter: the Exhibition is now also represented in Europe. However, the end is not yet in sight. A worldwide tour is planned in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Tickets and prices

The exhibition offers a wide variety of tickets, offers and discounts to provide everyone with the right choice.

Standard ticket: is available from € 29.99. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays as well as during holiday periods, standard tickets are available for € 34.90. For children and young people up to the age of 15, students up to the age of 26 and senior citizens aged 65 and over, the standard ticket is available from € 24.99 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays as well as during holiday periods for € 29.99.

Standard tickets are limited to one day and a 30-minute time slot, which is selected at the time of purchase. The interactive experience can be started within this time slot and you should allow around 60-90 minutes for the personalised journey.

Flextime - Tickets: If you are still looking for a suitable Christmas present, then the Flextime ticket is perfect. Not just for Potterheads, but for anyone who wants to go on a fun day out and enjoy trying out new things. For €49.99 you get a flexible, one-off visit for the entire duration of your stay in Vienna.

VIP tickets: For € 74.90, visitors can enjoy a very special experience and also benefit from some exclusive advantages. The VIP tickets are issued on the desired date of visit when purchased, allowing you to visit the exhibition on any day. Of course, admission to the interactive experience can only be granted up to 90 minutes before the end of the day.

Family - Ticket: it includes 2 adults and 2 children for € 99.60 (€ 24.99/person). On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays this is available for € 29.90 / person (total price € 116.60). Available with the standard tickets under Discounts & Booking Options.

Wheelchair users and people with disabilities: (from 80 % according to ID) can book tickets at a reduced price via the oeticket hotline 0900 94 96 096 (€ 1.09/min incl. VAT).

What's on offer - Attractions - Details

SPOILER ALERT - only read on from here if you want to know what to expect!

The first thing we had to do at the entrance to Harry Potter: The Exhibition was to register. This is also where we received our wristband for the interactive stations. You register with the wristband and then start your own personal story. Choose the house you want to belong to, choose your favourite from dozens of wands and decide on the Patronus you've always wanted. Once you've done that, you can have your photo taken and then you're ready to go. I decided on Gryffindor, Lord Voldemort's wand and I chose the terrier as my Patronus.

First stop:

A room with small clips from the films and a beautiful animated Hogwarts castle in the background. Once the sequences have been played, the walls turn into the map of the Drifter and the first interactive station is ready. You can use your wristband to log in to certain points by holding it up to a golden snitch. No sooner said than done! You are now part of the map and your name is displayed. With the words „Misdeed committed“, we move on to the next room. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are all represented. Props such as the talking hat or Godric Gryffindor's sword, costumes from the Harry Potter films, but also from the play - The Enchanted Child and lots of information about all of this can be found here. You can also collect your first points here and who hasn't always wanted a photo with the talking hat? Get assigned to your house and grab the first 10 points for your team.

The next room is already waiting for you:

Glass spheres which, on closer inspection, hold something for you, a cup with a set of tea leaves in the shape of a dog or better known as Grimm. We must have ended up at Sybill Trelawney's, but I completed this room a little quicker, because who believes in fortune telling. Joking aside, I just want to move on quickly, because here are two of my favourite rooms. What do you think I've always wanted to show off my skills in? Yes, of course, repotting a mandrake, everyone has wanted to do that. Just don't forget the earmuffs and make sure they fit properly - we all know the result. Another thing I was particularly looking forward to was Hagrid's hut - sitting in his huge armchair and hoping that it's just as cosy as it looks.

Make a decision:

Take part in the Triwizard Tournament and take the trophy home with you or would you prefer a round of Quidditch? After my eyes wandered to the Hungarian Horntail, it wasn't too difficult for me to decide and I naturally opted for Quidditch. Then it was off to the next Portkey and a little detour to see Newt Scamander and his Fantastic Beasts. A visit to the Ministry is of course a must, even if you have to stop by Dolores Umbridge and her office. I found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets very impressive, a visual highlight for me that day. You also get a glimpse of a few Horcruxes before you reach Albus Dumbledore's room and his Think Tank.

Interactive stations

Cross the large hall with the flying candles to reach the magic wands, the second station where you can collect points for your house. Here you can put your wagging and waving skills to the test. Will you be able to do it straight away like Hermione or will you have to learn the correct pronunciation of Wingardium Leviosa first? Not only do you have to master the use of the magic wand, potions are also on the timetable. You can choose from 5 potions, which one have you always wanted to brew - for me it's definitely the Polyjuice Potion. Once you have mastered everything, you will have collected 30 points for your house and your colleagues will be grateful.

What is your greatest fear? - If you dare to face it, don't forget to think of something funny and use Riddikulus to make a spider dance on roller skates, burst a full moon or turn a snake into a clown. One of my absolute favourite spells is Expecto Patronum. A beautiful thought and carefully executed, I conjured up my Terrier Patronus and collected the last 10 points for my house.

The last room of the Harry Potter exhibition gives you the chance to duel with your friends and prove who is the strongest wizard among you. If you've done everything right, you'll have earned your house 40 points (assuming I haven't overlooked a point-collecting station) and defeated your companion in a daring duel.

Harry Potter Fanshop

The souvenir shop also deserves a mention. Directly after the exhibition, you enter this paradise. Fan merchandise as far as the eye can see - a dream come true for a Potterhead. But it's not just the die-hard fan who feels at home here, newcomers to the Wizarding World will also find many a souvenir here. Of course, I also let myself be tempted and took one or two things home with me🙈.

My overall impression of Harry Potter: The Exhibition

A great trip for me personally. For €34.90 you get a really great tour through the magical world of Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and much more. You are offered a large selection of film props and there is no shortage of costumes either. Everything is very well signposted with lots of information and there are photos of the characters in every room. My only criticism is the interactive stations. Not because I didn't like them, on the contrary, I enjoyed them so much that I would have liked more of them.

Are you one of those sad Muggles like me who are still waiting for a letter from Hogwarts at the age of 26? Then now is the time, because even No-Majs without a letter will be granted entry to METAstadt. So grab your owl, meet your friends at platform 9 3/4 and take the next train to Harry Potter: the Exhibition in Vienna.

Further recommendation:

Have I piqued your interest in more articles like this and are you ready to dive into the next one? Then take a look at the Vienna Comic Con Contribution over.