‘Harry Potter: The Exhibition’ Review: A Semi-Magical World of Witchcraft and Wizardry

It’s back-to-school season — and for Harry Potter, this means shopping for a wand at Ollivanders, brushing up his Potions chops, and stopping by Hagrid’s for a cuppa. Now, Boston’s Potterheads, too, can experience these and more at “Harry Potter: The Exhibition” at CambridgeSide in Cambridge. While themed rooms offer a variety of experiences for fans to enjoy, the exhibition’s limited interactive features and inconsistent exhibit quality sum up to a less-than-magical adventure.

“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” is a walk-through experience featuring iconic costumes and props, set recreations, and magical tasks from the “Harry Potter” universe. Part memorabilia showcase, part immersive Wizarding World, the exhibition draws upon the nostalgia of a still-passionate league of fans.

Even before the first room, the exhibition prioritizes interactivity. Attendees choose their favorite Hogwarts house, Patronus, and character wand at a digital kiosk, which saves their preferences to a wristband that can be tapped at various checkpoints throughout the rooms. The data is saved and emailed to the guests afterwards.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” according to science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke’s adage. Unfortunately, the technology at “Harry Potter The Exhibition” is not sufficiently advanced enough to sustain the magic for visitors.

Attendees cast spells by tracing a squiggly shape on a screen, brew a potion by tapping the right ingredients on another screen, or repot a Mandrake by pulling the plant out of a pot before returning it back to the same exact pot. The repetition of the spellcasting process weakens an already simple experience, while much of the rest of the exhibition also lacks complexity. For example, the “Great Hall” is composed of a few tables — view-only — before a digital projection of the rest of the dining hall.

Personalization is also rudimentary. While attendees earn house points by completing activities, these points are noncompetitive — everyone earns the same amount, as all the tasks are completion-based. A quiz, at the least, would improve Sorting and wand selection (a capacity the Wizarding World website has long had), and a competitive, performance-based points system would make tasks more variable and exciting.

Perhaps more exhibit detail, à la an actual museum, would add interest where these technological elements cannot be too complicated because of the volume of visitors. Several displays — such as the wand and costume rooms — contain fun facts about the filming process. Yet there isn’t enough truly novel information for the older nerds who actually stop to read everything.

The exhibition’s strongest point might be its photo ops, especially Hagrid’s hut and the Cupboard Under the Stairs. It’s quite fun to plop into Hagrid’s massive armchair or Harry’s cramped bed and snap a photo. Various wall features, like an animated Marauder’s Map or peepholes through which film clips play, also offer some tidbits of fun. Generally, the rooms’ set dressing is eclectic and detailed, emulating the Wizarding World well and offering much to look at.

The staff are also an asset to the experience as they guide guests through the introductory rooms. One fun moment involved quizzing guests on “Harry Potter” trivia as they waited to progress — if staff allotted house points or acted as knowledgeable witches and wizards, it could take audience engagement to the next step without the need for advanced technology.

Overall, “Harry Potter: The Exhibition” unfortunately suffers from want of both informational depth and interactivity. For visitors, though, the environment of everything Wizarding World and the walk down memory lane can still be charming. Magic is in the air — just don’t expect to be fully spellbound.

“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” runs at CambridgeSide through Jan. 5, 2025.

—Staff writer Isabelle A. Lu can be reached at isabelle.lu@thecrimson.com.