London’s Harry Potter photo exhibition with kids: review

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the Wizarding World in London, there’s one place which sometimes gets overlooked by families – a visit to London’s Harry Potter Photo exhibition with kids.

review tickets/contains affiliate links*

EDIT: THE EXHIBITION HAS NOW CLOSED – For more Harry Potter locations in London with kids, check out my top picks of places to visit, my review of a Wizard Afternoon Tea in London, as well as my full set of tips for the Harry Potter Studio tour

Set in Covent Garden, the Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition – also known as Harry Potter on location – has the city’s only butterbeer bar, and a chance to pose on a broomstick, as well as props, costumes and lots of behind-the-scenes trivia.

But while there’s lots for serious fans to discover, what’s it really like to visit the London Harry Potter Photographic exhibition with kids – and should you plan a day trip with yours?

What’s at the Harry Potter Photo Exhibition?

Since she was first introduced to the stories, my daughter has been a huge fan of Harry Potter, with the audiobooks on loop on Audible, more than one visit to the Studio Tour under her belt, and a stuffed toy collection that includes two Nifflers and a Pygmy Puff.

So when I was offered tickets, she insisted we fly into central London at the earliest opportunity to check out the exhibition in Covent Garden.

Neither of us knew quite what to expect – and I wondered if it would be firmly aimed at adults and if it might be a mistake visiting the Harry Potter Photo Exhibition with kids, but it’s a real treat for fans.

From the moment you walk in to see a flying Ford Anglia suspended above the staircase, to the first view of the exhibition, where you’re greeted by a huge version of Harry’s letter from Hogwarts, you’re plunged into the wizarding world and given a sneak peek of what went into bringing it to life.

One of the best parts is chatting to the staff as you stroll around – they’re obviously big fans themselves (visiting while masks were required, we discovered each had chosen a design featuring their Hogwarts house) and they loved chatting to my nine-year-old about all things Harry Potter.

Along the way, we discovered lots of quirky bonus trivia from them – like the fact that Daniel Radcliffe went through 160 pairs of glasses and 80 wands in the first film alone!

Each area is themed on a different aspect of the films, whether that’s a particular character, a particular set and its design or a chance to get close to the props.

At one point, there’s a scene in Diagon Alley where it feels like you can almost walk into the crowd and start shopping for magical ingredients.

You can see designs for some of the sets, including sketches for Diagon Alley, as well as some of the instantly recognisable designs from House of MinaLima, including Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes packaging.

Further through the exhibition, you were transported to school with jars of potion ingredients, as well as spellbooks and other books from the movies – all illustrated with a string of photo stills from the films.

Other areas looked at everything from Dumbledore’s office to Hagrid’s Hut and the Hogwarts Express, including video from various members of the crew – including chats with directors – about what inspired the look of the finished sets.

There are even displays on how they made the moving portraits which are such a key part of Hogwarts – and a few secrets about some of the people immortalised in them, which you’d never guess if you watch the movies at home.

Not forgetting different outfits too, whether that’s Voldemort’s robes from the Battle of Hogwarts to goblin paraphernalia setting the scene at Gringotts or Hermione’s Muggle clothes – some of the originals are on display too.

There’s even trivia to discover behind the costumes – and a reminder of how much effort went into every aspect. Did you know Voldemort’s robes get lighter each time he’s seen after a Horcrux is destroyed?

But easily our favourite aspect was the chance to discover stories from behind the scenes and getting a glimpse of the world behind the Wizarding World.

Photos of Emma Watson with her stunt doubles sat next to her display outfit, for example, while there were some fantastic photos of Michael Gambon and Ralph Fiennes dressed as Dumbledore and Voldemort, sitting having a friendly chat between scenes.

The bib protecting Dumbledore’s robes was an added highlight which made us both laugh.

My own favourite story was the video explaining what went into creating the brief scene where Harry, Ron and Hermione apparate in Piccadilly Circus, fleeing the Death Eaters – getting permission to close down this major central London landmark, as well as organising 400 extras was no mean feat!

Another nice touch was getting to find extra secrets by peeing through little openings in one display – it really does feel like you’re discovering things no-one else knows.

The video element definitely helps to make it more interactive if you’re visiting the Harry Potter Photo Exhibition with kids, but there’s another chance to get hands on too – by climbing onto a broomstick.

With the wand of your choice (just to pose with, no taking them home sadly!), the broomstick is set against a green screen, so there’s the option to buy a photo against your favourite backdrop at the end too.

It’s not purely dedicated to Harry Potter either – there’s a whole section at the end covering the The Cursed Child play, playing at the Palace Theatre less than 10 minutes from Covent Garden.

And while my daughter hasn’t yet seen that particular slice of Harry Potter’s story at the theatre, she has read the play script and loved the chance to get a peek at a time turner and some of the costumes.

Then all too soon – or so it felt – we were leaving the exhibition and stepping into the shop and butterbeer bar at the end, with a new chocolate frog (and chocolate frog card) to add to our collections.

Should you visit the Harry Potter Photo Exhibition with kids?

The short answer is… it depends. My daughter loved chatting to staff, discovering all the stories from behind the scenes and checking out the displays for all the details.

But I know that if I’d taken her when she was six, the age when we first visited the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Leavesden, she’d have been bored and most of it would have gone straight over her head – unlike the Harry Potter tour itself, where there’s more that’s interactive and appealing to younger kids.

Equally, if you have kids who’ve watched a few of the movies or read the first books, this is firmly aimed at fans who’ll lap up every detail.

There are still a few interactive sections, including the chance to ride broomsticks and pose for photos against a green screen – and unlike the studio tour, there’s no queue for this (and no audience watching, which often puts my daughter off) which is a big bonus with kids.

It’s also cheaper than the studio tour (including the chocolate frogs in the gift shop), although admittedly not the cheapest thing to do in London with kids given that you’re unlikely to spend much more than an hour inside.

If you’re considering it as a cheaper alternative to the studio tour, the two really don’t compare. But if you’re visiting the city with young Harry Potter fans, it should definitely be on your wishlist.

For more Harry Potter locations in London, check out my picks around the city, as well as the best hotels near Harry Potter Studios London with kids

The Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition: Need to know

Tickets to the Harry Potter Photo Exhibition cost £20 for adults, £14 for kids aged 5-15, while kids aged four and under enter free (though you still need to prebook a ticket). There are also family tickets available, and baby changing facilities.

Timed entry tickets must be prebooked in advance, although you can book them on the day of your visit, subject to availability.

Opening times vary throughout the year – click here for details. The exhibition was originally intended to be a temporary attraction but has now been extended to the end of 2022.

Expect to spend around an hour exploring, although there’s no limit to how long you can stay if you want to check out every detail.

The entrance to the exhibition is at the London Film Museum on 45 Wellington Street – you exit onto Covent Garden Piazza, but the way in is on the opposite side of the building.

If you only want to visit the Butterbeer bar or the shop, you can go in without a ticket to the exhibition – head to the rear entrance in the south-east corner of the Covent Garden Piazza, near the London Transport Museum.

There are no cloakroom facilities and you won’t be allowed in with big bags, so if you need to store luggage check out Luggage Hero which has options nearby.

It’s also easy to combine with a visit to the House of MinaLima on Wardour Street in Soho, which is free to visit, and less than a 15-minute walk away.

*Last updated July 2022*

Disclosure: My tickets to the Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition were free for the purposes of this review – all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images copyright MummyTravels