If they didn’t before, Harry Potter fans now have a reason to travel to New York. The first official Harry Potter flagship store in the world opened in Manhattan on Thursday.
Located on 935 Broadway, Harry Potter New York is three stories high sprawling across 20,000 sq. ft. Fans will have access to “the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products in the world.” An array of bags, books, clothing, collectibles, cosmetics, homeware, toys, and jewelry will be available for purchase.
The store goes beyond being just a souvenir shop. Visitors can enjoy the infamous butterbeer at the Butterbeer Bar and enjoy an exclusive display of wands made famous by the Harry Potter characters. Visitors will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive wand duel, something that has not even been done at the Universal Studios theme parks.
Later this year, the store will feature VR experiences with other players as they escape Death Eaters on flying broomsticks in “Wizards Take Flight” or explore Hogwarts Castle in the multi-player world of “Chaos at Hogwarts.”
A scavenger hunt hosted by the Harry Potter Fan Club app awards fans with free gift bags upon finding nine out of 12 props from the film in the store. Plus, there will be plenty of opportunities for photos on each floor level.
The popularity of the store is already high with fans lining up down the sidewalk to get in. Since the store can only accept 250 people at a time due to COVID-19 precautions, visitors can enter a virtual waitlist that will notify patrons when they can enter the store giving them time to peruse the wonders of New York.
