Get Sorted Into Your Hogwarts House At This Harry Potter Exhibit In Philadelphia

If you live in the Philadelphia area, the Wizarding World just got a little closer to home. Harry Potter: The Exhibition just premiered at the Franklin Institute on Feb. 18, and will be available for a limited time. Along with bringing the Wizarding World to life, this interactive Harry Potter exhibit sorts you into houses and features original costumes and props from the films. While you’ve mostly likely taken a quiz or two and know which house you belong to, this immersive experience will make you feel like it’s your first day at Hogwarts and you’re actually getting sorted by the infamous Sorting Hat.

In addition to assigning you to your Hogwarts House, Harry Potter: The Exhibition also gives guests the chance to go on a personalized journey through the Harry Potter films by selecting their wand and Patronus. Similar to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, your journey will starts at the King’s Cross Station at Platform 9 ¾, where you’ll get to “transition into the exhibition” and complete your Visitor Profile. This is where you choose your house, wand, and Patronus, which will come in handy as you journey through the 21 galleries that make up the Harry Potter exhibit.

When you enter the exhibit, you’ll also be given an RFID wristband that is linked to your profile and helps you interact with each gallery’s immersive elements. For example, in the Hogwarts Castle gallery, you’ll get to see your name appear on the Marauder’s Map like you’re Harry roaming the castle. In this gallery, you’ll also get a chance to interact with the Whomping Willow and Dementors.

Moving through the exhibit, you’ll also get to see The Great Hall with its different seasonal celebrations as well as the Hogwarts Houses gallery, which is where the Harry Potter exhibit gets really personal. Since you’ve chosen your Hogwarts house at the beginning of your journey, you can snap some prideful pics in front of your house’s crest along with a photo with the Sorting Hat. Of course, you’ll also get to explore the other Hogwarts houses even if you’re not as loyal to them.

Among the other galleries in the exhibit, you’ll also get to see Hagrid’s Hut, the Forbidden Forest (where you’ll get to put your Patronus charm to work), and Newt’s Suitcase from the Fantastic Beasts series. There’s also some Hogwarts classrooms where you’ll get to test our your magical abilities with different lessons, like brewing a potion in the Potions classroom and potting a mandrake in the Herbology greenhouse. In these classrooms and through the exhibit, you’ll also get to see different authentic props, costumes, and creatures from the Harry Potter films.

It wouldn’t be an exhibit without an opportunity to bring some of that magic home with you. Luckily, the Harry Potter exhibit also has some Wizarding World merchandise available, including collectibles, apparel, and even treats you’d find on the Honeydukes Express, like Chocolate Frogs and bottled Butterbeer.

If this Harry Potter exhibit sounds like a dream come true, you’ll want to Accio your tickets ASAP. The Franklin Institute strongly recommends you purchase tickets ahead of your visit. For daytime hours, general admission tickets are $43 for adults and that price goes down to $30 per person after 5 p.m. The exhibit is expected to run through Sept. 18, so you have plenty of time to get your Nimbus 2000 and plan your next magical journey with the Hermione and Ron to your Harry.