For over 10 years Leavesden was home to the Harry Potter film series. During the span of 10 years new books from the series continued to be published and movies were being filmed. The production crew saved a lot of the props, sets and the beautiful costumes that were especially designed for the film, in case they needed them again later.When the filming of the last movie of the series - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 ended in 2010 the production crew was left with thousands of beautifully made artifacts.
By then the craze for the Harry Potter books and movies had risen to a different level. The team behind the Warner Bros Studio tour London - The Making of Harry Potter wanted to preserve these precious pieces of iconic props sets and costumes so that the Harry Potter fans could experience the whole process first hand. Quite a few members of the original cast and crew got together to reassemble the sets and finally on 31st March 2012 the studio tour opened its doors to the public.
Highlights:- Tour the original sets of the Harry Potter movie series. - Visit the Great Hall, Dumbledore's Office, the Gryffindor Common Room, Diagon Alley and other iconic places from the movie. - Learn about the special effects that were used to bring beloved characters like Dobby and Buckbeak alive on screen.- Take a look at the costumes used by the actors during the filming of the movie. - Get a taste of snacks and drinks of this magical realm such as Butterbeer and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans - Pose for pictures in front of the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾.
Inclusions: - Your Warner Bros Studio Tour tickets gives admission to the attractions at Warner Bros Studio- Round trip transfers to and from the meeting point.
Must Checkout: IFS Cloud Cable Car
This Ticket option will give you admission to all the attractions of the Warner Bros Studio-The making of Harry Potter.
This Warner Bros Studio Tour ticket option is meant for groups of 10 to 24 visitors.
This Ticket option will take you on a magical journey of the Harry Potter movie sets along with hotel stay nearby.
This Warner Bros Studio Tour will take you into the wizarding world of Harry Potter and top it with a fabulous afternoon tea at the Studio itself.
The ticket includes:- Entry to all the attractions in the Studio. - Indulgent sweets and savory treats as well as a delicious selection of scones will be served for the afternoon tea. - You get to dine under the enchanting ceiling.- You also have the option to upgrade to a Champagne treat. If you wish you can also choose treats from a vegan menu.
The Warner Bros Studio tour will take you inside those incredible movie sets that were such an integral part of the Harry Potter movies. These sets were more like characters in the movie rather than just lifeless backdrops. They each had their own characteristic features such as the Great Hall and its magical ceiling that mirrored the weather outside. The Great Hall was where many iconic scenes were shot such as the Yule Ball, the Battle of Hogwarts, the Sorting Ceremony and many more. Other memorable sets include Dumbledore's office, Platform 9 ¾, Diagon Alley, and many more.
Attention to to details is what we can see when we look closely at the props that we used in the Harry Potter movies each and every one of these were specially made and designed keeping in mind the details that we give in the book right from the portions jars that were kept on the walls of the portions classrooms each of these jars had different crops inside indicating The Herbs and other special ingredients that were kept in them. There are over 900 memory vials that can be seen in a cabinet in Dumbledore's office. Each label was hand designed by the Graphics Department.
Costumes were also a major part of this whole production. Right from the Quidditch uniforms to the Yule Ball outfits the designing team took their time to produce these gems that have been burned in the memories of every Harry Potter fan. Some of the most memorable costumes of the Harry Potter movies include the gown that Ron Weasley wore and the dreamy gown worn by Hermione at the Yule Ball, the Quidditch uniforms, the hideous pink dress of Dolores Umbridge, French Blue uniforms of the Beauxbatons, and the Wizard's Tuxedos in satin for the Hogwarts boys.
Special effects too played a very important role in the making of the Harry Potter movie. The best artwork yet is the Chamber of Secrets door. This door was not a visual special effect but an actual door that was created by the Special Effects team and the slithering snakes are powered by an electric motor set behind the door. The other major special effects include Harry's Invisibility Cloak and the Whomping Willow. Another special effects object that was a very important part of the movie was the ubiquitous Green screen. Most of the shots in the movie like flying on the broomstick, making things disappear all were done using the green screen.
Harry Potter movie would not be complete without the special creatures that made up the magical world. Creature effects were an important part of the job while creating characters like Buckbeak, Aragog, the Basilisk, the goblins at the Gringotts wizarding Bank. Every feather on Buckbeak and hair on Aragog the spider was inserted by hand. The Goblins each had their own look and personality in which the make up Department played a very important role. Without the help of these really talented people the Movie wouldn't have been complete.
The Art Department made a huge contribution into making the visuals of the movie realistic yet magical. The biggest one of these is the very detailed model of Hogwarts castle. The Art Department was involved in creating thousands of props such as the Potions textbooks, the wizard sweets packaging, the Hogwarts Letter, wizarding world newspaper, and so much more.
Magical Mischief is the latest edition to the Warner Bros Studio. In magical mischief the Studio will be revealing a lot of the tricks that have been used while filming the Harry Potter series. The magical Mischief showcases one of the most popular pranks that was pulled by the Weasley twins on Dolores Umbridge. The stage is set where visitors can see that the Great Hall is prepared for the Peaceful OWL exam. It is complete with the swinging pendulum and the infamous pink two piece costume of Dolores Umbridge will be center stage. Up on the ceiling you will find the Weasley twins' costumes hanging on the broomsticks which are suspended from the Great Hall ceiling.
This is again a brand new addition to the Warner brothers Studio tour 2022. This interesting addition will reveal how special creative effects were used to bring magical creatures to life on screen. On your Studio tour you will find Cornish Pixies, Dumbledore's Phoenix Fawkes, The Monster book of Monsters, the mandrakes and thestrals.
This special feature of the Warner brothers Studio tour will return for Halloween in 2022. The Great Hall will be decorated with over 100 floating pumpkins and a lavish Spooky feast of lollipops, red apples desserts all set along the house tables. Visitors from around the world are invited to follow the dark mark trail and try their wand combat moves against deadly Death Eaters. A fascinating life duel as the Death Eaters storm the studio tour. Platform 9 ¾ and Diagon Alley is decorated with added special effects making it darker and spookier this Halloween.
The year 2022 will see the return of the Yule Ball to Hogwarts. The Great Hall will be transformed with icy silvers of the iconic Yule Ball scene, the Gryffindor common room will be decked up for the season with a white blanket of film making snow. There will be magnificent models of the Forbidden Forest and the magnificent Hogwarts Castle.
Home to all the magical plants this greenhouse originally made by the filmmakers is now a permanent addition to the studio. The glass doors of Professor Sprouts greenhouse will be opened for the very first time from July 2022. The greenhouse is one of the favorite sets from the Harry Potter film series. It is home to many exotic magical plants like the mandrake.
The Wizarding Bank played an important role in the Harry Potter Movies. Right from when Hagrid went to pick up the secret package for Dumbledore's to the trio escaping the Bank on top of the Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon. The latest additions will allow visitors to explore Lestrange 's vault gallery of Goblins, etc.
The Great Hall is an integral part of the movie. It played a pivotal role in several scenes of the movie such as the Sorting Ceremony, the Yule Ball, mealtime conversations, the Halloween feasts and so much more. With your Warner Bros Studio tour explore the Great Hall and its intricate designs and marvel at the shiny crockery, the massive entrance door, the stone statues, the four house flambeaux and the actual costumes of Hagrid, Professor Mcgonagall and other popular characters. The Great Hall also holds some of the most beautiful handcrafted crops from the Harry Potter movie including the house points counter and Dumbledore's lectern.
The Forbidden forest scenes in the Harry Potter movie is a combination of location and Studio shooting. For the Chamber of Secrets the whole Forbidden Forest was recreated in the studio they had to create Aragog's lair, etc. and the set went on growing as the movie series progressed. While filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows backdrops as high as 600ft were created. There are 19 trees with 12 feet diameter in the Forest inside the studio. On your visit to the Forbidden Forest you can walk around and examine the towering trees and take pictures with a life-size Hagrid costume.
The cobbled streets of Diagon Alley with its many shops and busy shoppers has fascinated every Harry Potter fan for the longest time. While recreating the set the art team of the studio paid special attention to the rich descriptions they got from the book. The details of the book were followed so beautifully that it is seen in the movies very clearly. The dusty Ollivander's wand shop housed over 17000 individually labeled wand boxes while filming the movie. The entire set has been redone and refurbished several times to suit the requirements of the scenes; a part of the set was also used to shoot scenes at Hogsmeade Village.
To cross over to the platform witches and wizards had to run headlong into a brick wall between platforms 9 and 10. Some of the scenes were shot at Kings Cross Station while the remaining parts were created at the Warner Bros Studio. The Hogwarts Express provided the background for the very first shot of the Harry Potter movie. Real locomotives and carriages were used to indicate the exteriors of the Hogwarts Express. But a special interior carriage was built at the studio to shoot all the scenes that depicted the characters traveling in the train.
Location: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Studio Tour Drive Leavesden WD25 7LR
Timings: Monday to Friday -:9:30 am to 10 pm Saturday to Sunday- 8:30 am to10 pm
Best time to visit: Best time to visit the Warner Bros Studio tour is between November to March. Especially during Christmas week the whole place looks magical with all the festive decor. If you prefer less crowded then the best time would be towards the end of summer between June to September.
By Train: The nearest railway station to the Studio Tour is Watford Junction and there are direct trains coming in from London Euston and Birmingham Street.
By Bus: Regular shuttle buses operate from Watford Junction to the Studio Tour. The journey is about 15 minutes and buses run every 30 minutes from 9:20 a.m. The last shuttle bus back to Watford Station departs from the Studio Tour when the last tour ends.
By Road: From London exit M1 at Junction 5 and take the A41 (North Watford) approximately three miles at the Hunton Bridge Roundabout take the 4th exit and get back on A41. Keep left and take the first exit, keep the left at the Y Junction and take the first exit at the roundabout into the Studio.
How long will the Warner Bros Studio Tour last?
The Warner Bros Studio tour will take about 3 to 7 hours depending on how much time you want to spend there.
What is the best time for the Warner brothers Studio tour?
For a truly magical experience the best time to go for the Warner Bros Studio tour is during the Christmas season, the astonishing decorations and the festive ambience truly turns the tour magical. If you are looking for a smaller crowd then the best time to visit would be towards the end of the summer season between June to September.
Why should we go for the Warner Bros Studio Tour?
Do we have to book in advance for the Warner Bros Studio tour?
To ensure the best experience possible for the guests the Studio has limited the number of visitors that can visit at any one time. Hence you will need to book a timeslot in advance to visit the Warner Bros Studio tour.
Are there places to keep our luggage in Warner Bros Studio?
Yes, the Warner Bros Studio has a Cloakroom where you can keep your coats, bags, shopping bags etc free of charge.