GUEST BLOG-Harry Potter Exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre by The Infamous Kelly

EDITORS NOTE:
Welcome Birdman’s new friend, Kelly R to the site as she contributes what hopefully will be more blogs in the future and even a possible segment if her time allows it.

Gather your friends and family and take them to see this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition!

The Harry Potter Exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre is truly amazing! As Canadians we all know that sometimes when there’s a tour or traveling exhibition we can sometimes get the short end of the stick, so when I came to the Ontario Science Centre that morning I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that not only was the content of the exhibition of very good quality and relevant to the franchise but presented beautifully and dramatically. We entered through the front curtain and our first treat was being sorted into our houses by the infamous Sorting Hat. I found out once-and-for-all, that I am in fact a Ravenclaw, and oddly enough, so is the Birdman. The lovely Blaire was sorted into Gryffindor, and if you knew her you’d know why. Our host was sorted into the Hufflepuff house upon her first visit to the Sorting Hat, and has been inspiring the young visitors to be loyal and reliable in their lives ever since. We proceeded in where we watched select scenes from the first six movies, then we got a big surprise! (Come on guys, I can’t give everything away!) All the props and costumes were carefully put together to resemble the sets from the movies and the items themselves were the ones held and worn by the actors. This made the exhibition extra special because it put you closer to the stars and to the place where it all started.

We were told that the creator of the Harry Potter world, JK Rowling, herself had approved the exhibition so we know that it was truly representative of her vision for the characters. The ones that stood out the most to me were Professor Snape’s original robes and the Half-Blood Prince’s Potions Book from the most recent movie. The model of Buckbeak, savior of Sirius Black from the Prisoner of Azkaban, was larger than life and very realistic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful replica of Fawkes, beloved pet phoenix of Professor Dumbledore, featured in the Chamber of Secrets. The interactive areas inspire you to participate in the world and let your imagination run wild. We pulled a mandrake root resulting in the requisite squeal, though our hearing is still intact. We tried our hands at Quidditch, some of us were better than others! Then we sat in Hagrid’s chair. I thought I was a relatively tall person up until then.

We also sat down with Jessica Moss, one of the floor staff for the Centre, and cheesy fake accent aside, she gave us some great insight into how the exhibition can be educational as well as entertaining. Potions as science experiments, learning about creatures featured in the movies, teaching children how to think critically about what they see and encouraging literacy in children of all ages are all key areas on which they focus. The advantage of an exhibition of this type is that it draws in audiences that would not normally be interested in the Science Centre and allows them to learn about familiar concepts in new ways. Visitors are also encouraged to visit the rest of the Centre. I recommend the IMAX movie: Hubble. Jessica also told us about the types of fans who came to see the exhibition; there are tons of Cedric Diggory (played by Robert Pattinson) fans, some Draco Malfoy (played by Tom Felton) fans, and several fans of those in the Gryffindor house. Jessica also told us she thought the books and movies were so successful because the author really created a new world that fans can enjoy on every level. She says though she has been through the displays several times, the excitement of each new group of visitors makes the experience new and exciting every time.

The Harry Potter Exhibition runs until August 22, but while we were at the OSC we heard a rumour that the run may be extended due to popularity. As we were leaving the Gift Shoppe there was quite a line-up to get in so I hope they will!
A little bird also told us that they may be acquiring a very special and very scary treat fresh from the set of the newest installation of the saga, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, a Dementor of Azkaban. Exciting, if true.

The exhibition is different for everyone who is involved it because everyone contributes and gains something different from it. Seeing this exhibition with my own eyes was truly magical. It was like having scenes from the movies come to life all around me. The exhibits took me back to fond memories not only from the movies, but of the enjoyment I experienced from reading the seven books. It made me want to run home and watch a marathon of Harry Potters!

Harry Potter the Exhibition is not to be missed!