20th Anniversary Celebration at Alnwick Castle

This year, celebrations all over the world are marking the 20th anniversary of the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. From MuggleNet’s own celebration in Orlando, Florida, to an awesome weekend of events being held at Alnwick Castle in England, there is no shortage of ways to show your Potter spirit!

Alnwick Castle is kind of the real-life Hogwarts—that is, it’s the location where the first two Harry Potter films shot many of their school scenes. From the castle walls to the outer courtyards, any Potter fan would recognize its iconic landscape and architecture. While the castle regularly offers tours to the public, this summer they are hosting a special Harry Potter Wizard Weekend where fans can go and celebrate the book’s anniversary.

Special activities will include magic wizard tricks, costumed characters mingling with the crowd, some snowy owls—just like Hedwig—in attendance, and “broomstick training lessons” in the courtyard where Harry and his classmates had their first flying class with Madame Hooch. Young visitors are encouraged to dress up as witches and wizards to complete the Hogwarts experience.

Several on-location tours will be offered at regular intervals throughout the weekend, led by costumed guides. They will share memorable scene locations, inside information on the filming of the movies, and off-camera anecdotes. In addition to the awesome photo ops around the recognizable castle grounds, there will also be a replica of the Ford Anglia for visitors to take pictures with. You’ll remember the Ford Anglia as the flying car Harry and Ron crashed onto the grounds of Hogwarts at the start of their second year.

The flying training lessons and tours are included in the price of event tickets, according to the Chronicle. All of this magical fun will be held June 24-25, so grab your wand and broomstick and get ready to go to Hogwarts!

For more info visit Alnwick Castle’s website or call 01556 511 100.