Whimsy and Wands meet Science and Industry

On Thursday, April 30, Chicago's own Museum of Science and Industry premiered Harry Potter: The Exhibition. Comprised of authentic costumes and props, the exhibition promises a first-hand look inside the magical world of Harry Potter. Sounds good, right? Well, for $28.60 per person, it better be! (That's $26.00 for general museum admission and timed entrance into Harry Potter, plus a $2.60 'convenience' fee.) K and I will enter the exhibit on Saturday in search of enchantment and whimsy. Promptly at 1:15pm (no refunds or late entry, of course).


Assuming we manage to get ourselves there on time, it really will be exciting to see this first-of-its-kind exhibit for one of the most iconic book and movie series of the past decade. I am particularly interested to learn more about all the magical creatures and what processes are used to make them look so realistic in the movies. I hope the exhibit at least makes mention of my favorite creatures, thestrals, the horse-dragon beasts that pull Hogwarts students around in carriages and are only visible to those who have witnessed death. And what about Dobby and Kreacher the house-elves, and Buckbeak, Hagrid's hippogriff - are there any puppets involved, or are they purely CG?


With any luck, the answers to all my magical creatures-related questions and more will be revealed to me on Saturday. Hold on to your wands and get out of the way, kids.