Hey, are you a big-time Harry Potter fan? Well, we have something that might interest you. Keep reading!!
Do you have any idea where Harry Potter was filmed? No?
Ah, then you are just at the right place. This article is all about the Harry Potter films and the various locations used in the movie.
Be ready to set foot into the magical world of Harry Potter...
The Harry Potter series produced by Warner Bros was released in 2000 and completed its journey in 2011 with its final movie- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2.
You might be aware that the Harry Potter films are based on the fictional series of novels written by the British author J.K Rowling.
Harry Potter’s fictional filming locations were majorly located in London, but it also used other locations in England and Scotland.
Have you wondered what the muggle world locations of the films are? Would you like to explore the magical world of Harry Potter?
Then continue reading to find out where your favourite scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed.
Before we move on to the Harry Potter filming locations, let’s look back at what the story was about.
Harry Potter Films
The film series stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as the main lead in the film, playing Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Stars like Tom Felton, Bonnie Wright, and Alan Rickman played the side characters in the film.
The story revolves around a boy born in a wizard family who loses his parents in an unfortunate death after he was born. He is left at the doorsteps of his aunt’s family to be taken care of.
On Harry’s 11th birthday, a half-human and a half-giant who is in charge of Hogwarts’ grounds came from the wizarding world to visit Harry Potter .
On their first meeting, Hagrid tells Harry Potter about his real identity and asks him to come to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to complete his schooling there, as he is born as a Wizard.
In the meantime, Harry Potter also learns that his parents were killed by Lord Voldemort, also known as the Dark Lord.
When the Dark lord attempted to kill Harry Potter, they were rebounded by a curse that stopped Voldemort from killing him. Harry was left behind alive with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead in this incident.
Hagrid made his first appearance in the first movie of the Harry Potter series- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The story shows the journey of Harry Potter and his fellow Hogwarts students in the wizarding world.
As the story unfolds, it comes to Harry’s realization that he is bound to face Voldemort- the Dark Lord, who possesses evil powers and wants to kill Harry Potter as they are solely connected, but his being alive is Voldemort from rising to his true powers.
He intends to become immortal and destroy the governing body of the wizarding world known as the Ministry of Magic to rule over them.
The upcoming events of the story portray how Harry Potter, along with his friends and his kind professors, deal with the catastrophic events that come on their way in Harry’s growing years. You may also enjoy Harry Potter theme parks.
This shows the unity between them and how they face all the threats bravely that are indirectly caused by the Dark Lord and lead to facing him in the final battle eventually.
Now, let’s bounce back to our main topic of interest.
Where Was Harry Potter Shot: Harry Potter Filming Locations
1. London Zoo
First things first, do you remember the scene from the first movie when Harry Potter realized his magical potential for the first time? Well, let me remind you of the scene where Harry Potter learns he can talk to snakes in the zoo.
That very scene was shot in the London Zoo’s reptile house. The Dursleys take Dudley-their blood-related son, and Harry Potter to the Reptile House on Dudley’s birthday.
Upon reaching the Reptile House Dudley adamantly wanted the snake to move for his entertainment, so he pushed Harry Potter away from the viewing point; this made Harry Potter furious as he fell to the ground.
To his surprise, he could understand what the snake was saying.
This led to a stunning moment as Harry Potter smashes the glass without even touching it, and he somehow communicates with the snake.
This was one of the most iconic Harry Potter scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. These small incidents led Harry Potter to gradually realize that something about him is strange and is not normal human behavior.
However, after Hagrid acknowledges Harry Potter that he is a wizard, he gets a clear picture of why such events happen to him.
2. King’s Cross Station
The one platform that will help you transport to the magical world and the hot spot for the arrival of all the wizards back to the muggle world is at this station.
Yes! Platform 9 ¾ is the platform I am referring to here. Harry Potter finds some help to pass through the magical pillar of platform 9 ¾ from the fellow wizards at this station.
This is where Harry Potter boards the Hogwarts Express for departing to the school. This scene was shot at the King’s Cross station.
Well, be careful; you can only pass through the pillar if you are a wizard!
This ain’t no place for muggles!!
3. Christ Church Dining Hall
Oh, the grand hall which will always stay in our heart, where this beautiful journey of the magical world began and ended.
This is where Harry Potter took his first steps into the magical world, the iconic pace of the Hogwarts School where everyone shared their happiness, sadness, and love for each other.
Students first arrive at descending to the stone staircase and getting sorted in one of the four Hogwarts houses is from the passage of the great hall of the Christ Church College.
This is also the place that showed the feast from the first film. The Hogwarts great hall is located here.
Most Hogwarts scenes were shot in Oxford University itself, and this specific scene from the Philosopher’s stone was shot in the Christ Church college, belonging to Oxford University.
4. Duke Humfrey’s Library and The Divinity School
Remember the scene when Harry Potter used his first Christmas gift, the invisibility cloak in the Hogwarts library, to hide from Mr. Finch as he entered the restricted area in the Hogwarts library?
This scene was shot in Duke Humfrey’s library, which is a part of Oxford. It was in the movie- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone.
The Divinity School is where the scene of Harry Potter awakening from the Hogwarts infirmary was shot.
This served as the hospital building for Hogwarts where Harry Potter was admitted for curing the injury he got after his first Quidditch match in Hogwarts
5. Borough Market and The Lambeth Bridge
The exterior for the Leaky Cauldron was shot in the southeastern edge of Borough Market if you recollect the scene from the Prisoner of Azkaban where Harry Potter is summoned by the ministry of magic in a pub place to enquire about the occurrence of illegal magic practice in the muggle world.
The entrance to the Leaky Cauldron is Leadenhall Market in the first film, and they come to the front of the store from 42 Bull’s Head passage.
Lambeth bridge is the location where the Knight bus squeezes between the Muggle buses, and harry is pushed towards the front glass of the Knight bus.
Surprisingly, all the people inside the bus were sleeping comfortably despite a rash ride. I bet you won’ be able to sleep on such an unsteady bus.
6. Alnwick Castle
The broom lessons given to the First-year students in Hogwarts were conducted in the Alnwick Castle ground. Later in the series, this location is used majorly to show the Hogwarts grounds.
This is where Harry was taught his first lesson of using brooms to fly like a true wizard.
This is also where Harry and Draco Malfoy face against each other, racing in the broom, trying to catch hold of one of Longbottem’s property. You may recall that harry aced his first flying experience in this scene. This location was also used in the Chamber of Secrets.
Alnwick Castle was used in Deathly hallows Part 1 in the scene when Harry Potter and Hermione Granger hide from Voldemort during the darkest of times for the wizarding world.
They settle in the rocky camp to keep away from the Dark Lord at all costs.
7. Durham Cathedral, England
This Cathedral was used as the classroom of Professor McGonagall. The chapter house of the Durham cathedral is where Professor McGonagall taught her students to convert animals into water goblets in Harry Potter- the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Oh! Let’s not forget the scene in which Ronald Weasley became his victim to his slud- vomiting curse, and he couldn’t get over it for a long time. This scene is from Harry Potter- The Chamber of Secrets, the second movie.
8. Jacobite Steam Train Station
This location was used in all of the Harry Potter movies. The Hogwarts Express runs across the Jacobite steam train line between Fort William and Mallaig.
Remember the scene in the Great lake from where the Hogwarts express passed, which was shown widely in the movies Prisoner of Azkaban and the Goblet of fire. It was from his location.
Also, the spooky scene from the Goblet of fire, where Harry was attacked by the death eaters and tortured by them, was shot inside the Hogwarts Express.
But luckily, Professor Lupin was also on the same Hogwarts Express train to save Harry Potter from the death eaters.
9. Gloucester Cathedral
This Cathedral was used to film Headless Nick, and Moaning Myrtle made their appearance. You might come across them and might be struck by them.
Make sure you look out for them; they might spook you around the corridors of the 1,300 years old Cathedral.
This is the location from the film where Harry Potter and Ron hid from the giant troll who was chasing Hermione in the washroom to attack her.
But, thankfully, her friends came at the right time to defeat the troll and protect Hermione from getting hurt.
However, this Cathedral was altered for filming harry potter films and proved to be the best Harry Potter filming location.
10. Lacock Abbey
The lecture room of Professor Quirell, who taught Defence Against the Dark Arts, was shot at the Lacock Abbey. This is one of the most interesting Harry Potter film locations.
This is where Harry Potter and the other Hogwarts students learn the techniques of potion-making. This class was also used by professor Snape.
It might interest you to know that this is also where Harry Potter finds the Mirror of Erised that reveals his deepest desire and makes him realize his true self.
Harry Potter had become an orphan at a very young age, and he barely remembers his parent’s faces; thus, he has always felt the void of a family. Even though he stays with his aunt’s family, they do not treat him well enough.
Coming across this mirror, reflected his deepest desire to have a family.
But you do not want to come across this mirror as Dumbledore says that “even though it shows you your deepest desire, you know it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.
11. Millennium Bridge
Last but not least, one of the major Harry potter filming locations of the film series is the Millennium Bridge. The name itself highlights what possible event must have taken place here.
If you are still wondering, let me remind you of one of the most overwhelming scenes filmed from the series.
Remember the dramatic sequence followed by collapsing of a bridge in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?
This is the bridge that gets completely destroyed as the Death Eaters cause Mayhem over the wizards and muggles. The bridge falls into the Thames and takes along a lot of muggles.
Who can forget this dramatic scene, right?
This bridge also appeared in another movie, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, in the scene where Harry Potter flies over London on his broomstick.
So these were a few of the iconic filming locations of the Harry Potter film series.
Well, there are more Harry Potter filming locations like the Diagon alley, Gryffindor common room, forbidden forest, the beautiful scenic filming location from Scotland, which served as a perfect spot for filming the quidditch game of the wizardry world.
However, we listed out just a few that might interest you further in knowing all the locations.
WB Studio Tour (Warner Bros)
If you ever visit the UK, make sure you visit and witness the model version of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
This Harry Potter walking tour could be a major fan moment for all the Potterheads out there and the new harry Potter Fans to experience a wizard moment in this setup.
There might be a lot of things that may have been missed to be shown from the Harry Potter novels.
Still, the film adaptations of the teenage wizardry world allowed us to explore this fictional world and imagine being a part of this beautiful journey of the magical world.
I hope you liked the Harry Potter film series filming locations that we have listed for you.
Make sure you drop by your comments telling us your favorite filming location and your favorite scenes from these movies.
Last Updated on by Steffy Michael
