Visit These 10 Real Places Used in the Harry Potter Films

Few novel series have had quite the contemporary success quite like the Harry Potter volumes by J.K. Rowling. The overwhelming popularity of the novels was the perfect setup for eight films based on the books, which also went on to receive critical acclaim and public admiration. In fact, when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released, it broke the record for highest-grossing opening day for a film in history. The eight beloved movies were shot both at Warner Bros’s studios and on location all over the U.K. in England, Scotland, and Wales.

From the Dursley family house to the lake at Hogwarts, many of the filming locations are open to the public. Some even have exhibits related to the Harry Potter novels and films. Read on to learn about the locations where the Harry Potter saga was filmed. 

Dursley House

One of the most famous locations in the Harry Potter saga is the Dursley home, located at 4 Privet Drive in the books, though the real house is located on 12 Picket Post Close in the town of Bracknell. Harry lived here, in a cupboard, with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and his cousin Dudley Dursley before he departed for Hogwarts. After having to pay residents to film in this neighborhood 35 miles west of London, Warner Bros decided to build a replica of the house in a studio. 

Platform 9 ¾

King’s Cross Station in London was chosen as the location for the Hogwarts Express train platform. Part of the station’s wall, between platforms 4 and 5, was used to shoot the scenes where Harry and the gang magically run through the brick barrier to access the Hogwarts Express. Now, in the filming spot, a permanent luggage cart appears to magically vanish into a wall underneath a Platform 9 ¾ sign, offering fans a photo op.