Finding Harry Potter in Brisbane
Are you looking for Harry Potter-themed shops and experiences in Brisbane? You are in luck! There are plenty of Harry Potter-themed things to do and see near Brisbane.
From escape rooms to restaurants, playgrounds to workshops, it is easy to find something Harry Potter-themed to do with kids near Brisbane.
Keep reading for ideas on Harry Potter-themed things to do in Brisbane with kids. Or, let us be honest, lots of these locations have adult-friendly Harry Potter activities too.
The Store of Requirement
Located in Samford (about 30 minutes outside of Brisbane), lies the Store of Requirement.
The Store of Requirement offers just about any kind of Harry Potter-themed merchandise that you could want from clothing to candy, party supplies to collectibles, toys, and games to jewelry. One of my favorites is the sorting mug.
If you can not get to the shop, they do offer to ship Australia-wide.
In addition to the shop, they offer book nights and birthday parties. They also offer hour-long “magical adventures.” These are like scavenger hunts that meet an escape room and take place outside.
School Supplies Magical Adventure
At this point in time, there are 2 magical adventures that take place at The Store of Requirement in Samford.
“Owl Taskers” is aimed at those 12 years and older while “School Supplies” is geared for those under 12. For both adventures, someone over 16 is required to be on the team.
You only pay per team, not per person.
As my kids were 5 and 7 at the time of our Magical Experience, we chose to go on the School Supplies adventure.
Each team member receives an invitation to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. On the back, there is a list of school supplies that you need to find. The goal is to find them before the train takes off in an hour. There is also a map of the places that you will need to go to “find” the supplies.
Each team gets 1 tablet. There is an introduction video on the tablet, which we watched on the benches outside of the store.
Your 1-hour time limit starts at the end of the video.
You get clues and riddles. First, you have to earn money before you are able to “pay” for the school supplies.
The order of the hunt depends on you and what you choose to look for first. The amount of walking depends on your choices.
Samford Village is not big and our kids were able to walk back and forth so we didn’t mind going out of order.
The Visitor’s Center was closed so we were unable to get that clue. Of course, they helped us back at the Store of Requirement.
It did take all 4 of us to figure out the clues. I like that you can make a mistake and try again. The tablet will let you try again until you find the correct answer.
At the Museum stop, I was entering numbers instead of names. It took me a while to figure out that I needed to enter the shop’s name to move on.
It took us 40 minutes to complete the challenge.
The Owlery Cafe
Located right next door to The Store of Requirement in Samford is The Owlery Cafe.
A dog-friendly restaurant, most of the seating at The Owlery Cafe is outside.
As it is a new restaurant as of April 2024, the menu is not completely set, but rumor has it quite a few Harry Potter-themed menu items will be available.
Across the street from the cafe and shop is a playground with fairy doors on the trees.
Have you seen all of the cute fairy doors in Brisbane? Find out where they are with our post, Finding Fairy Doors in Brisbane.
Harry Potter-Themed Dessert
We ended up back at The Store of Requirement to get a butter brew and chocolate frogs.
The butter brew is a butterscotch soda. You can add cream on top, but we did not. The kids picked out a gold frog and were excited to find out that they had popping candy inside.
Harry Potter-themed cupcakes and cookies are also available.
You can also purchase prepackaged candy like Every Flavored jelly beans, but I do not have any interest in trying earwax-flavored anything.
The Sorting Hat
Sometimes at The Store of Requirement, the sorting hat is out.
My daughter had not read or watched Harry Potter on our first visit, but she knows about schoolhouses because her school has them separated into houses, just like in the book. (We are new to Australia and did not realize that schoolhouses were a thing until we enrolled the kids. We found quite a few differences between schools in the USA and schools in Australia).
The man who was putting the sorting hat on the children’s heads was asking them questions about the books/movies before the hat would make the house decision.
I told him that M had never watched the movie or read the books. He patiently explained to her the difference between the houses.
He said the red house was for those who are brave. The blue house is for those who are smart. The yellow house is for those who are kind, and the green house is for those who are evil. He told her that you could possess more than just one quality of course.
She felt like she should be in Hufflepuff (the yellow house). I said Ravenclaw which is the smart house.
The sorting cap decided to put her in Hufflepuff and she was excited.
Z was too nervous to try the sorting hat on and instead decided that he too would be in Hufflepuff. In school, children are automatically put in the same house as their siblings.
Wand Decorating and Potion-Making Classes
During the school holidays, The Store of Requirement offers both wand-decorating and potion classes.
My kids decorated a wand during The Store of Requirement’s Anniversary Party, and they both enjoyed it.
The wands have a button to press that lights up the wand and makes a noise.
The wand decorating workshop is $19.99.
Potion-making classes are $24.99 and include taking a portion of the potion home.
Wizard’s Tournament Virtual Escape Room
There is a Harry Potter-themed virtual escape room through The Store of Requirement.
This Harry Potter Virtual Escape Room is best for true Harry Potter fans with lots of knowledge as they have to answer trivia questions based on the series.
All ages can play, as well as individuals or teams. They recommend teams of 2-4.
The game itself lasts around 1.5 hours.
You rent the game for a week and it can be played multiple times by unlimited players.
There are 7 chapters of Harry Potter-themed escape rooms. Chapters 1 and 2 are available now, and the other escape rooms are in development.
Each chapter, which you get for a week, includes 6 rounds of trivia and 3 escape room-style puzzles.
Wizard’s Tournament Harry Potter-themed escape rooms cost $19.99 each.
Bray Farm Park
About 30 minutes outside of Brisbane is Bray Farm Park. There is a small Harry Potter-themed playground at the park.
The playground is in a housing development and heads up: there is no bathroom available.
Bray Farm Park playground is adorable and has many little details that the kids love, like the owls perched on top of the house.
It was busy while we were there, but the kids did not mind and they were able to play on everything. Their favorite part was the “attic” of the house where they could sit.
Of course, we could have stayed longer, but it is hard without a bathroom.
There is a large field where the kids can run around and swings as well.
Harry Potter-Themed Escape Rooms
You don’t even need to live in Brisbane to participate in Escape Hunt’s virtual escape room The School of Magic. This virtual escape room is geared towards those 8+, and don’t worry, you can get unlimited help if you need it.
Lots of Harry Potter-themed escape rooms can be purchased on Etsy.
Arcadium in Spring Hill does not have a Harry Potter-specific escape room, but there are a couple of rooms about magic and potions.
Read 9 Kid-Friendly Escape Rooms in Brisbane for more great Brisbane Escape Rooms.
Special Events
If you are in Brisbane and love Harry Potter, make sure to see if any special events are on.
There seem to be many adult-only Harry Potter events in Brisbane as well.
Wizardry High Tea
Those of you who have followed us here at Make More Adventures know that high tea is our favorite. We went to the chocolate buffet high tea at Stamford Plaza, and then we decided to check out the Wizardry High Tea that sometimes takes place over the Brisbane school holidays.
Sometimes during school holidays, Stamford Plaza offers a Wizardry High Tea.
I knew that I would love to try the Butterbeer cupcakes, but the cockroach clusters creep me out. Even though I know it is just a name (right?)
The tea was themed from start to finish, and I am happy to say that I did not see any cockroach clusters, but I didn’t look too hard.
Harry Potter Books or the Harry Potter Movies?
Of course, I always say to read the book before the movie, but Mark wants to show the kids the first movie. We compromised and he showed them the scene with the sorting hat.
What age do you find is the best for reading the Harry Potter books or watching the Harry Potter movies?
I had planned on waiting a bit, but after the day we had yesterday at The Store of Requirement and The Three Quills (which is now permanently closed), I read the kids the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
My new plan is to read them a chapter a night and then watch the first movie. Then we will hold off on the other books until they are a little bit older.
I had no idea there would be so many ways to find Harry Potter in Brisbane.
Harry Potter Books
The book is always better than the movie, and why not start with book #1? If you know someone who needs to read Harry Potter, here is where to find them. This list includes the original books from #1-8.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Harry Potter Special Edition Books
Harry Potter lovers will love a copy of one of the Harry Potter Special Edition books. These books are more like coffee table books and are beautifully illustrated.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Illustrated Edition
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Illustrated Edition
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Illustrated Edition
Harry Potter DVDs
Okay, now that the books are out of the way, it is time to watch the movies! We like to read a book, watch a movie, and alternate.
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows parts 1 and 2
Harry Potter in Brisbane FAQ
No, there is not a Harry Potter World in Australia at this time.
While there used to be a few Harry Potter exhibits at Movie World on the Gold Coast, they are now closed.
The Store of Requirement in Samford has a sorting hat. Ask the staff if you can be sorted into one of the houses at Hogwarts.
No, Harry Potter is no longer at Movie World on Queensland’s Gold Coast
Harry Potter in Brisbane Wrap-Up
Surprisingly, there are plenty of places to find Harry Potter near Brisbane. Samford, just 30 minutes from Brisbane, has 2 Harry Potter-themed stores, both of which offer Harry Potter-themed workshops.
Kids and adults can take a variety of workshops, enjoy Harry Potter-themed desserts, and drink Butterbeer in Samford.
Keep an eye out for special events in Brisbane as Harry Potter-themed options are often available through Hidden Brisbane and Fever.
More Things to Do in Brisbane with Kids
- High Tea in Brisbane with Kids
- Indoor fun with kids in Brisbane
- Brisbane at Night with Kids
- Free Brisbane with Kids
- Kid-Friendly Brisbane Cafes
- Daring Things to Do in Brisbane with Adventurous Kids
- Places in and around Brisbane for Kids who Love Science