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A new store on the Magnificent Mile is hoping to bring magic to shoppers.
The nearly 10,000-square foot Harry Potter store opens Thursday in Chicago and features themed areas, an interactive Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans spinning wheel, Chicago-exclusive merchandise and products inspired by the books and movies.
The wand experience at the Harry Potter store in Chicago.
Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
“We are delighted to be bringing this store to Chicagoland! With the incredible success of the New York flagship store, bringing the Harry Potter world to life on Michigan Avenue was an absolute must,” Karl Durrant, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Discovery Retail Experiences, said in a statement at the store’s announcement in February.
Shoppers are greeted outside of the store by a statue of a stag, which fans of the series will recognize as Harry Potter’s Patronus.
A mermaid stained glass window greets visitors.
Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
Inside, the store’s “Goblet of Fire” theme is first apparent with a stained glass display, inspired by the window in the Prefects’ bathroom at Hogwarts. (And, if observed long enough, shoppers will notice that the mermaid moves.)
The interior of the shop depicts tasks of the Triwizard Tournament: broomsticks “on fire” represent the dragon challenge; a golden egg is a nod to the water trial; a patterned floor is a maze; and the centerpiece of the store is the goblet itself.
The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned location also sports the largest Butterbeer Bar in the U.S. and was inspired by Chicago’s rich history of speakeasies.
Merchandising at the Harry Potter store in Chicago.
Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
Shoppers will also find sweets, products sorted by the houses of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and an area for personalization.
The Goblet of Fire is in the center of the Chicago store.
Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
Reservations are not needed to enter the store, but a virtual queue system is in place when the location nears capacity. Visitors will be able to scan an in-store QR code and indicate the number of people in their party so they can be notified via text when space opens.
The Illinois store follows the company’s flagship opening in the Flatiron District of New York in 2021. That location promised to “set a new standard for themed retail” among its three floors and 15 themed areas.
The Harry Potter Chicago shop is located at 676 N. Michigan Avenue.
