Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt
Uncovering the science behind all that magic
Already seen Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but still can’t get enough of his magical world? There’s good news for all you muggles, witches, and wizards. Now through Labor Day, the Harvard Museum of Natural History is hosting a Harry Potter scavenger hunt.
Pick up a copy of the museum’s Marauder’s Map to explore hundreds of specimens in the museum’s collection while testing your knowledge of Harry’s world. The hunt will take guests through most of the museum’s permanent exhibit areas, including Arthropods: Creatures that Rule, Language of Color, the Africa and Great Mammal Halls, and New England Forests as they discover the real specimens behind the fictional potions and magic elixirs found in the Potter books and films.
Visitors will see messenger owls and wolves on display as well as wolfsbane (the herb used in Harry’s potions class) which can be found in the museum’s Glass Flowers gallery. The scavenger hunt is designed to appeal to Potter fans of all ages. Each question on the Marauder’s Map contains a clue to help patrons locate a particular exhibit or item in the museum, and a floor plan is included for easy navigation. The specimen labels contain additional Potter-related information and two levels of trivia for fans to test their knowledge of spells, creatures, characters, and magical objects culled from the books.
The Harvard Museum of Natural History is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Harry Potter Scavenger Hunt runs through Monday, September 5. Admission is $7 for college students with a valid ID; $6 for children ages 3–18; $9 for adults; and $7 for seniors. The museum is free to Massachusetts residents on Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon and on Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Harvard Museum of Natural History is located at 26 Oxford St. in Cambridge and is accessible via public transportation by taking the MBTA Red Line to the Harvard Square stop. More information can be found at the museum’s website.
Nicole Shelby can be reached at nicoleshelby@gmail.com.
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