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Warner Bros. Studio Tour London props | What to see, highlights & more

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour London offers an unparalleled look at the craftsmanship of the Wizarding World. Explore the vast Harry Potter props collection that brought J.K. Rowling’s stories to life.

Discover the Harry Potter props collection

Dragon exhibit at Harry Potter Studio Tour London with visitors exploring the attraction.

The collection at Leavesden Studios comprises thousands of authentic items created over a decade of filming. Visitors can expect to see everything from tiny, hand-inked letters to massive mechanical constructs. These artefacts, dating from the production of The Philosopher’s Stone (2001) through The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011), showcase the evolution of design in cinema. The collection highlights the incredible detail required for high-definition film, where even background items like potion jars were individually crafted to ensure a grounded, lived-in feel for the magical world.

Harry Potter prop collection | What to look out for

Hero props

Hero props are the detailed versions of items intended for close-up shots. You will find the most iconic treasures here, such as the Sword of Gryffindor, encrusted with rubies, and the delicate, functional Time-Turner. These pieces often feature real materials like metal and glass to catch the light perfectly on camera.

Graphic art

Designed by the duo MinaLima, this section features the printed matter of the wizarding world. Look for the Marauder’s Map, which required weeks of hand-inking, and the various editions of the Daily Prophet. Every headline, advert, and moving photograph was meticulously designed to build a plausible, magical society.

Wand collection

The tour features a dedicated space for the thousands of wands created for the cast. Each hero's wand was unique to the character’s personality; for instance, Horace Slughorn’s wand features a slug-like handle, while Bellatrix Lestrange’s has a curved, bird-like skeletal shape.

Set dressing & furniture

This category includes the mundane items that fill the sets. In the Potions Classroom, you will see over 17,000 hand-labelled jars containing unique ingredients like dried herbs and plastic lizards. In the Gryffindor Common Room, look for the worn-in furniture and the Howler Ron received from his mother.

Mechanical & practical effects

Not all magic was CGI. Many props, like the self-stirring cauldrons or Lupin’s trunk, were rigged with hidden motors. These practical effects allowed actors to interact with magic in real-time, providing a seamless sense of realism that defines the film series.

Special effects

Iconic Harry Potter props

Marauder's Map replica at Harry Potter Studio Shop, London.
The Sword of Gryffindor
Clock tower detail at Harry Potter Studio Tour, London.
Potions classroom with cauldrons and bottles, Harry Potter props.
Triwizard Tournament set at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London with dragon prop and Hogwarts backdrop.
Railway shop at Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London displaying merchandise.
Costume exhibits in a hall at the Harry Potter London tour, featuring Dumbledore's office.
Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Products
Warner Bros. Studio entrance with Harry Potter tour bus, London premium transfers.
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The Marauder’s Map

Hand-inked by designers Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, this map features intricate folds and hidden details that reveal the entire layout of Hogwarts.

Artist: MinaLima (2004)
Location: The Gryffindor Common Room

The Sword of Gryffindor

A stunning piece of craftsmanship made with real silver and inset rubies, designed to look like a genuine medieval artefact.

Artist: Pierre Bohanna & Props Team (2002)
Location: Dumbledore’s office

Time-Turner

Hermione’s delicate hourglass was fully functional with rotating rings, crafted to be lightweight enough for Emma Watson to wear comfortably.

Advanced Potion-Making (Snape's copy)

Look for the two versions—Snape’s heavily annotated copy filled with scribbles and a "new" version used by other students.

Artist: MinaLima (2009)
Location: The Potions Classroom

Triwizard Cup

Made from resin and faux crystal, this prop featured internal lighting to create its eerie blue glow for the Portkey scenes.

Artist: Prop Department (2005)
Location: The Trophy Room

Daily Prophet newspapers

Each issue features moving image illusions and unique headlines; dozens were printed with real stories and jokes to fill the background.

Spectrespecs

Luna Lovegood’s quirky eyewear was designed with iridescent lenses and colourful detailing using lightweight plastic and metallic foil.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products

From Extendable Ears to Skiving Snackboxes, these vibrant props were hand-painted and branded with eccentric, magical packaging.

Quidditch equipment

Explore Quaffles, Bludgers, and broomsticks with authentic battle marks, built using foam and metal for safe stunt handling.

How the Props Department worked its magic

Harry Potter props
  • Handcrafting vs. 3D printing: Props like the Triwizard Cup were handcrafted, while others, such as Spectrespecs, were 3D printed for uniformity across takes. Both methods allowed the team to achieve high detail, durability and repeatable results for scenes involving stunts or multiple copies.
  • Real vs. fake materials: While some props used genuine materials, like real metal for goblets or glass for potion jars, others used fakes for practicality purposes. Food was often wax, and heavy-looking books were actually foam-filled to lighten actors’ loads during long shoots.
  • Research behind authentic magical objects: Designers researched Victorian gadgets, Celtic symbols and antique weaponry to inspire magical object designs. The goal was to make props feel like plausible artefacts from a centuries-old wizarding world
Where are the props kept?

Special effects & illusions

Behind every magical movement was practical ingenuity. Props were frequently rigged to move, glow or react in-camera, creating more immersive performances for the actors.

Self-stirring cauldrons

Props in Potions Classroom scenes often included cauldrons rigged with small motors underneath, allowing spoons to stir themselves without CGI. The motion was timed to match the actors' wand movements for seamless realism.

Talking photo frames

Some portraits used hidden screens with pre-recorded footage, while others had mechanisms that moved the eyes. Both techniques gave the illusion of a living artwork watching or interacting with characters.

Fake food for the Great Hall feasts

Feasts used wax and resin replicas for food during long shoots. These had to look appetising on camera and be durable enough to withstand heat from lighting and multiple takes.

Special effects

Notable figures

Pierre Bohanna

The Head Prop Maker responsible for creating everything from wands to the golden snitch.

MinaLima

The graphic design duo who created the visual language of the Daily Prophet and the Marauder's Map.

Stuart Craig

The Academy Award-winning Production Designer who oversaw the look of every object.

Know more

Frequently asked questions about Harry Potter props

The collection includes hero props (close-up items), graphic art like newspapers and maps, textiles, wand craftsmanship, and complex animatronic or mechanical rigs used for practical on-set special effects.