If you're a patron of the arts, you probably already know all that New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has to offer. There you can walk through ancient Egyptian temples, admire works by Vincent van Gogh and Picasso, and if you're feeling adventurous you can visit the cloisters in the residential area, but did you also know that now you can take a wizarding tour? A trip to the Metropolitan Museum? Witches, get your wands ready, because this is one crafty outing unlike any you've ever seen.
Presented by Secret NYC and Fever, The Gryphon, the Goblet, and the Gold is a Harry Potter-inspired guided tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that invites Muggles to explore the rich art collection and stunning Find magic in buildings. It gives first-time visitors and regulars who have seen it all before a new frame of reference for exploring the museum's many "places and spaces reminiscent of the Harry Potter books," according to the event description. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like the perfect way to spend an afternoon after brunch. Anyone booked a club field trip?
While the Griffins, Goblets and Gold Tour may not actually take visitors on a tour of moving staircases, hidden rooms and talking pictures, it will introduce fans to the fantastic real-life objects and fascinating locations found in the Met's many fantastic exhibits. All Potter fans have to do is head to Museum Mile and feel like they've stepped through the Floo network directly into Hogwarts.
According to the website, tour highlights include parts of an actual castle not unlike the home of the famous wizarding school, artwork and artifacts related to the "dark arts," and other fascinating things that look like those in Dumbledore's Castle. Objects of wonder. Office or shop window in Diagon Alley. Although you may see items like Salazar Slytherin's Locket, Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, and Helga Hufflepuff's Ring. A word of advice, though: Even if it looks like a Horcrux, do not under any circumstances try to destroy it, otherwise the museum staff will find you faster than a sniffer on a diamond can hope to.
The tour isn't the first time the Met has been the center of nerdy wonder. In "The Mixed Archives of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," the museum serves as a refuge and playground for Claudia and Jamie. This is one of the many stops Holden Caulfield makes as he travels through New York in The Catcher in the Rye . This is the scene of the explosion in Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch." Even in the Gossip Girl series, Serena, Blair and the Minions have lunch here. The Met has appeared in dozens of books and inspired many more. While the Harry Potter series isn't "technically" one of them, don't get your wands stuck: There are plenty of similarities between the Met's contents and the Wizarding World to make the Potter Fans have fun on this unique guided tour.
"Gryphons, Goblets, and Gold: A Wizard of the Metropolis" launches on November 29th, just in time for the holidays, arguably every Potter fan's favorite time of the year. The cost per No-Maj is $45, which includes admission to the museum, and Muggle children under three years old can visit for free. The tour runs daily until December 29th (on select days when the MET opens), but if you're interested in attending, book your spot ASAP. It’s a small, intimate tour with limited tickets and it’s quicker than a hot butterbeer on a winter’s day. Several sessions are sold out, but if you have Felix Felicis by your side, you might be able to view the MET through the eyes of a wizard.
