Harry Potter ™: A Forbidden Forest Experience
YMCA Camp Duncan
32405 N. US Hwy 12
Ingleside, Illinois 60041
This is an interactive experience. Bring your wands, or buy one that lights up, which we did both. Bring your credit card because everything is cashless, and have fun.
I photographed and recorded video. Both were difficult because of darkness in the woods. Hopefully your phone cameras will do better than my professional one.
The paths is lit in most places making it easy to get around. Both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts are represented. You will find a Hippogriff, unicorns, Nifflers, a flying car, owls, and more.
There are many ways to think about when (timewise) to arrive. I will let you in on my observations. We arrived at 7:00, way earlier than our scheduled time. We wanted to make sure we would make it through the rush hour Chicago area traffic. When we arrived we were in the second row of parking, making it easier for me and my bad ankle to get across the parking terrain. The entrance path seemed a little long, but on the way back out it no longer felt like that.
When you enter the actual festivity it really felt enchanting, surreal, like "I belong here". There were people here before us, enjoying the common ground if I can call it that, buying butterbeer, food, gifts, and queuing to enter this wonderful spell bound interactive path.
We spent over 2 hours here. That seemed to be just us. As we walked through taking a lot of time to visually and audibly take everything in, people were passing us in a hurry. The path is wide, so that did not bother us, just that we noticed people perhaps missing some of the experience with their haste. By the time we left there were hardly any people in the common area. Most were still on the path, or had gone through and left. When we arrived back at the parking lot you can see cars parked as far back as the eye could see with the parking lot lights. Our car being right up front and easy to get to. Thank you, because by that time my ankle was very swollen and it was hurting to walk. I do not know how many miles the path was. Thinking back I do not think it was that long, just that the up and down terrain, and my constant stopping to turn and look to enjoy this, may have gotten to me.
I really cannot say enough about this. You do have to experience it. You have to go with the mindset of wonder and joy to have the best experience. They did a very good job here, creating this experience, that I believe I will remember forever.
Here are some of the photos that came out for you to entice yourself to go. Yes, I do want you to go if you are into Harry Potter, and want to enjoy the interactive experiences . . . yes, bring a wand!
These stations near the entrance were cool. I would like to build one of these wood huts for me. You can sit, choose, and listen to digital stories, while dreaming of what can be fun and joyful.
Quidditch anyone? Cool game flags, and I believe Christi spotted the the winged Golden Snitch!
Butterbeer stop (among other refreshments) about 2/3rds into the trail.
The photograph below is of the sweats cart, display only. A little earlier a couple perhaps just a few years younger than me had stopped their for selfies, who where dressed and did really look like Mr. & Mrs. Weasley. I was too tired to ask if I could take their photograph. Now I regret that.
I had a blast, and would do it again in a heart beat if it was not for the drive. This is definitely an experience you will want to go to. Do not regret NOT going! Nah, screw the drive, this senior citizen is going back!
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