Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Travel Guide

New York inspired locations – and tours 

The Woolworth Building

This was the tallest building in the world when it opened in 1913. Now Potter fans might recognise it as the US version of the Ministry of Magic. Known as the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) There is actually an owl (or two) over the entrance which is part of the original design but was apparently why J.K. Rowling choose the iconic building as MACUSA’s HQ.

The old City Hall subway station

This might be only accessible via a tour of the New York Transit Museum but it would have been at the peak of its popularity in 1926, when the story is set. A magical battle takes place here  – what a backdrop! And even just looking at a picture of it, you can almost imagine those fantastic beasts coming out of the cracks in the walls.

Times Square

Just as in the days of Newt Scamander and company, the city’s masses huddle here in the search for entertainment and excitement

The Tenement Museum

This museum is a five-story tenement building from 1864 but it showcases how people here lived at the turn of the 20th century. This was the inspiration for the house of Jacob Kowalski, a No-Maj who befriends Newt. Many other houses were inspired by what was found here.

The Writers House

Witching sisters Queenie and Tina Goldstein live in a house which was modelled on the building at 21 West 26th Street. Quite apt that it’s now a literary agency called the Writers House!

 England – Liverpool

There’s quite a few places Newt could show you – St George’s Hall features in Fantastic Beasts as well as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One (2010). Also in the city, there could well be creatures lurking in the shadows of the buildings like the Cunard Building.

To blow the Christmas cobwebs away, a walk on Crosby beach should do the trick. There are life size iron figures dotted along the sands, looking out to sea. Probably looking for those fantastic creatures we shouldn’t wonder.