Yes, the primary filming location for Hogwarts—Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, England—is still there and open to the public. Used for exterior shots in the first two films, visitors can explore the grounds, take broomstick training lessons, and see locations like the Inner Bailey where Harry learned to fly.
There's plenty to enjoy at Alnwick Castle every day. Alongside special events and performances, you can join a guided tour to discover the castle's history or its role as a filming location, try your hand at archery, or even learn to fly a broomstick in the very spot where Harry Potter first soared.
The third-floor corridor is out of bounds to students during Harry's first year. Dumbledore warns that anyone who does not wish to die a painful deth ought to stay away. This is where Fluffy, the three-headed dog, guards the entrance to the underground chambers protecting the Philosopher's Stone.
Alnwick Castle is owned by the Percy family, specifically by the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, with Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke, and his family currently residing there, as they have for over 700 years since purchasing it in 1309. The castle serves as their principal residence in the north, combining its historical significance with its function as a popular visitor attraction.
Did you know that Alnwick Castle played a starring role as the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in two Harry Potter films? That's right, you can visit the real-life Harry Potter castle location in Northumberland.
Is the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle Still Worth it?
Can I visit Hogwarts in real life?
Explore the Hogwarts interior by visiting Gloucester Cathedral & St Paul's Cathedral. Then take a walk in the Hogwarts Grounds in the Scottish Highlands to the viewing the stunning interior of Hogwarts at. A UK trip is a must!
Alnwick Castle is closed because it's the winter off-season, operating seasonally from late March to late October, with closures for maintenance, conservation, and to prepare for the next year's activities, as seen with its planned reopening in late March 2026. While the castle closes, the surrounding town and sometimes specific areas like The Alnwick Garden have separate schedules, and tickets are usually annual passes for re-entry during open months.
Some Christians have suggested that Harry Potter promotes the religion of Wicca, and so keeping the books in public schools violates the separation of church and state in the US.
Page 394 in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban discusses werewolves, a topic Snape uses to hint at Professor Lupin's secret condition during a Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but it's also the moment Harry and Hermione use a Time-Turner in the hospital wing to save Sirius Black and Buckbeak, according to some editions. The significance lies in Snape's subtle clue about Lupin's lycanthropy, which Hermione realizes, alongside the magical time travel event involving the Time-Turner, making it a pivotal moment.
CECIL COURT THE REAL DIAGON ALLEY. Cecil Court being "just off Charing Cross Road" and with its curious mix of bookshops and antique shops, is widely believed to be the real Diagon Alley, or at least the thoroughfare on which Diagon Alley was based.
The Grey School of Wizardry. For Over 20 Years GSW Has Been a Leading University in Esoteric Education, Providing Our Pupils With The Tools They Need to Thrive. GSW is a university devoted to the academic study and practical application of wizardry, and of esoteric studies more broadly, in the modern world.
While the castle is open for the public to visit, Percy family members do indeed still live there. Wondering who owns Alnwick Castle today? Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke of Northumberland, inherited the castle after the death of his elder brother.
The castle is free to visit as a Historic Houses member. Alnwick Castle is open daily from 28 March until 23 October. Combining magnificent medieval architecture with spectacular Italianate State Rooms, Alnwick Castle is one of the UK's most significant heritage destinations.
But instead, I must tell you the truth: Hogwarts Castle is not, in its entirety, a real place. (Accio therapy, amirite?) But while Hogwarts Castle isn't real, the Hogwarts that we have grown to love through inhaling the films IS a place that we desperate fan-people can visit… in one way or another.
Hagrid's Hut – film set location in Glencoe, Scotland. Glencoe, Scotland – the surrounding valley and filming area. Clachaig Gully – the specific spot/pathway where Hagrid's Hut was built. Clachaig Inn – the nearby inn, a short walk from the site.
Bamburgh Castle is famous as the stand-in for Bebbanburg, Uhtred's ancestral home, in Netflix's historical drama The Last Kingdom, with filming taking place on its beaches for battle scenes, though the interiors are from Hungary. The iconic castle has also featured in Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Transformers: The Last Knight, and was recently highlighted in Channel 4's A Very British Christmas.
