Harry Potter takes over New York

Plants with human-like bodies throwing parties, known as mandrakes. Mighty wands inspired by serpents. A menacing three-headed dog named 'Fluffy.'

Spending time inside J.K. Rowling’s imagination could be fascinating, perplexing, and perhaps even a little risky.

Rowling’s original sketches of her iconic characters, mythical beasts, and magical spells are featured in the New York Historical Society’s latest exhibition, 'Harry Potter: A History of Magic.'

The exhibit, open until January 27, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the first U.S. release of 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.'

The New York exhibition showcases items from Rowling's personal collection, magical artifacts, folklore that inspired her writing, and other enchanting objects and literary treasures from across the globe.

Roberta J.M. Olson, a curator at the New York Historical Society, shared, 'We’re expecting a flood of visitors, because the Harry Potter phenomenon is extraordinary. It’s global, and every child I know is coming.'

The exhibition originated at the British Library, where it became their most successful exhibit, drawing over 170,000 visitors. (Bonus: Additional magical items have been lent by museums on this side of the Atlantic.)

In J.K. Rowling’s own words

While writing her iconic books, Rowling delved into magical folklore, worked tirelessly through numerous drafts, and sketched her ideas along the way.

See her sketches of the amazed expressions on Ron, Hermione, and their friends when they first encounter Fluffy, and check out the chart she created to understand how the Sorting Hat functioned.

Marvel at the costumes worn by Ron, Harry, and Hermione in the stage play, along with artwork by illustrators Brian Selznick and Kazu Kibuishi. And why not try your hand at brewing a memory potion in a giant cauldron that digitally bubbles and lights up?

The inspiration behind the world of Harry Potter

A treasure trove of manuscripts, drawings, and artifacts dating back to 1600 BC sits alongside Rowling's works, revealing the rich, global history of magic. (Those mischievous mandrakes from her books have been causing trouble for millennia.)

Olson explained, 'She didn’t take things literally. Instead, Rowling used her research into folkloric objects and books as inspiration to create her own magical universe. It’s a blend of creativity and tradition, and that’s what gives it so many layers.'

The Philosopher's Stone

In Harry's very first adventure, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone' (originally published as 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone' in the UK), he teams up with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger to thwart an attempt to steal the Philosopher’s Stone.

The recipe for creating the Philosopher’s Stone is real, and it is detailed within the 20-foot 'Ripley Scroll' dating back to around 1570 AD.

The dark wizard Lord Voldemort wasn’t the only one after the recipe. For centuries, people believed the potion could grant immortality. Alchemist George Ripley compiled a list of easily accessible ingredients, including enriched sulfur, a mercury bath, and a crescent moon.

The recipe can be found in the 'Potions and Alchemy' room, where curators highlight that although alchemical recipes might seem fantastical, they are actually early predecessors to modern chemistry.

Alchemy is also a subject at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and each room in the exhibition aligns with the school’s curriculum.

This same room features a book containing the oldest known illustration of a witch and the tombstone of Nicolas Flamel. While Flamel is a real historical figure who passed away in Paris in 1418, Rowling's portrayal of him as a mysteriously ancient friend of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore is fictional.

Get a few pointers on how to handle mandrakes, those peculiar plants with leafy tops and human-like bodies and behaviors, in the 'Herbology' room.

In 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,' the second book in the series, mandrakes provide a crucial remedy when students are turned to stone. In reality, the plant was once thought to serve as a powerful anesthetic.

Professor Pomona Sprout advises her Hogwarts students to protect themselves from the mandrakes’ mind-numbing shrieks by covering their ears.

In the 15th century, Giovanni Cadamosto offered an alternative in his illustrated herbal works, which were plant directories detailing the powers of various species.

From herbs to the heavens

Flaxweed, Toadflax, Fleawort.

Rowling had to invent a vast array of names for her potions, spells, and creatures.

She drew inspiration from her copies of 'Culpepper’s Herbal,' a 17th-century herbal guide by Nicholas Culpepper, one of which is on display at the exhibition.

In the astronomy section, you'll discover a book titled 'Astronomical Miscellany,' which reveals the origins of the names 'Bellatrix,' 'Lestrange,' and 'Sirius.' These names all come from constellations, with Sirius representing a group of stars shaped like a fierce dog.

You can also find one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, an 18th-century orrery (a model of the universe), and a 13th-century astrolabe, an ancient astronomical instrument on loan from the American Museum of Natural History.

One of the oldest known atlases, 'The Dunhuang Star Atlas' from China (circa 700 AD), maps 1,300 stars. For Chinese astronomers, these stars were believed to predict the fate of their country’s leader.

Abracadabra and other magical incantations

The exhibition stretches beyond the wizarding world of Harry Potter, delving into global folklore and the mystical traditions from across the world.

Discover how the word 'abracadabra' dates back long before Rowling, Queen Victoria, and even the Middle Ages, in the 'Charms' room.

Roman Emperor Caracalla’s personal physician describes the use of the word in the 13th-century 'Liber Medicinalis' or 'Book of Medicine.' Try writing it repeatedly, omitting one letter each time. According to the physician, this chant helps combat fever and treat malaria.

Next to it, discover a page from an 18th-century Ethiopian manuscript containing a charm to transform yourself into a lion—or, even better, a python.

Celebrate the milestone

The curators designed the exhibit to captivate both children and adults. While the collection includes many items beyond the Harry Potter universe, revisiting a few of the Harry Potter books will only enhance the experience.

Be sure to grab your timed-entry tickets for the New York Historical Society’s exhibition, which runs until January 27, 2019. Admission also includes access to talks, writing workshops, and trivia nights.

The exhibit won’t be traveling beyond New York City, but there are still many other ways to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter. You can cheer for the charming Eddie Redmayne or the sinister Johnny Depp, who plays the villain in the second installment of 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,' released on November 16.