New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
New York State Parks today announced that
“Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience,” a nighttime adventure for all
ages, will be coming to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park – filling the park
with magical creatures and wonder celebrating the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic
Beasts” films. Beginning Saturday, October 22, this family-friendly attraction
will leave visitors spellbound as they wind through the woods along an
illuminated light trail while discovering more of Franklin D. Roosevelt State
Park in Westchester County, approximately 40 miles north of New York City.
“We are very excited to have a New York State
Park be the first spot to open in the United States for this attraction after a
massively successful run in the UK, bringing two magical names together, Harry
Potter and FDR,” State
Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. “We will be
ready to welcome Hippogriffs, centaurs and unicorns to Westchester County. We
are very excited to watch as lights and special effects transform our State
Park into a spectacular forbidden forest and create magical memories
for families in Westchester County and the surrounding area.”
“Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest
Experience offers fans yet another way to enjoy the Wizarding World
while in New York,” said
Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment. “Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park is a perfect location where the natural
beauty of the park brings to life the forest trail, illuminated sets filled and the
familiar creatures from the Harry
Potter and Fantastic
Beasts series, creating a truly magical experience for fans of all
ages.”
Ignacio Bachiller, Fever’s CEO, said, “We are thrilled to continue
growing the collaboration with Warner Bros that we have built alongside our
partners Thinkwell and Unify on this unique themed outdoor experience coming to
NY. We are committed to work with leading creators in the culture &
entertainment space to deliver the best experiences to fans worldwide.”
Inspired by the iconic Forbidden Forest from
the wizarding world and featuring creatures from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series,
mesmerizing lights will transform the landscape into a magical outdoor trail.
Visitors will discover some of their favorite moments from the books and films
and can even practice casting their own spells.
READ MORE: Recreation destinations with access for people with disabilities
At the end of the trail, visitors will step
into a quaint village where they can enjoy delicious food and drinks, as well
as a gift shop with merchandise from the Harry
Potter and Fantastic
Beasts movies.
Harry Potter: A Forbidden
Forest Experience outdoor experience was created by Warner Bros. Themed
Entertainment in partnership with leading entertainment discovery platform
Fever, award-winning theatrical designers and experiential creators, Thinkwell,
and global experience design and delivery agency Unify.
Ticket prices start from $25 for children and
$36 for adults and will be available on Fever’s marketplace (prices will vary
based on time and date of the session). You can read more about the experience and sign up for the
ticket waitlist at www.hpforbiddenforestexperience.com/westchester.
The New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 individual parks,
historic sites, recreational trails, and boat launches, which were visited by a
record 78 million people in 2020. A recent university study found that spending
by State Parks and its visitors supports $5 billion in output and sales, 54,000
private-sector jobs and more than $2.8 billion in additional state GDP. For
more information on any of these recreation areas, visit www.parks.ny.gov, download
the free NY State Parks Explorer mobile app or call 518.474.0456. Also, connect
with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter.
WIZARDING WORLD and all
related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros.
Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s22)
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