Harry Potter fans have an extra special Halloween treat this year at the Knight Museum & Sandhills Center in Alliance, with a life-size exhibit of Diagon Alley on display through Saturday, Nov. 7.
The exhibit represents Diagon Alley with stores, Gringotts Bank, a medieval castle, and Hogwarts.
“It’s phenomenal, we had no idea, it takes our entire foyer and meanders through our gallery with the bank and a 12-foot dragon on the top of it,” said Becci Thomas Knight Museum & Sandhills Center museum director.
Many visitors to the museum think the exhibit is a traveling one or the museum paid for it, but it was actually created in Alliance by Kim Galyen and her husband, Max.
Galyen had done part of the display for her church last year. At a visit to the museum, she brought up the idea of her display to Thomas.
A super fan of Harry Potter, as Thomas calls Galyen, went in with her exhibit and double storied the exhibit to fill the museum’s space making the display more life-like.
Since the exhibit opened Oct. 24, the museum has hosted youth groups and students from surrounding schools.
“We’ve had a lot of kids come in their Harry Potter costumes, which is really a hoot,” Thomas said. “I guarantee you I never knew how many adults were Harry Potter fans. They are died-in-the-wool and act like a bunch of little kids they’re so excited.”
The Diagon Alley exhibit is open until 7 p.m., Oct. 30-31, with some live characters from the Harry Potter movies. The exhibit will run through Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., minus the live characters.
Donations will be accepted as admission for the exhibit and will go evenly to the Food Pantry, Diaper Depot, Community Table, and Capstone.
