What it's like to be a wizard at Harry Potter: Visions of Magic in Singapore

There is something about Harry Potter that makes you feel like a kid again, even when you’re very much an adult.

For me, it happened the moment I was handed a wand and told to use it as I made my way through Harry Potter: Visions of Magic at Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore.

I visited Visions of Magic during my Singapore trip in late September, and while I went in expecting plenty of photo opportunities, I found myself spending more time looking around and figuring out what was happening around me.

The experience takes visitors through 10 environments inspired by different corners of the Wizarding World, using projections, sound, physical elements and interactive effects to bring each space to life. The Singapore edition is the largest engagement of the experience in Asia, spanning 40,000 square feet and featuring more than 90 original artworks. Two of its environments, The Chamber of Secrets and The Trap Door, were also created exclusively for Singapore.

And while the name Harry Potter might bring to mind the studio tour in London or a theme park attraction, Visions of Magic is its own experience. It is less about recreating the films and more about immersing visitors in the Wizarding World through atmosphere, art, sound, and interaction.

Here are some important details before you go:

• Where: WEAVE, B1, Resorts World Sentosa, 8 Sentosa Gateway, Sentosa Island, Singapore.
• Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with last admission at 8 p.m.
• Tickets: Admission starts at S$49 for adults aged 13 and above and S$39 for children aged 4 to 12.

Your wand is your ticket to the magic

The first thing you need to know is that the wand isn’t just there for the photos.

You use an interactive wand throughout the experience to reveal different effects and details in the environments. There are moments when you point it at something and suddenly see or hear something you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise, giving you a reason to explore each room rather than simply walk through it.

I found that part particularly fun because it makes you feel a little less like a visitor and a little more like you’re participating in the magic unfolding around you.

For me, the wand works best when you don’t expect it to trigger something at every turn. There is plenty to look at even when you’re not interacting with anything, and the rooms themselves are a big part of the experience.

My advice? Take your time. There is no reason to race to the next room just because you can.

The journey begins with The Knight Bus, which immediately gives you something familiar to look at and, of course, a good first photo opportunity. From there, you move into Grimmauld Place, where the wand can be used to reveal details connected to the Black family tree and a glowing fireplace.

What I personally liked about these first sections is that they don’t throw everything at you at once. You gradually get introduced to the way the experience works, and by the time you move deeper into the journey, you’re already looking for little things to interact with.

The Ministries of Magic

One of the bigger environments is Ministries of Magic, where visitors move through representations of the Paris, London, and New York Ministries. The space combines projections with a central multimedia display, with the wand allowing visitors to uncover different effects.

This is where the scale of Visions of Magic really starts to show.

The Singapore experience isn’t just a collection of rooms decorated with Harry Potter references. It combines responsive video, architecture, and soundscapes to create an immersive journey. The more than 90 original artworks on display include sculptures, portraits, and sketches.

The Hall of Prophecy

The Hall of Prophecy is probably one of the more visually striking spaces in the experience, with a mirrored room filled with glowing orbs. You can use the wand to uncover whispers of the future as you move around the room.

This is one of those areas where I would actually recommend putting your phone away for a minute. The reflections and lighting make it easy to get distracted trying to capture the perfect photo, but the room is much more impressive when you are standing in the middle of it and watching everything move around you.

It is easy to focus on getting the Harry Potter photo for your feed, but the experience is much better when you give yourself time to actually look at what has been built around you.

Chamber of Secrets

For me, one of the biggest draws of the Singapore edition was The Chamber of Secrets, one of two environments created exclusively for this version of Visions of Magic.

The journey takes visitors beneath Hogwarts and into the Basilisk’s lair, with hidden messages and interactive elements along the way. The environment also incorporates whispers of Parseltongue, making it one of the darker and more atmospheric parts of the experience.

Without giving too much away, this was one of the areas where I felt the physical environment really helped sell the experience. You’re not simply looking at an image of the Chamber of Secrets. You’re moving through a space designed around it, with sound and lighting doing a lot of the work.

For a Harry Potter fan, this is probably one of those moments where you’ll stop and appreciate how much detail went into the room.

Newt’s Menagerie

Newt’s Menagerie brings you into a completely different environment: inside Newt Scamander’s suitcase.

Here, you encounter magical creatures in their habitats, with Newt’s notes and sketches appearing throughout the space. It also features creatures such as Nifflers and Grindylows.

After some of the darker rooms, this section feels much more playful. There is also plenty to look at, so it is worth taking your time rather than simply following the group ahead of you.

Knockturn Alley

Then comes Knockturn Alley, with its shadowy storefronts, projections, and sounds.

It has the atmosphere you’d expect from the darker corner of the Wizarding World, but instead of trying to recreate a street in a completely literal way, the experience plays around with light, movement and sound to make the surroundings feel alive.

This is also one of the better areas for photos, although don’t expect bright, perfectly lit pictures. The darker look is very much part of the environment, and I personally liked that.

The Room of Requirement

The Room of Requirement has to be my favorite. It is filled with stacks and towers of magical objects, with the wand allowing you to uncover some of the hidden details.

This is another room where I would recommend you to slow down. There is so much packed into the space that simply walking from one end to the other doesn’t really do it justice.

If you’re happy to walk through a beautifully designed environment, look at the details and references and occasionally trigger something with your wand, there is a lot to enjoy in this room.

The Trap Door

The second environment exclusive to Singapore is The Trap Door, which takes visitors through a series of chambers connected to the trio’s journey toward the Philosopher’s Stone. Each chamber has its own interactive elements.

I won’t spoil what happens inside, because I think this is one of those experiences that is more enjoyable when you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. What I will say is that this is another reason I’d recommend visiting the Singapore edition even if you’ve already seen other versions of Visions of Magic elsewhere.

The Pensieve

The final environment is The Pensieve, which places you inside a 360-degree immersive experience inspired by Harry’s memories.

By this point, you’ve already gone through so many different interpretations of the Wizarding World that the Pensieve feels like a natural place to end. And it also sums up what Visions of Magic does best.

It doesn’t try to recreate the Harry Potter films scene by scene. Instead, it takes familiar places and ideas and turns them into an experience built around light, sound, architecture and interaction.

That is also why I think it helps to know what you’re buying before you go.

So, is it worth the money?

Yes, but I’d recommend it more strongly to Harry Potter fans than to casual visitors.

The Singapore experience covers 40,000 square feet, has 10 environments and more than 90 original artworks, and the two Singapore-exclusive spaces give it something that you won’t find in exactly the same form elsewhere.

But remember that it isn’t a movie studio tour, and it isn’t a theme park ride. You’re not walking around a warehouse full of original film costumes and props, and you aren’t going to have a major effect happening every few steps.

For me, the best part wasn’t necessarily whether every wand movement triggered something. It was walking from one environment into another and seeing how differently the Wizarding World could be interpreted through lighting, sound, projections and physical design.

And, yes, there is still something very fun about being handed a wand and getting to point it at things. I just wish there was a sorting hat and a robe too for the visitors too!

If you’re in Singapore and grew up with Harry Potter, Visions of Magic is worth putting on your itinerary, especially if you want something that lets you experience the Wizarding World rather than simply look at it. —JCB, GMA News