Calling all witches and wizards! If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to step into the Forbidden Forest from the Harry Potter films, then this magical experience in Mount Martha will be right up your alley!

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is currently open at The Briars in Mount Martha – housing a nighttime woodland trail experience filled with magical creatures and easter eggs from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films.

Taking place completely outdoors, you get to truly immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Forbidden Forest, complete with audio snippets from the movies and stunning light displays to set the mood of each part of the forest.

The minute you step foot inside the experience, you are immediately transported into the beloved world of Harry Potter. There is something so magical about the way they have put together this experience – it is the perfect level of nostalgia and wonder.

A highlight for me would have to be all of the magical creatures you can encounter on the trail, with notable characters being Grawp (Hagrid’s giant half-brother), Nifflers, Puffskeins and my personal favourite, Buckbeak the Hippogriff (if you’re lucky, you might even be able to bow to him).

There are also several interactive parts of the trail where you can channel your inner witch or wizard to cast spells and even cast your own Patronus with “Expecto Patronum”. Face off against your friends and family as you challenge them to a wizarding duel and see who comes out on top. You are welcome to BYO wand, but one is also provided to you at the Patronus casting station.

The walking trail itself takes about 45-75 minutes to explore, but you can truly take your time to explore all that the Forbidden Forest has to offer. Do allow some extra time for the interactive experiences, as these tend to attract a bit of a line. And keep your wits about you, as a Dark Wizard (who shall not be named) is known to lurk about the forest.

In terms of accessibility, the trail is mostly accessible – however, there are some inclines/declines on the trail and uneven surfaces at times.

Feeling a bit hungry after all that exploring? Then make sure to stop by “The Village”, located at the entrance of the experience, where you can grab an array of different food and drink options; ranging from main meals to smaller bites and desserts, including a Butterbeer stand, toasted marshmallows or a delicious “House Hot Chocolate” to match your Hogwarts house.

If you’re wanting to savour the magical experience, there is a gift shop on the way out of the experience that contains official Wizarding World merchandise that is usually only available at the Warner Bro. Studio Tour and Universal Studios locations globally. They have everything from wearable merchandise, mugs, keychains and collectibles, wizarding snacks, plush toys and even official Harry Potter wands on sale.

The experience is located about an hour’s drive from Melbourne and is running until the end of June so there is still plenty of time to grab tickets. The event is family-friendly, meaning that little witches and wizards of all ages are welcome (there are some parts that small children may find a bit scary, so keep that in mind).

The best way to get there is via car and there is ample parking available, although this is at an additional cost to your ticket; you can get either a general or a premium parking pass, with premium giving you access to carparks closer to the entrance of the venue.

The Forbidden Forest Experience takes place regardless of the weather and small umbrellas are welcome. I’d suggest rugging up as it can get quite cold in Mount Martha at night.

I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves the Harry Potter films! It’s great to see an event of this scale here in Melbourne and we hope there is more to come in the future.