Berrien County Historical Association
P.O. Box 261
Berrien Springs, MI 49103-0261
(269) 471-1202
Contact: Frances Porter, Executive Director

Harry Potter Day at the History Center at Courthouse Square

The History Center at Courthouse Square in Berrien Springs is offering a youth's program, The Magical World of Harry Potter, on Saturday, July 7, from 1 to 5 p.m. The program is co-sponsored by the Berrien Springs Community Library.

Young wizards ages 8-14 can enroll at the museum's Hogwarts School for sessions in Wand-Making, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology and Quill Writing. A game of Wizard Chess, featuring a living chessboard with Hogwarts students as the chessmen, will follow the activities.

Registration is required, and there is a $5.00 tuition fee. Call (269) 471-1202 to register.

The wand-making class will help each student to make his or her own wizard's wand. Olivander's Wand Shop will supply the wooden wands, along with cores of phoenix feather, unicorn hair, dragon heartstring and veela hair.

Visiting guest wizards from Love Creek Nature Center will teach Care of Magical Creatures classes, in which students will learn about the special needs of owls and toads.

In their potions class, young wizards will discover the properties of ingredients they can combine to create their own magical potion.

Herbology will feature a lesson about the magical plants in the museum's herb garden.

Students preparing for O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examinations at Hogwarts will enjoy their lesson in quill writing. The guest professor will provide both parchment and quills.

Free time will be allotted during the afternoon for a visit to the Three Broomsticks, where students can enjoy a bottle of butterbeer and boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

Wizard Chess on the museum lawn will round out the day. Harry Potter fans know that the chessmen in Wizard Chess are alive, and games can be quite exciting. Students will take the parts of kings, queens, knights, bishops, castles and pawns to create a living, fast-paced chess game.

For more information about the museum's Harry Potter Day, contact the History Center at Courthouse Square at (269) 471-1202, or email bcha@berrienhistory.org.