Harry Potter Shop Chicago — Local services in Chicago

Absolutely so excited to have this as a part of Chicago, my friends and I drove up from Milwaukee today to visit- and unfortunately…. It didn’t meet expectations. Overall you will find exactly what you see and hope for, however here are my main issues— NOT ACCESSIBILITY AND DISABILITIES FRIENDLY: this shop is not suited for us. I suffer from a chronic illness that makes me pass out/faint in packed rooms. This didn’t concern me ahead of time due to the virtual Que, which led me to assume groups were spaced out to avoid this issue. However, once it was our turn and we entered it was a nightmare with no control. People were packed in like sardines and my partner had to hold me upright from collapsing. People were shoving eachother and you could just tell everyone was fed up with one another due to the space. EMPLOYEES: employees for the most part were friendly, but per my last point- it was clear that they were fed up too, snapping at people for carrying their butterbeer outside of the “butterbeer area” however that area was packed with nowhere to sit, and I ordered the “frozen butterbeer” which meant I would have to go stand in this room and wait for it to melt enough to be drinkable (it could be flipped upside down like a blizzard without budging) and I wasn’t about to stand watching ice melt- I ended up having to toss it while completely full, there was just nothing I could really do other than that in the moment. There needs to be proper spacing and signage, directions, team members on top of keeping the control. We were skipped in line 4 separate times at the butterbeer counter because the employee kept getting crowded with people who paid after us. Just. So. Chaotic.

Other than that it absolutely would have been everything I’ve hoped for- but I’m riding back to Milwaukee tonight extremely depressed at how I couldn’t enjoy any of it in the moment due to these issues, I truly hope they hear this and take it seriously. I couldn’t imagine a wheelchair getting through there and that isn’t okay. Arrows on the floor even, proper actual spacing when it comes to letting groups in, and making sure disabled wizards can experience the magic as...

...store is fantastic! Everything you could possibly want from the HP universe all in one place. Right on North Michigan Avenue (The Magnificent Mile.)

Parking in Chicago is a nightmare: 2hr parking at OMNI hotel next door is $30 (valet only, enter from Michigan on Huron St.) Next closest is Chicago Place parking at 719 Rush St (2 blocks.) Others are similarly priced but further walking distance after. OMNI parking is also closest accessible.

All public transport in Chicago is also accessible: Michigan and Erie CTA bus stop is on the same block; Red line subway Chicago Ave station is five blocks; Grand Ave station is eight blocks.

Coming in from out of town:

METRA commuter rail service from Kenosha, WI, the Chicagoland suburbs, and Indiana into Union Station, the Ogilvie transportation centre, and the Randolph and Van Buren stations; then CTA bus to North Michigan Avenue.

AMTRAK from further out into Union Station. Connecting CTA bus.

Intercity bus service is in flux with the possible abandonment of the Greyhound station on West Harrison St; check with Greyhound, Flix, Trailways, and/or Barons for further details.

All major airlines into O'Hare and Midway airports. Scheduled airport shuttle services via GO Airport Express and SuperShuttle to most major hotels downtown. Public transport: from O'Hare: CTA Blue line subway to downtown connecting to Red line northbound at Monroe or Jackson; from Midway: Orange line to downtown; transfer at State/Lake to Red line northbound. (Fare pricing is surcharged for airport train service.)

We'll have to wait for the PanAm Orion space plane from the permanent VonBraun Space Station into the Chicago Calumet International Spaceport. (joke.)

Accommodations: The OMNI is the obvious choice, but is also expensive; across the street (Michigan Ave) is the Warwick Allerton, an older grande dame hotel of Chicago, as well as the Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites, all on Huron. Others are also available: age and distance from Michigan Avenue are the governing factors...

I’d give the Harry Potter store in Chicago a solid three stars. It's definitely a fun place if you're a fan: there's a lot of cool Harry Potter-themed merchandise and the atmosphere is pretty immersive. However, it does come with a few big letdowns that might affect your enjoyment.

The Good Stuff: The store is packed with a lot of neat souvenirs. If you're looking for general Harry Potter gear, you'll find plenty of options. The Butterbeer on tap is also a nice touch—though be prepared for a bit of sticker shock compared to what you might pay at Universal. That said, the draft Butterbeer is tasty if you really want that experience.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: Unfortunately, the store falls short in a couple of areas. If you’re a Gryffindor fan or looking for certain popular items—like the customized journals—you might be disappointed. They seem to run out of those pretty quickly.

The pricing is another sticking point. For example, I paid $17 for a small "Happy Birthday Harry" cake that was supposed to be a fun treat. Sadly, it was one of the blandest cakes I’ve ever had. It tasted like it has been sitting in a fridge for days —definitely not worth the price. Similarly, the bottled Butterbeer tastes a lot worse than the draft version, and the ones I saw were close to expiring. I’d steer clear of those.

Overall: It’s a neat place to visit for the atmosphere and to pick up a few souvenirs if you’re in the area, but manage your expectations on the specialty items and the prices. You might find some magical moments, but you could also end up a bit disappointed, especially if you’re...