The "Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience" allows visitors to step through their movie screens and into the world of Harry Potter where they can meet their favorite characters.
"It's a woodland trail where you'll see thousands of lights, and you'll be able to meet your favorite characters from the franchise," said Joana Pina, strategic delivery lead for Fever, a global live-entertainment discovery platform.
The trail made its Midwestern debut last weekend. It features characters and creatures from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films and takes you through some of the series' most iconic scenes, with music and dialogue from the movies.
There are also several interactive opportunities where guests can cast spells.
Pina says while the trail took several weeks to build, the experience as a whole is years in the making.
"The idea behind the design of the of the show was during COVID," she said. "The idea was really to bring people together and outdoors and connect people in a very unique way."
Located at Ingleside’s YMCA Camp Duncan near Gurnee, the trail sits among trees and foliage. Pina said this puts you in the shoes of Harry, Ron, Hermione and all of those who braved the Forbidden Forest. She said it took about a year to find the perfect spot.
"The forest is stunning," she said. "We're surrounded by nature, by the lakes, but we're also very close to Chicago and Milwaukee as well, so it was the perfect place for us to build the experience."
Chicago is among several cities to house the experience. Pina said to date, the trail has delighted more than two million fans in 11 cities across the globe, including Melbourne, Singapore and Vancouver.
She said Chicago was "absolutely the next step."
"We know we have so many die-hard fans here," she said. "It's also such a beautiful place in terms of outdoors, and we were sure we were going to find a beautiful forest here."
Along with the trail itself, visitors can visit a themed village with lots of food and drink options, including themed hot chocolate and the beloved Butterbeer. They can also visit a gift shop that features Harry Potter themed clothing items, collectibles and home decor.
The trail takes approximately 45 to 75 minutes to complete, according to the event website.
It's unclear when exactly the experience will end, though a representative tells WBBM that as of now, it will be in the Chicago area "through the end of the year."
Tickets are available online through Nov. 2. They start at $46 for adults.