Most visitors to the de Young are there to see the museum’s greatest hits—the O’Keefes, the Kahlos, the Rothkos, the Monets—gliding by the New Guinean yam masks and the mythological parables painted by 19th century American masters sight unseen. That is, until Museumhack stepped in.
Museumhack fucking loves museums (according to their slogan), and their passion isn’t reserved just for the masterpieces. Their art renegade tours, like the Un-highlights Tour and the Bad Ass Bitches Tour, give small groups a different perspective on beloved institutions in New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.
And then there’s the Harry Potter Tour. It’s a little off-beat since the de Young doesn’t exactly feature Hogwarts-themed artworks. Instead, tour guides take small groups of wizard wannabes through the museum, highlighting artifacts reminiscent of magical worlds such as wands and owls as pets. Next is an explanation of the houses of Hogwarts, using the stories behind each family tree to showcase paintings and sculptures that could represent the house. Once visitors are sorted into houses, the tour moves on to a set of Harry Potter-themed challenges in O.W.L. subjects like Charms and Herbology before ending in a fast-paced Quidditch match.
“We love Harry Potter and knew that there are other adults who would also be excited to spend some time celebrating the wizarding world that J.K. Rowling created,” says tour guide Casey Selden, who wrote the 90-minute tour with colleague Kate Nickles. Even those with minimal knowledge or interest in Harry Potter will get a kick out of the tour and a new appreciation for works of art they’ve never noticed before.
The tour was supposed to be only a temporary offering but it’s proven so popular that Museumhack will continue inhabiting the wizarding world at the de Young through 2018 (with possible continuation).
As for future tours at the museum, the world of fantasy is Museumhack’s oyster. So far, in addition to Harry Potter, the tour company has created a Game of Thrones tour and plans to develop others. “We haven’t chosen the next one to do yet, but it’s been a really fun way to bring a new audience into our favorite museum,” says Selden.