LEGO Harry Potter faces a unique challenge, because the Warner Bros. media universe, upon which it is based, is limited – just eight core movies, the last of which debuted 13 years ago. The Fantastic Beasts films also take place in the Potter universe. But those films are divisive at best, and for the last one, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, LEGO didn't create any corresponding LEGO sets – a first for what has been, to this point, a successful partnership.
But in 2024, the LEGO designers injected new life into the Potter franchise, embarking on their most ambitious multi-year project to date – a brand-new, fully realized recreation of Hogwarts Castle. LEGO is releasing the minifigure-scaled model piecemeal – one building at a time – beginning with this year's Great Hall and Boathouse.
We've updated our LEGO Harry Potter guide to include all the LEGO sets you need to build the full castle. Here are the best sets available now.
TL;DR Best LEGO Harry Potter Sets in 2024
- Harry Potter 2024 Advent Calendar
- Hogwarts Castle: Owlery
- Hogwarts Castle: The Great Hall
- Hogwarts Castle: Boathouse
- Hogwarts Castle: Potions Class
- Hagrid's Hut: An Unexpected Visit
- Talking Sorting Hat
- Hogwarts Castle and Grounds
- Hogwarts Icons - Collectors' Edition
- Gringotts Wizarding Bank – Collectors' Edition
- Diagon Alley
- Hogwarts Express - Collector's Edition
Harry Potter 2024 Advent Calendar
This year's advent calendar features a rare minifigure of Filius Flitwick (head of Ravenclaw House) as well as stone busts representing Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. You also get a bunch of holiday-themed decorations, like a holly-wreathed fireplace, a Christmas tree, and a turkey feast.
Hogwarts Castle: Owlery
Although not a connected part of the new castle, the Owlery shares the same color scheme of the new designs. It comes with multiple owl figures, and it has a winter theme, with snow capping the windowsills and spires. It comes with two Minifigures – one of Harry Potter and one of Cho Chang.
Hogwarts Castle: The Great Hall
We built this set at its launch – a massive build that will crucially anchor the new modular Hogwarts Castle. The Great Hall sits on a rocky cliff, and the LEGO designers used this extra space to add in a girl's bathroom (massive troll included!) and a Hufflepuff common room at the base of the build.
Hogwarts Castle: Boathouse
The Boathouse is a small but important location in Potter lore. It's where Harry first arrives at Hogwarts in Sorcerer's Stone, and it's where an important character dies a violent death in Deathly Hallows. The LEGO Boathouse connects directly to the LEGO Great Hall via a narrow, rocky pathway.
Hogwarts Castle: Potions Class
A facsimile of Snape's dungeon, the Potions Class has rails on its sides, which allows it to "slot" into the Great Hall as an additional classroom. In addition to Hermione and Professor Snape, the set also includes minifigures for Seamus Finnigan and Pansy Parkinson, which is nice for anyone who wants to diversify their Hogwarts roster.
Hagrid's Hut: An Unexpected Visit
The new Hagrid's Hut is an upgrade over its predecessor; it sports more detail and a darker color scheme than the prior Hogwarts Castle sets. It's a fully enclosed set on all sides. and it comes with a separate doghouse for Fang.
Talking Sorting Hat
The Sorting Hat is the first LEGO set of its kind. It includes a "sound brick," and if you place the Hat on your head, it will utter 1 of 31 pre-planned phrases and sort you into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin.
Hogwarts Castle and Grounds
We previewed this set and were thoroughly impressed. You could buy a bigger, 5500+-piece LEGO Hogwarts Castle with several fully realized interiors. But this smaller, prettier build will suit most Potter fans for a fraction of the price.
Hogwarts Icons - Collectors' Edition
This recreation of Hedwig is so accurate that it could qualify as an Owl build by itself – no creative license required. But the other life-sized, Potter-explicit artifacts make this set a must-have, and include Harry's glasses, a Golden Snitch, a chocolate frog, and a customizable letter from Hogwarts.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank – Collectors' Edition
A two-tiered build, the LEGO Gringotts Wizarding Bank has both the public-facing foyer, with its columns, Goblin employees, and massive chandelier, as well as an underground vault system, which you can explore with a minecart on a spiraling track. If you already have the Diagon Alley set, this fifth building is the perfect, accompanying centerpiece.
Diagon Alley
LEGO's modular building line is one of its most popular, and these Diagon Alley magical buildings, which compose the Wizarding World's shopping center, fit right in. LEGO Diagon Alley includes: Ollivander's Wand Shop, Scribbulus Writing Implements, Quality Quidditch Supplies, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, Flourish & Blotts, Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, and the Daily Prophet. The building facades and interiors match those from the movie and come loaded with obscure references. Especially impressive is Ollivander's, which has a suitably dusty, disheveled appearance.
Hogwarts Express - Collector's Edition
LEGO Hogwarts Express - Collector's Edition
Build the model steam train, the engine, coal tender and a 3-room passenger carriage with lights that reveal 3 classic scenes from the movies!
One of the most impressive (and definitely the most expensive) LEGO Harry Potter sets is this 1:32 scale model of the Hogwarts Express. The set includes the train's engine and two cars, plus platform 9 3/4. A crank on top of the engine turns the wheels, and buttons on the passenger car turn on lights inside to illuminate scenes from the films. It comes with 20 minifigures, including multiple versions of the main characters as they grow up, some of which are exclusive to the set.
Upcoming Harry Potter LEGO Sets
LEGO has announced a new collector's edition of the tall, shaky-looking Weasley family home. LEGO Harry Potter: The Burrow Collector's Edition is slated to release September 1 for LEGO Insiders (sign up here for free), or September 4 for everyone else. It will be available exclusively at the LEGO Store. It's a big, detailed set, comprised of 2,405 pieces – with a price tag of $259.99. Looks nice for fans of the Weasleys – and who isn't?
How Many Harry Potter LEGO Sets Are There?
As of August 2024, 42 Harry Potter sets are available at the LEGO store, capturing moments and locations from across the entire movie franchise.
Harry Potter is still incredibly popular, even if it's not as much of a cultural phenomenon as it was in its heyday; nowadays, it's more of an institution. And of course, there's the inevitable backlash – some of it the naturally-occurring type when something becomes this popular – and some of it self-wrought, by the author's rhetoric. Where you fall on that debate, and whether you separate art from the artist, is a personal decision. But if you do, there's a lot of LEGO sets that you might want to check out. And now, you know what they are.
Looking for more of the best LEGO sets? Take a look at our guides to LEGO Marvel sets and LEGO Star Wars sets for more options.
Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.
