Our Verdict
The Hogwarts Castle and Grounds is a meticulously crafted scale model of the iconic castle featured in the Harry Potter series. It is packed with references to the franchise and is a sublime display item.
- Looks just like its onscreen counterpart
- Features references from the Harry Potter films
- Relaxing and immersive build
- The bridge is a tad unstable
- Need a lot of space to build
- No leeway with missing steps
The Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set is a sight to behold. Dumbledore once said, “I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts secrets.” After all, Hogwarts was built more than 1,000 years ago. The castle is home to enchanted staircases, secret rooms, ghosts and moving portraits. The walls are literally full of stories – and this set captures it perfectly.
The Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds is a meticulously crafted scale model that impeccably depicts the Hogwarts castle as featured in the Harry Potter films. The set authentically replicates the entire castle, encompassing the Main Tower, Astronomy Tower, Great Hall, greenhouses, The Black Lake, and the Boathouse. It is filled with charming nods to the Harry Potter series. It’s one of the best Lego sets for adults, with an almost ornamental quality that sets it aside as one of the best new Lego sets of 2023.
When writing this review, I have considered the set from several angles. You can jump ahead to the different sections below:
Specs
Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds specs:
Design
This Lego model is very close to its onscreen counterpart. Should you compare the Lego version to the model at The Making of Harry Potter Tour the layout is near perfect. Look at the little greenhouses! However, uncertainties linger about the accurate positioning of the Whomping Willow. The set features various rooms under the castle, including the potions classroom and the chamber with the Mirror of Erised. While precision in positioning is challenging to ascertain, the inclusion and intricate detailing of these rooms is appreciated. The Chamber of Secrets is particularly well designed with the face statue, two snake statues, and a Lego Basilisk.
The incorporation of the Durmstrang ship and Beauxbatons carriage serves as a delightful nod to the fourth installment (which happens to be my personal favorite). The translucent blue tiles that create the Black Lake add a wonderful pop of color. The cherry on top is the inclusion of a golden Hogwarts architect minifigure and the “Hogwarts Castle” tile. These tiles are typically found in the Lego Architecture range, and, truth be told, this build exudes a quality that aligns with this range.
A downside is the instability of the bridge. Constructed separately, it clicks into the right-hand side of the set, while the left side simply rests, causing some wobbliness. This became particularly problematic when one of the rod pieces, forming the pillars, came loose. Replacing the piece posed a challenge because, once built, the bridge cannot be removed as it is integrated into the castle. Attempts to rectify this issue led to more pillars falling off, ultimately dislodging the roof of the Astronomy Tower. The boat house also presented a challenge, with my thumb inadvertently knocking off the top during the construction process.
Ease of assembly
This build is not particularly technical with most steps requiring the addition of a few Lego pieces. The instructions are mostly clear and concise. It is a relaxing and immersive build. There are two instruction manuals for this set. The first is the foundation, while the second focuses on the castle components. The base uses colored bricks and differently shaped pieces to aid ease of construction. The second half of the build is mainly made of micro builds which click onto the base.
Assembling this set requires space. There is lots of turning the set around. There are many tiny pieces that can easily get lost. Lego is somewhat forgiving as they often give extras of the tiniest pieces, but should you drop and lose a bigger piece, this can delay construction. Especially if your pets like to carry off bricks.
I had an issue where I missed a piece. I realized at the end of the bag that there was a two-piece tile left over. I then had to figure out where it went. This resulted in removing pieces from the last ten steps. I did find where the piece went, however, this set, generally needs to be assembled in the correct order. There is no clicking on missed steps further down the line. There was also a confusing step where I was instructed to put down a dark green piece, the piece was not listed in the part box so this was somewhat confusing.
Pricing
This set took me a whopping 9 hours and 22 minutes. This set comprises 22 bags and 651 steps. You could, therefore, say that this set is a reasonable size. Before building, I felt this set was perhaps a tad overpriced at $169.99 (£149.99). However, upon reflection, I think it is very well priced considering the amount of Lego fun time it provides and of course, the majesty of the finished model.
Final verdict
The Hogwarts Castle and Grounds Lego set offers a thoroughly relaxing build. It is very aesthetically pleasing, mirroring its onscreen depiction almost perfectly. There are plenty of references to the Harry Potter series and even includes a minifigure of the golden Hogwarts architect. The only downside is that the bridge is a tad unstable. For a reasonably priced $169.99 (£149.99) this set offers a wonderful display item perfect for all Harry Potter fans.
The creator of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, has made a number of transphobic remarks on social media in recent years. Lego Group is licensed by Warner Bros. to produce official Harry Potter Lego sets. While the details of that deal aren’t publicly known, it is likely that, as the creator and owner of the Harry Potter IP, she will earn royalties from sales of Harry Potter Lego.
As reported by Lego site Brickfanatics in 2020, Lego Group has made a statement indirectly disavowing JK Rowling’s transphobic views, and says it contributes to non-profit organisations supporting LGBT+ children, including True Colors United; Diversity Role Models; and the Albert Kennedy Trust.
If you’d like to learn more about transgender equality or lend your support, here are two important charities we encourage you to check out: the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US, and Mermaids in the UK.