(New York, NY – September 20, 2023) It’s been 25 years since Scholastic published J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the U.S., the first of seven in the bestselling book series of all time. To mark this milestone anniversary, at sunset on Wednesday, September 27th, The Empire State Building’s world-famous Tower Lights will shine in Hogwarts House colors of Gryffindor red, Slytherin green, Hufflepuff yellow, and Ravenclaw blue. Viewers outside of New York City can watch the Empire State Building live cam.
All Muggles Invited! On September 27th, Scholastic, in collaboration with the Empire State Building and Wizarding World franchise partners, will host a magical pop-up cart on the 86th Floor Observation Deck featuring free copies of the anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and bottled Butterbeer (courtesy of Harry Potter New York), to be given away to guests who purchase tickets to the 86th floor Observatory from 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST*, (*Available while supplies last; Press Preview begins at 1:00 PM EST). Guests are encouraged to dress up in their Hogwarts House attire, enjoy the iconic view, and tag photos with #HarryPotter25 for the chance to be featured on the Empire State Building, Scholastic, and Wizarding World social channels. More information about the Empire State Building and tickets can be found online.
To celebrate the book series that has created a generation of readers, Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, recently announced highlights of its Harry Potter 25th anniversary campaign. Harry Potter’s incredible adventures have left a unique and lasting mark on popular culture with 600 million books sold worldwide, eight blockbuster films, a multi-award-winning stage play, theme parks, and many more. Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced that the Harry Potter stories would be adapted to a new TV series on MAX. This new adaptation will be authentic to the original books. For more on the impact of Harry Potter, check out “25 Harry Potter Facts or visit the Scholastic Harry Potter mediaroom.