ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) visitors can now explore the natural wonders of the animal world and the mythical creatures they inspired in Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature. This exhibition, created by Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment and the Natural History Museum in London where it originally debuted, juxtaposes animal species from nature with the magical creatures that inhabit the Wizarding World, will be on display at ROM until January 2, 2023.
Fantastic Beasts™: The Wonder of Nature explores the links between the magical creatures of the wizarding world and the remarkable animals in our natural world, encouraging a greater connection to our planet and empowering us all to be advocates for its care. You will be awed by the powerful combination of science, nature, and imagination as you explore fantastic beasts in all their forms and learn how these animals inspired some of the world’s most incredible stories and folklore.
Following in the footsteps of Fantastic Beasts’ fictional Magi-zoologist Newt Scamander™, visitors embark on an adventure into the wild where objects are not always what they seem and the creatures on display can be endlessly surprising. Visitors journey to a place in time where some people believed that unicorns roamed the earth, merpeople swam beneath the waves and sea monsters attacked ships. On display are an array of fascinating objects, including real animal specimens and their astonishing fictional counterparts, alongside immersive digital installations, costumes and props from the Fantastic Beasts™ and Harry Potter™ films.
This exhibition explores how real animals have been reimagined as mythical, legendary and magical creatures that have shaped our storytelling throughout the ages, extends those stories to include a narrative of science, discovery and conservation. Among the real-world creatures on display, the exhibition showcases a dragon-like dinosaur species discovered in South Dakota in 2004, which scientists named Dracorex hogwartsia in honour of the fictional and famed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Visitors will be delighted by a host of fantastical creatures on display, including the fictional platypus-like Nifflers and the stick bug-like Bowtruckle. While drawing parallels between magical creatures and real animals, visitors discover how animals from the natural world are as extraordinary as the imaginary ones. And by highlighting endangered imaginary beasts like the Erumpent, the exhibition also shines a light on the real-world creatures that are struggling for survival. This spellbinding exhibition combines science, nature and the creative power of literature and film to spark curiosity about the animals we share this planet with and the importance of wildlife conservation.
