Valley of the Moon event brings the wizarding world to Tucson

by · October 21, 2014

Wizards and witches in the Tucson, Arizona, area won’t have to look far to get a taste of the wizarding world this month. As the Arizona Daily Wildcat reports, the Valley of the Moon is host to the Harry Potter and the Haunted Ruins walking theater until the end of October.

Valley of the Moon is an all-volunteer organization founded in 1932 by George Phar Legler as a mental and spiritual retreat:

Legler was a Spiritualist who believed in ghosts, fairies and magic and was a friend to children. Through Valley of the Moon, Legler wanted to teach children how to be kind, loving individuals in order to better their world.

The Arizona Daily Wildcat writes,

One of the traditional events held at Valley of the Moon for decades is the Haunted Ruins tour show put on for several nights every October. This walking tour features a different theme each year reflected in the show, characters and the Valley itself.

This year’s theme revolves around J.K. Rowling’s enchanting world of Harry Potter. Guests to the Valley of the Moon will be treated as first-year Hogwarts students beginning their first day of classes at the new Tucson campus. Visitors can look forward to receiving their own wand, being sorted by the Sorting Hat and visiting Diagon Alley before the tour begins.

Attendees will get to experience Hogwarts classes, from Transfiguration to Care of Magical Creatures, and the welcome greeting will be given by none other than Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

This year’s Haunted Ruins has a volunteer cast ranging in age from 9 to 60, in addition to 40 helpers. One longtime volunteer, Jessica Banks, said of the experience, “If people believe in magic, they definitely should come because it’s a pretty magical show.”

For additional information on this year’s Haunted Ruins event, you can find the article here. For information about dates, times, and how to purchase tickets for the event, you can visit the official website of Valley of the Moon, located here.

Have you visited the Haunted Ruins? Do you plan to visit it this year? Have you ever volunteered with Valley of the Moon? Be sure to let us know in the comments!