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Hartland Halloween display sends trick-or-treaters into world of Harry Potter

Posted at 12:07 PM, Oct 31, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-31 18:34:50-04

HARTLAND, Wis. -- Trick-or-treaters in Hartland will have the chance to enter the world of Harry Potter on Tuesday night. 

Dody Marriott and her family have been putting on the Hogwarts in Hartland display for about five years. 

Inside Marriott's garage at 432 E. Capitol Dr., you can visit Hogwarts mainstays like potions class, transfiguration class, and the great hall. 

In her driveway, visitors can stop in to see a replica of the wizarding sweet shop Honeydukes, the Hogwarts Express, and the magical shops of Diagon Alley. 

The Diagon Alley storefront displays are new this year. 

"I want to provide something new every year, so that when people come back there's something for them to see,"Marriott said. 

"Part of the problem I'm having is that I don't have much room anymore," she joked. 

Marriott said the various displays can take months to build. Setting everything up takes about a week. 

"For me, the details have to be just right," Marriott said. 

The display is open from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and is free to attend, although Marriott said visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items. 

All donations go to the Hartland Area Food Pantry. 

"It just seemed like the right thing to do, to make it beneficial to the community in more than one way," Marriott said. 

She said it's rewarding watching Halloween visitors pass through. 

"To see the joy on their faces is what makes this so fun to do," Marriott said.