Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Filming Locations from London to Durham

The snake that Harry accidentally sets on Dudley was filmed in the Reptile House at London Zoo in 2000. It was the Burmese python scene, and the tank on screen is normally home to smaller reptiles. The Reptile House itself opened in 1927, and a plaque beside the enclosure marks the shoot.

Location precision: The pin marks London Zoo as a whole; the Reptile House stands somewhere inside it.

Visitor guidance: Within London Zoo; entry is by zoo ticket, and a plaque sits beside the enclosure.

When Harry goes to Diagon Alley with Hagrid to buy his school supplies, the film sends him into Gringotts Wizarding Bank. London's Australia House was chosen as the location, and its grand interior is the bank hall on screen. The building houses the High Commission of Australia.

Visitor guidance: A working High Commission; view the exterior from the street.

Harry travels to Hogwarts aboard the Hogwarts Express, where he meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The station scenes at the end of the line were filmed at Goathland railway station in North Yorkshire on 2 October 2000, and in the films it appears as Hogsmeade station. It sits on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, which reopened in 1973.

Visitor guidance: A working station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Once at school, Harry, Ron and Hermione begin exploring Hogwarts. Gloucester Cathedral was chosen as one of the principal locations for the castle, and it returned for the second and sixth films. Its cloisters are known for their famed fan vaulting.

Hogwarts corridors and some classroom scenes were shot in Durham Cathedral over a two-week period, as the three friends roam the castle and come close to the forbidden third-floor corridor. Durham's distinct Romanesque architecture has made it a stand-in for several fantasy locations, and it has been a World Heritage Site since 1986.