LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit review

LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit is truly an unexpected pleasure, packing a lot into its modest size with some clever hinge work.

The fifth LEGO Harry Potter set to focus wholly on Hagrid’s rustic home on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit features a detailed main build, accompanied by a full roster of five minifigures and a surprisingly restrained menagerie of just two magical beasts. Due for release on March 1 along with a diverse wave of LEGO Harry Potter sets, how does 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit shape up?

Let’s join the gang for tea and rock cakes at 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit to find out…

— LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit set details —

Theme: LEGO Harry Potter Set name: 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit Release: March 1, 2024

Price: £64.99 / $74.99 / €74.99 Pieces: 896

LEGO: Order now

— Where to buy LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit —

LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit is available from March 1, 2024 for £64.99 / $74.99 / €74.99. You’ll find it at LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores, as well as through third-party retailers.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit build —

This isn’t the first time that LEGO Harry Potter has based a set on Hagrid’s cosy hut, nestled in the grounds of Hogwarts Castle, but it is the first time since 2004 where the hut itself takes centre stage. Where more recent predecessors like 2019’s 75947 Hagrid’s Hut: Buckbeak’s Rescue and 2010’s 4738 Hagrid’s Hut seemed to rely on the magical creatures included in the sets (Buckbeak and Aragog respectively) to sell them, 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit offers more detail to the interior and exterior of the home itself.

The interior is cosily fitted out with trappings from the films, including a collectible portrait hanging on the wall, Hagrid’s familiar bright pink mug from the movies, stickered knitting needles, and the infamous bright pink umbrella. The only downside to the interior packed full of objects from the films is that, thanks to the fact that every minifigure (including Hagrid) has child legs, none of the characters can actually sit in the three chairs provided for them.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of fun storytelling possibilities, from the spying Draco Malfoy peeking through the window to the freshly-hatched Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback dragon that Hagrid is raising.

A simple feature that works impressively well in 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit is the hinged aspect. While hinges don’t work for every building, the way that the main hut can swing out to reveal an almost diorama-style structure for the hut, splitting it into three sections that function almost as separate rooms, is really well conceived and executed. When hinged together, the hut locks in place smoothly with an incredibly satisfying click.

Either structure works well visually, meaning 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit can easily switch between play and display – something that LEGO Harry Potter doesn’t always manage well. Many of the theme’s smaller playsets or even some parts of its minifigure-scale Hogwarts Castle look underwhelming as display sets, but the same can’t be said for 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit.

Whether you want to play out scenes or not, the hut looks good enough when folded together to be able to perch proudly in any LEGO Harry Potter display. Pumpkins and various shades of leaves and plants adorn the outside, giving it a rustic feel, along with different layers of cheese slopes and plates to really capture the cobbled-together vibe that the hut evokes in the movies.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit minifigures —

The cast of minifigures is also more than enough to act out the story the LEGO Harry Potter team is aiming for, including the Golden Trio themselves in new Muggle clothing, a school-robed Draco Malfoy, and Hagrid, sporting an apron apparently covered in dragon goo. There’s not too much to note about the minifigure designs, but the fact that we have the full cast of the scene means it does its job well as a Philosopher’s Stone-focused playset.

While there are no brick-built beasts like the Hagrid’s hut sets that have come before it, 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit does still feature Hagrid’s trusty bloodhound Fang (complete with a brick-built kennel outside), as well as Norbert herself, accompanied by her cracked egg on the kitchen table. Both use brand new moulds that are currently exclusive to this set.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit price —

Depending on whether you want to see LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit as a playset or a display model (seeing as it can do both well), you might find it overpriced for the former and pretty generous for the latter. What you’re really getting for £64.99 / $74.99 / €74.99 is a versatile set that is going to tick boxes for young and adult builders alike. For the well-designed minifigures and most detailed version of the building ever to join the LEGO Harry Potter theme, it’s probably well worth a purchase for any fans of the friendly half-giant.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit pictures —

— 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit pros and cons —

All in all, 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit is an impressive little build that does a lot with the relatively small size and piece count it’s working with. While there are some foibles about the practicalities (why is Hagrid lying in his chair?), there’s no denying that it will be a welcome addition to any brick-built Potter display – and a must if you want to expand your minifigure-scale Hogwarts into the grounds.

76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit pros	76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit cons
Impressive use of hinges	Minifigure legs are incompatible with the set
Incredibly versatile
Authentic attention to detail will please Potterheads

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit —

If you’re in the market for a brick-built LEGO Harry Potter building, another good bet for a similar price point is 76407 The Shrieking Shack & Whomping Willow. However, while this spooky build looks good from one angle, 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit delivers more in terms of 360-degree appeal – as well as featuring a more detailed interior.

Another LEGO Harry Potter set from the same wave as 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit that could also be a fun display-centric build with some added auditory features is 76429 Talking Sorting Hat. Marking the return of the sound block, 76429 Talking Sorting Hat also includes play features packaged up in an impressive final model.

— LEGO Harry Potter 76428 Hagrid’s Hut: An Unexpected Visit FAQs —