The National Hawking School, which supplies the owls for the Harry Potter films, visited Eureka, Halifax.

Trainer James McKay led the birds – a barn owl and a Bengal eagle owl – in a flying display at the Discovery Road site as well as teaching his enthralled audience about them and answering questions.

Some of the brave youngsters including five-year-old Euan Silcox and Teddy Norton, four, even got to hold the owls.

Mr McKay explained that some film fans might recognise the larger brown-coloured Bengal eagle owl Bertha. "She has appeared in every single Harry Potter film."

The event was part of The Eureka School for Witches and Wizards, starting this weekend and running until January 2009. Throughout the magical term every weekend and during the school holidays there will be a range of themed activities at the children's museum, from magic shows to making lanterns, pointy hats and magic wands, and spooky story-telling to fancy dress parades. And on Friday, October 31, there will be a Witching Hour Evening.

Every weekend in October and during October half-term, all children who come dressed as a witch or wizard get in free.