Harry Potter

Hogwarts Astronomy Tower

Eight exclusive minifigs and a Slug Club party packed into one clever modular tower.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 75969 · 2020

Pieces971

Minifigs8

Year2020

Set number75969

Check price on Amazon

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The verdict

This is the modular Hogwarts set that quietly does the most for your money, and the minifig lineup is the reason.

You get eight figures you can't find anywhere else, including party-dressed Neville with his tray and a genuinely lovely Luna, plus a tower that clicks onto the other Hogwarts modulars. The build has a couple of clumsy moments and the price stung at full RRP, but as a stack of characters, tiny astronomy gadgets, and playable rooms, it holds up beautifully.

Best for: Harry Potter fans building the connectable Hogwarts modular collection

The full review

The Hogwarts Astronomy Tower is a 971-piece LEGO® set from 2020, and it belongs to the run of modular castle sections that all clip together into one growing Hogwarts. On its own it stands about 40cm tall, split across three floors: a potions and Slug Club party room at the bottom, a middle level, and the astronomy classroom crowning the top. What makes this one stand out in the lineup is the sheer character density. Eight minifigs is a lot to pack into a set this size, and every single one of them is exclusive here.

The lineup leans into the Half-Blood Prince era, and specifically the Slug Club Christmas party, so you get Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville dressed as a waiter with his tray, Professor Slughorn, Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy, and Lavender Brown. Each figure has a double-sided face and printed torso front and back, and several have leg printing too. Then there are the little touches that make you grin: the printed mandrakes, four cauldrons and chalices, the newspaper tile, the envelopes, and a tiny orrery on the top floor that genuinely looks the part. Hedwig comes along as well.

Now for the honest bits. Reviewers keep flagging the same two things, and they are fair. LEGO used door-frame pieces as wall supports, and from the outside, especially around the round window, those frames stick out and spoil the silhouette a little. Plenty of the windows also have no glass in them, so from certain angles the tower can look a touch unfinished rather than sealed up like a real castle wall. And at the launch price of $99.99, the value math depends on how much you love the characters, because the raw piece count is on the modest side for that money. Builders also noted the finished model can feel a bit fragile if you handle it roughly.

So who is this really for. If you are collecting the connectable Hogwarts modular sets, this is close to essential, because the party room and the astronomy classroom fill in scenes the other sets skip, and the figures alone justify the shelf space. If you want one dramatic centerpiece castle that stands proud on its own, you might be happier with a bigger standalone Hogwarts build, since this one is designed to lean on its neighbors. But taken for what it is, a character-rich, story-specific chunk of Hogwarts, it earns its keep. The community rates it 4.2 out of 5, and I land just under that. It's a very good set with a couple of real quirks, and the minifigs carry it a long way.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building it is a pleasant, room-by-room affair rather than one long slog. You start at the ground floor party room, move up through the middle level, and finish with the astronomy classroom, and because each floor is its own little scene, the pacing stays fresh. The techniques are gentle and mostly aimed at ages 9 and up, so there's nothing fiendish here, but the small sub-assemblies are the fun part. The orrery, the hanging chandelier, and the astronomy gear are fiddly in the best way, the kind of five-minute builds that make you slow down and enjoy them. The tower structure itself goes together quickly, which is why those exposed door-frame supports and glassless windows are noticeable, since the walls are the least involved part of the build.

On the pieces front, the stars are the printed elements. The mandrakes are 1x1 round bricks with a printed face and a plant top, and they are lovely little parts. You also get printed tile envelopes, a printed newspaper, four translucent chalices, six cauldrons, gems, pastries, books, scissors, a broom, wands, and Hedwig the owl. For part-count value the honest read is that 971 pieces for $99.99 isn't a bargain on plastic alone, but a chunk of that price is buying eight exclusive minifigs and a pile of printed and specialty accessories you'd pay a premium for individually on the secondary market. If you value figures and printed detail over raw brick tonnage, the value swings firmly in your favor.

Fun facts

01The set was designed by Wes Talbott and is part of the connectable modular Hogwarts range, so it physically clips onto the other castle sections to build up one larger Hogwarts.
02All eight minifigures are exclusive to this set, and the characters are dressed for the Slug Club Christmas party from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, right down to Neville working the room as a waiter.
03The mandrakes are made from printed 1x1 round bricks topped with a plant element, a neat little parts trick that captures the screaming plants without a custom mold.
04It retired in 2024 after roughly four years on shelves, ending a run that made it one of the more character-dense Harry Potter sets of its size.