Why Booking a Warner Bros. Studio Tour is a Great Idea
Updated: Jul 14, 2022
If you're contemplating taking a Warner Brothers Tour but aren't sure if it's worth it or not, you sure came to the right place! Today, I will be sharing all about our visit and experience at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. I have put together this article with information and my own personal opinions based on my last visit and I guarantee you that by the end of this read, you’ll want to book your own visit.
Warner Bros. Studios
My husband is a huge fan of movies and TV Series, so much so that his family had an office space in their home dedicated solely for the storing of VHS tapes of movies and shows. This is one of the main reasons why I wanted to take this tour and visit the Warner Bros. Studios. Additionally, our kids are also becoming huge movie fans and we have been slowly introducing them to some of the movies we have loved watching throughout the years.
With only 2 miles from Griffith Park and 4 miles from the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is one of the must-see tours in Los Angeles. The studio is made up of movie sets, various sound stages, and buildings dedicated to all aspects of film and television production. We were so excited for our visit and being that we live in the outskirts of LA, this is something we just had to do. On the day of our tour, we arrived about 30 minutes earlier per the instructions on their site. Our tour time was at 10am so we made it through security check-in with 30 minutes to spare. Check in will be to the right of the main entrance (you must check in to receive a valid ticket for the tour) and a Starbucks to your left. Take the opportunity to grab some coffee and a quick bite before your tour begins. You can also take advantage of fun photo opportunities. Upon receiving our tickets we made our way to the popular Storytelling Showcase where we walked through the history of Warner Bros. and got to see how stories have been brought to life for almost 100 years.
Tip: Since the tour is several hours long, it is recommended to use the restroom beforehand.
Backlots
Our tour began with a short film clip screening. We learned a little about the tour and then watched clips from some of our favorite movies and TV shows.
A few minutes later we met our guide and made our way to a golf cart to begin our tour. To begin our tour, we made our way through the jungle lot where we got to see how some scenes from Jurassic Park were shot. We continued our tour with a ride through some backlots where our tour guide showed us Brownstone Street, the oldest backlot set on the studio lot that has been featured in a number of iconic shows and films, including ER, Pretty Little Liars, Looney Toons Back in Action and more.
We were allowed to take photos on our tour while in the golf cart and our tour guide was so knowledgable and made several stops for us to make sure we got great pictures. We also drove through New York Street, which has been used for classics like A Star is Born and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane to modern hits including ER, The Big Bang Theory, The Last Samurai and Blade Runner.
We were also able stop for a photo-op with the actual couch and real fountain used in the opening credits of the TV Series, Friends.
Tip:Dress comfortably. Portions of the 110-acre backlot tour include walking. Wear appropriate shoes and clothing, along with hats for outdoor portions of the tour.
Soundstages
Soundstages are constantly changed according to the demands of a movie. There are 30 sound stages where interior film and television production take place. Inside these large soundproof facilities, intricate sets are developed, tailored to each show. If you’re lucky, you can visit the soundstages when they’re not in use. On the outside of each soundstage is a plaque detailing its production history. We got to visit stage 25 which was the main production stage for The Big Bang Theory among many other productions. Here we got to see a behind-the-scene production of how TV series are made.
Stage 48:
Stage 48 is an immersive soundstage and this portion of the tour is self-guided. Upon entering the stage we came across a fully functional Central Perk Cafe replica from the hit TV show Friends.
The cafe comes with a delicious New York deli-inspired menu including corned beef melts, pizza wedges, hot dogs, fries, and an assortment of salads, hot and cold sandwiches, and special blend of Central Perk coffee with new Friends character-inspired beverages and even Rachel’s trifle (without the meat). We picked up some snacks and made our way to take pictures at one of their recreated sets which included Central Perk, Joey & Chandler’s apartment and Monica’s apartment. These were just replicas but if you want to know if they have the real set, continue reading. After we were done with our snacks, we then proceeded to do some shopping at the Friends Boutique where we found exclusive Friends merchandise. You will also find restrooms here too.
We continued our tour and made our way to the pre-production and production portion of our self guided tour. Here we were able to learn all the secrets that go into the Hollywood production process. We got to see how pre-production staff works hard to shape the elements that create movie magic for us to see through the big screen. The Production sound stage also features the REAL Central Perk set and camera used to shoot the show. We were able to take some pictures and enjoy reliving some of our favorite moments from the show. In addition, this portion of the tour also displayed the living room set from The Big Bang Theory where we we're able to pose for some photos outside of the famous broken elevator and we also got to hang out in apartment 4A. We love The Big Bang Theory so this was such a treat for us.
We got to to learn about the various sequential steps involved in film and television production by walking from room to room through stage 48.
We found so many fascinating things on stage 48, especially the costumes they had on display. One of my favorite costumes was the Selena's Burgundy jump suit with the bellbottoms that was worn by JLO during the making of Selena the movie.
Here, we were also able to see the newly expanded “Art of Sound” and experienced how sound engineers make a film come to life in a sound mixing studio. This portion of the tour was my kid’s favorite because they got to play around recording their voices and hearing them back, they got to see how special effect sounds are created, and they loved all of the green screen technology.
Action and Magic Made Here (Final display):
After we were done exploring through stage 48, we made our way to the Action and Magic Made Here portion of the tour, which is also a self-guided tour. This part of the tour celebrates the DC Universe, Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. We got to see many costumes, including the famous Batman and Superman costumes. In addition, we got to see and take pictures with some of the most famous props used in movies like the Batmobile, the Lasso of Hestia with the iconic golden wings from Wonder Woman, and Aquaman’s Trident.
Then came Harry Potter and the Wizarding World portion of the tour. My kids are just now being introduced to the Harry Potter movies and my oldest has started reading the books. Here the kids also got to play around with some props and participated in a sorting hat ceremony where they were able to find out which Hogwarts House they belong to. The boys got to practice their wand moves and they especially enjoyed brewing some magical potions on the Potion Classroom set. Another favorite for my kids was the Herbology Classroom set where they got to practice repotting baby Mandrakes.
Hours of Operation:
Studio Tour: Thursday – Monday 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Studio Store: Thursday – Monday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Both Studio Tour and Studio Store will be closed May 20, 2022.
Tour Duration:
1 HOUR GUIDED + 2 HOURS UNGUIDED, SHOPPING AND DINING
Location:
Tickets
Find your tickets HERE and find more general information at https://www.wbstudiotour.com/tour/studio/.
Note: All guests ages 18 and up must show valid government-issued photo identification to enter a tour and children ages 5 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
Conclusion:
We had the most wonderful time exploring the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. They truly had something for everyone in our family and we got to learn so much along the way. We got to see some amazing costumes and sets that were used in the original movies and learn so much about the making of those awesome movies. This was an amazing experience and an incredible tour. In my experience if your are a movie lover or a lover of the big screen, this is the tour for you.
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Angie Gaxiola
