A Day at Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood: The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Experience
A Day at Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood: The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Experience
As someone who used to work in the film industry, I’ve seen my fair share of backlots and can attest that visiting an entertainment studio is a can’t miss Los Angeles travel experience. Recently, I revisited one such studio with a friend from out-of-town and was reminded of all about the wonder and excitement of movie magic.
Here’s my behind-the-scenes visit to the Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood and everything you need to know if you’re planning a visit there:
warner bros studio tour
History and Why Visit
Considered one of the “Big 5” major film studios, Warner Bros Studios was founded in 1923 by Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner. The Brothers Warner quickly helped the studio break new ground in the film industry by introducing the world to the first-ever “talkie”, or movie with sound: The Jazz Singer (1927).
For over nearly a century since, the studio’s 110-acre lot in Burbank, California has been the birthplace of iconic franchises, memorable characters, and technological breakthroughs. Its expansive backlot and soundstages have set the stage for a multitude of worlds—from the streets of New York in Blade Runner (1982) to the charming Stars Hollow town square in Gilmore Girls (2000-2007).
Even today, the Warner Bros lot is still a functional studio where visitors can see real film and TV sets as well as potentially bump into some of entertainment’s most popular directors, writers and actors.
So whether you’re a film buff, a pop culture enthusiast, or simply curious, a visit to Warner Bros Studio Tour is a great addition to any LA travel itinerary.
warner bros studio tour
Tickets
Four Main Ticket Options
Today, you can visit the studio, exploring the outdoor sets on its backlot, entering sound stages in its front lot and enjoying multiple movie-themed exhibits and photo ops via four tour options:
Studio Tour – The base tour package is 3 hours long and is offered in both English and Spanish. It costs $70 per person* and is split into two main portions:
- 1 Hour Guided Tour
- 2 Hour Self-Guided Tour
Classics Tour – An alternative base tour option. The guided portion of this 3 hour option focuses on 1923-1970 productions and history. Tickets are $70 per person*:
- 1 Hour Guided Tour, with a historical focus on 1923-1970
- 2 Hour Self-Guided Tour
Studio Tour Plus – This tour lasts 4 hours total and includes the same offerings as the base tour plus a complimentary lunch at Central Perk Café, beverages & pastries and an exclusive screening room. Tickets are $150 USD per person*:
- 2 Hours Guided Tour, including Complimentary Beverages & Pastries
- 2 Hours Self-Guided Tour, including Lunch at Central Perk Café
Deluxe Tour – The ultimate tour experience. This tour includes most of the Studio Tour Plus offerings as well as a visit to the WB Prop Department and a fine dining lunch experience at the Studio Commissary. Tickets are $300 USD per person* and the tour lasts 6 hours:
- 3 Hours Guided Tour, including a visit to the WB Prop Department
- 1 Hour Lunch at the Studio Commissary Fine Dining Room
- 2 Hours Self-Guided Tour, including a snack at Central Perk Café
warner bros studio tour
Transportation + Parking
The Warner Bros Studio Tour is located on their main lot in Burbank, California. The best way to get there is by car as their main address leads to their parking structure.
Address: 3400 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505
Further arrival directions are on the Studio Tour Website and parking is $15* per vehicle.
Alternatively, you can arrive by Uber or Lyft as there is also walk-up access to the visitor center from Warner Blvd.
warner bros studio tour
What To Expect on The Studio Tour
Arrival at the Visitor Center
I visited the Warner Bros Studio Tour with my friend, Kate, while she was visiting from out of town. Our tour started on a glamorous note in the visitor center, which is part Starbucks, part gift shop, part ticketing office and part parking structure.
Being so soon after the release of the Barbie (2023) movie, we were excited to see the costumes that Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and many others in the film wore on full display in the lobby.
It was wonderful to see how complex and intricate they were – not just in Barbieland, but also in real life.
Historic and Epic Welcomes
After snapping a few quick pictures and showing our tour tickets, we made our way to our first official stop just one room over: the tour’s Storytelling Showcase. A timeline and a few key historical items dotted the walls, providing context into the Warner Bros family, the studio and its various productions over the years.
My favorite item in this introductory room was undoubtedly seeing Jack Warner’s personal, leather-bound scripts for films like Mildred Pierce (1945) and Oceans Eleven (1960).
Making our way towards the end of the room, we were split into 3 lines with the other guests on tour and brought into a screening room. There, we saw a 5 minute welcome trailer that included clips from some of the studio’s biggest blockbusters and shoutouts from stars like Jason Momoa, Kevin Hart and Gal Gadot. In true trailer fashion, the video had amazing score and an epic tone that left us excited to experience the lot firsthand!
The Guided Backlot Tour
After the video, a guide picked up Kate, myself and a few other guests, leading us over to a 4-row golf cart that would be taking us around for the 1 hour guided portion of the tour.
Our guide drove us through multiple backlot sets, each with its own history and charm. First we saw the Jungle and the Lagoon, the latter of which was filled and used as the cemetery from The Nun (2018). My horror-loving heart was pounding!
Next, we drove through Warner Village, a modern set that’s home of many locations from Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017). Visiting this part of the backlot, we really got the sense at just how much the buildings are modified for each production.
Doorknobs, light fixtures and more are removed after each production wraps so that the backlot sets can remain blank canvases for future films and shows.
The most exciting part about the guided backlot tour, however, was just coming up: walking around and into former film sets in Any Town, USA! Among these sets were the infamous gazebo and Lorelai and Rory’s house from Gilmore Girls, both of which made me want to grab a cup of coffee from Luke’s Diner in my Chilton-inspired tour outfit!
After our stroll through Any Town, USA, we took a trip down New York Street, which we learned was used in many of WB’s iconic films including The Last Samurai (2003) and The Artist (2011).
Other highlights I loved seeing on this portion of the guided tour included the cafe where Emma Stone works in La La Land (2016) and Batman (1966-1968) courthouse.
An All American Soundstage
After touring the backlot’s exterior sets, our guide took us to the front lot, which is known to house the studio’s soundstages.
Here, we visited the set for All American (2018-2023), literally stepping inside the home of Coach Baker, played by Taye Diggs. To avoid leaks and spoilers for this show and other active shows on the lot, the studio has a strict no cameras or cellphones policy on this part of the tour. What I can tell you though was how just how detailed the house was, even more so than real-lifel model homes. There were only main things that gave it away as a set:
- It’s backyard “pool” was only 1-2 feet deep.
- The faux-house doesn’t have any plumbing, so the sink’s drain isn’t functional!
- There’s both loads of camera equipment and, of course, the soundstage walls surrounding Baker’s house.
The Marvels of Stage 48
After our All American set visit, it was time for the the self-guided portion of the tour. Starting at Stage 48, we walked into an immersive theme park-like soundstage perfect for all types movie and tv buffs, but especially for fans of Friends (1994-2004). From the Central Perk Café – where I didn’t share my food – to a store filled with show-inspired merch that had Kate quoting “Oh. My. God.“, we can attest that Friends fans will love this part of the tour.
Also inside Stage 48 was a one-way walkthrough exhibit showcasing some fun Hollywood photo-ops, costumes and props. We laughed and took photos on “rooms” inspired by The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019) and Friends. But what especially caught my eye here were the classic costumes from Casablanca (1942) and My Fair Lady (1964)! Seeing the outfits previously worn by Ingrid Bergman and Audrey Hepburn left me completely starstruck!
And little did I know at the time, but the fun surprises weren’t over yet. Walking around the corner, we found a large VFX section with interactive displays that revealed how technology has shaped the movies we know and love today.
There were fun video ops where visitors could “ride” a Nimbus 2000 and “drive” the Batmobile bike, but I was thrilled with this room for an entirely different reason.
Kate and I had the best time goofing around with camera angles and proportions at an interactive set up inspired by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012). We laughed so hard, going back-and-forth pretending to be Bilbo and Gandalf sitting across from each other in “Bilbo’s kitchen”! An unexpected, but welcome, party indeed.
The last major section in Stage 48’s walkthrough exhibit was its sound area, which also featured a quick 10-minute show. The Art of Sound show demonstrated the film editing process using a scene from Gravity (2013). It was exciting to see how the dialogue lines, SFX and music came together through sound editing to create such a heart-pounding and cinematic moment!
Friends Fountain
Leaving Stage 48, Kate and I got back onto a golf cart and were driven over to the iconic Friends Fountain. Relocated from another part of the lot, it now sits in the heart of the Any Town, USA alongside a fiberglass orange sofa – a fun photo-op that perfectly captures all the nostalgia that the tour offers.
Iconic Fandoms
After the Fountain, we drove over to the most exciting stop on our tour – a building with exhibits for Game of Thrones (2011-2019), the DC Universe, Harry Potter (2001-2010), the studio’s awards! From interactive Wonder Woman: 1984 (2020) and Aquaman (2018) photo ops and to genuine Game of Thrones costumes (yes, Daenerys and Missandei’s dresses were there!), it was incredible. We definitely felt like we’d entered into the different worlds from the franchises on display.
For Potterheads, there’s even a step-by-step interactive exhibit that takes you from “living” under the Dursley’s stairs to receiving your Hogwarts letter, getting sorted, and attending a potions class. This Ravenclaw can attest that it was a magical experience, indeed!
Before exiting, we also marveled at a few of the Academy Awards and Emmys that Warner Bros’ has won throughout its history. There’s not many on display, as most are located elsewhere on the lot or with talent, but it’s still fun to take a look, especially if you’ve never seen one of these awards in person before.
When we reached the gift shop, I couldn’t resist buying not one, but two “Luke’s Diner” shirts, being a huge Gilmore Girls fan. A perfect wrap to the perfect day!
warner bros studio tour
Movie Magic
The experiences I’ve written about above specifically pertain to the base studio tour package, which Kate and I loved! But of course, your experience can vary depending on which of the four ticket options you choose from.
In any case, if you’re in LA and want to experience some Hollywood movie magic, I cannot recommend a visit to the Warner Bros Studio Tour enough!
*Prices at time of writing.
Warner Bros Studio Tour
Burbank, California, USA
Motion Picture Studio Tour
Price: $-$$$
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