As a surprise for my birthday this year, my husband, Casey, took me to the Warner Brothers Studio Tour Hollywood. Several times a year, the WB Studio Tour offers California Resident Pricing, so those living in California get a slight discount on tickets. Tours should be booked ahead of time online to guarantee a spot. It is possible to buy the tickets at the studio, but the tours fill up quickly just through online sales. If you wait, you might not get a spot, especially if you have a large party! The Warner Brothers Studio Tour takes you around the Studio Lot and to see many of the props from popular movies.
Upon arrival at the studio, visitors check-in at the main entrance. Once you go through security, visitors show their confirmation and the workers will print out your tickets and give you a group number. After scanning the tickets, there are a few maps of the studio to look at, a Starbucks, and plenty of seating available while you wait for your tour to be called. It is recommended to get there at least 15 minutes before the start of your tour time.
Tour Embarcation
At your tour time, they call the group numbers to line up. Once everyone is accounted for, they bring you to a small movie room to show a short film about some of the movies and shows filmed on the lot and explain the process of the tour. After the film is over, visitors are introduced to their guides and taken out to the carts. Each cart held 12 people. The seats were comfortable and had a place to put a water bottle.
We found out that each time you take this tour, you may end up with a different experience. At the beginning of the tour, your guide will ask which shows the passengers are most interested in and they spend more time at the locations where the popular shows are filmed. Then, along the route, the guide goes over information about the various shows and movies filmed on the lot.
The Backlot
The first stop on the tour was throughout several different areas of the backlot. Our guide walked us around various parts and buildings of the backlot. Inside the buildings, we were able to see the spots where the film crew works and how they are able to change the inside to look unique for different movies. This included the New York set and an area where they filmed the Greatest Showman.
We continued on the tour and drove through Stars Hollow, the Gilmore Girls set. We saw Luke’s diner, the main square of the town, and Miss Patty’s Dance Studio. It looked like some groups got to stop and walk around here, but Gilmore Girls was not popular with our group. Next up, we were taken past the Fuller House facade. Our guide let us hop out really quick to snap a few pictures.
Costumes and Props
Our next stop was one of the longer stops on the tour: The Costume and Prop Exhibition. This building contained a floor of rotating DC items. At the time, it had Aquaman and Wonder Woman items. The top floor was filled with Harry Potter costumes and props. There were items from the original Harry Potter movies as well as the Fantastic Beasts series. Visitors had the opportunity to try on the sorting hat and be sorted into the various Hogwarts houses. This was also the restroom stop of the tour.
The Bat Cave
Continuing onward with the tour, we pulled up to the Bat Cave. This large building contained a bunch of vehicles from the Batman movies, including the latest Batmobile and had a bat-signal projected in the building. We had about 15 minutes to wander around this soundstage and view the vehicles.
Ellen and Big Bang Theory
Our guide then brought us to the soundstage where the Ellen show is filmed. We had the opportunity to take pictures on the stage and walk around the set. I have been to several Ellen tapings, but I had never been able to walk around the stage, so this was a cool experience. We left the Ellen Stage and headed to see the final set of the Big Bang Theory. Here we sat in the audience for a bit and our guide explained to us how a live taping of a sitcom worked.
Final Stop
The final stop of the Warner Brothers Studio Tour was a building with an interactive exhibit, a short film, a cafe, and the Studio Store. We spent some time wandering through the exhibit. It told about some of the history of WB Studios. They also had some props and had a real Academy Award you could hold! There was also a chance to fly on a broomstick or ride the Batmobile and they would edit you into a scene from those films. Visitors could also take a picture on the set of the Friends Cafe. Once the Big Bang Theory is finished filming, you will also be able to take a picture in Sheldon’s “spot.”
Before catching the tram back to the entrance, the last stop in the building is the Studio Store. They have all kinds of WB apparel from Harry Potter to Gilmore Girls, DC to Friends. Make sure to stop by the sale section to score some great deals as we did. I ended up getting a Harry Potter shirt, two magnets, and a pin for $20 (total).
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience on the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. I got to see quite a few sets and props from my favorite TV shows and movies. It was a bit more extensive than what you get at Universal Studios. I liked that we were able to get off the tram and actually step foot on several sets rather than just driving by them. When in the Los Angeles area, make sure to check out at least one studio tour to see the inner workings of Hollywood.
9 thoughts on “Warner Brothers Studio Tour: What you See and Do”
This looks like a lot of fun! I hadn’t realized that Friends was Warner Brothers but I definitely would love to see the set they used, it’s so iconic. This would make for a great day out when visiting Los Angeles.
Yah! It’s crazy some of the things I didn’t realize was Warner Brothers either.
You had me at “hold an Academy Award”! Such a cool experience. I had no idea Friends was part of WB. Thanks for providing so much great information!
Oh my gosh, I would’ve totally fan-girled at the Gilmore Girls set! I swear I’ve watched that series 5 times right through! I would love to go on the Warner Brothers studio tour – so thanks for these tips!
That was me! I was so sad we didn’t get off and walk on it. I’ve watched that series too many times to count.
I’ve always wanted to see where they film movies! One to add to my fantasy west coast American road trip I will take one day!
The west coast has SO many awesome places to see.
What a fun surprise and that’s great to hear that they offer special tickets to residents. It sounds fun to actually be able to get to go on some of the sets too.
Right!? It was a fun outing!