Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood is a guided walk-through tour of Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, located in Los Angeles, California. Over a two-to-three-hour period, visitors can glimpse behind the scenes of one of the oldest film studios in the world.[1]
The studio tour has been open for several decades, but it was renamed Warner Bros. Studio Tours to provide a more uniform identity following the success of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden. Previously, it was known as the Warner Bros. Studios VIP Tour. There are three types of Warner Bros. Studio tours: (1) first tour - they used to show the studio to friends and special guests, and their employees used to give tours to them; (2) public tour - after encountering financial difficulties in 1972, Warner Bros. began to provide a tour for the general public; (3) VIP studio tour - this tour was generally provided for celebrities.
History
First tours
Another version of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood logo used since 2019, is still used on the website and some propertiesView of the Warner Bros. Studios from the Universal Studios LotStages of the Warner Bros. StudiosSteven J. Ross Theater of the Warner Bros. Studios
In the early days of Warner Bros., Jack Warner provided tours to welcome friends and special guests to the studio. If Warner could not give the tour himself, Mail Room employees were entrusted to show guests around the lot.[2] These tours were not offered to the public and could only be arranged through employees; however, they still proved popular. Consequently, Warner sought to limit requests as he thought studio tours could cause a "slow-up" of the company's operations.[3]
One Mail Room employee, Dick Mason, was noted for giving informative tours and was frequently the requested guide for studio executives' guests. Mason's knowledge led him to be assigned to Jack Warner's office to assist the Vice President of Worldwide Production.[4][5]
Public tours
In 1972, Warner Bros. faced financial hardships and signed a deal with Columbia Pictures, which was also struggling. They combined to create The Burbank Studios, a joint venture in which they shared studio space.[6][7] In 1973, the new company opened a public-facing Tour Department. Dick Mason was assigned to manage the new operation. All tours required an advanced reservation and cost $3.[8]
Mason's department included seven tour guides, and tours were limited to twelve people at a time. Tours were unscripted but included the back lot sets, sound stages, and prop house, depending on availability.[9] Without a budget for advertising, news spread by word-of-mouth. The tour proved popular due to its unscripted nature and saw 15,000 guests a year.[10][11]
As compared to the Universal tour, Dick Mason was interested in educating the public about film making: "The entire tour is practical. There are no demonstrations or simulations. We're catering to families and kids. We just want to give insight to a business most people have misunderstandings about."[12] The tours departed about four times a day and were around three hours.[13]
In 1990, The Burbank Studios dissolved, and Warner Bros. reclaimed the rest of the studio from Columbia Pictures when Columbia moved to the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot in Culver City.[14] The Tour Department was relocated into a building next to the studio's Gate 4 on Hollywood Way, allowing the public to inquire about the tour without needing a pass. It shared the space with a Studio Store.[15]
Warner Bros. Studio Tour center and parking structure that opened in July 2021.
VIP Studio Tours
Dick Mason retired from Warner Bros. in 2000, and Danny Kahn assumed leadership of the Tour Department. Kahn moved the location of the tour to an office building previously occupied by Columbia Pictures across the street from Gate 5. He increased the frequency of tours but retained the small group sizes and unscripted nature. The tour became more streamlined and began more aggressive advertising.[16]
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood
In 2015, the tour re-branded itself with the launch of Stage 48: Script to Screen.[17] The expanded tour uses a new name, a new logo, and newer tour carts.[18]
There are four tours currently available: the standard Studio Tour and Classics Tour, which both last 3 hours (1 hour guided and 2 hours self-guided); the Studio Tour Plus, lasting 4 hours (2 hours guided); and the Deluxe Tour which lasts 6 hours (3 hours guided, 1-hour fine dining lunch, and 2 hours self-guided). The Warner Bros. lot is an active filming location, and each tour is different due to filming.
View of the back lot Warner Bros. Studios scenery from the tour bus
The locations below are featured in every Studio Tour.[19][20] The upgraded Studio Tour Plus offers extra stops such as a continental breakfast, lunch at the Central Perk Café, and a visit to the Property Department. For a more extensive experience, the Deluxe Tour provides extended time at each of these locations, plus added attractions: a continental breakfast, lunch at Warner Bros. Fine Dining, as well as tours of the Property Department and the Costume Department.[21]
Soundstage - All tours try to include a visit inside at least one stage of the current production that is not actively filming.
The Backlot - A series of outdoor sets representing various locations such as New York, a mid-western town, and a jungle.[22]
Stage 48: Script to Screen - An interactive soundstage that takes guests through the production process. The soundstage opened on July 16, 2015. Stage 48 is self-guided and includes the original set of Central Perk from the television show Friends where guests can take pictures on the couch. There is also a green screen video opportunity where guests can fly on a broomstick from Harry Potter or ride on a Batpod as seen in The Dark Knight. The couch from The Big Bang Theory is also available to sit on and take a photo. In addition to the attraction, the building includes a café and coffee shop themed "Central Perk" from Friends as well as a Friends-themed gift shop.[23]
The new grand finale that opened in July 2021, “Action and Magic Made Here,” allows guests to interact with props, costumes, and recreated sets from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts as well as the D.C. Universe. In a recreated Great Hall set, visitors can wear the Sorting Hat and hear the hat shout out the Hogwarts house where you truly belong.
Former Special exhibits
Batman 75th Anniversary - A special display that opened on June 26, 2014, in both the Archive and the Picture Car Vault. In the Archive, there were displays of props and costumes from every Warner Bros. Batman movie. Batmobiles and other Batman vehicles were put on display in the Picture Car Vault.[24] Beginning in September 2015, the Batmobile from the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice joined the display when not used for filming.[25]
DC Universe: The Exhibit - Located in The Archive, this exhibit replaced portions of the Batman 75th Anniversary display. It includes the first issues of comic books such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman as well as props and costumes from the films Batman vs. Superman and Suicide Squad.[28][29]
DC Universe: The Exhibit was updated to include the latest costumes and props from Wonder Woman 2017[30]
The Cafe that Mia worked in from the Oscar Winning film La La Land has been dressed as seen in the production as part of a stop on the tour.[31]
Stage 48 has been updated to include a look at props and costumes from all 7 years of the TV series Pretty Little Liars.[32]
Horror Made Here: A Festival of Frights
In 2018, this special event featured dark mazes and attractions based on films and video games:
It Knows What Scares You; A dark maze based on New Line Cinema’s 2017 film, It.
Wheelchair accessible
Assistive listening available
Closed captioning available
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