Warner Brothers Studio Tour
- Brian
- Jan 19
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Have you ever wanted to step into your favorite movies and shows? From superheroes to the super funny comedies you love, going on the Warner Brothers Studio Tour Hollywood is nothing short of pure fun and entertainment. My family and I visited last year and had a blast, but also learned we would do things a little differently if we went back again. Here's our review and suggestions based on our experience.
What Is the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, Exactly?
The Warner Brothers Studio Tour in Hollywood is probably what you're picturing: a tour through a real, working studio lot. In fact, it goes through a multitude of TV and movie sets. And because it's a working lot, each time you visit could be different. The tours go through most of the studio lot, showing buildings, props, and more that are used on current shows and movies as well as past ones, such as Friends, that have been preserved.
What is Offered in the Warner Brothers Studio Tour?
They offer several different tour options that you can pick from depending on your particular interests. You can do the basic tour, which is guided for the majority of it, do a classic films tour, or a deluxe tour (which includes lunch and other additions). Take a look at their website to get more information on what is best for you. When I went, my family and I did the Studio Tour and left wishing we'd done the Deluxe Tour.
The Experience
The Studio Tour is a unique one where no two experiences will be exactly the same. Because this is a functional studio, every time you visit you could see different decorations, different people, and even be directed into different segments based on what active shows or movies are being worked on at the time. But one thing you're in for each time is being amazed and having fun.
We got to see several really fun sets from the past, including the Friends Fountain, Gilmore Girls set pieces, and sets for actively filming shows. Recognizing both old and new sets was incredibly entertaining.
One the tour that my family and I did we also had the chance to see a set in transition. One of the diner sets that had been used for Gilmore Girls was being converted into a different diner for a new show (they wouldn't say which at the time). They showed us some of the process that the teams go through to do the conversion.
Beyond the streets and sets, the tour also had a museum style portion where we saw artifacts from different movies and shows such as the Batmobiles, costumes from Game of Thrones, and a full Harry Potter experience with the sorting hat.
Museum
The museum portion of the tour was wonderful and very well done. We got to see costumes, vehicles, and more from our favorite movies and shows. The most fun my kids had was at the Harry Pottery exhibit where they got to experience the sorting hat ceremony!
What Would I Do Differently?
When my family and I visited, we decided to do the basic tour that is 1 hour with a guide and 2 hours on your own. This was great, but if I were to go back today I would upgrade to the guided tour that includes lunch. At first read, it seems like a huge amount of time dedicated to being at the studio. In reality, you'll spend the time there anyway and will probably end up spending more money trying to get lunch on your own.
How Much Time Should I Allocate?
Between entering, going through the museum portions, and the guided studio tour, we were there for about 3.5 - 4 hours. Warner Brothers has 3 hours on their site, but in my experience, allot more just to explore.
My Assessment
The Warner Brothers Studio Tour Hollywood, in my opinion, is hands-down the best studio tour my family and I have been on. I highly recommend this for anyone who loves movies and shows. Even if you're not necessarily of a fan of everything Warner Brothers has done, there's so much here that you're bound to find something that each person in your group will enjoy.
