Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood celebrates 50 years
Disney isn’t the only 100-year-old studio in town; Warner Bros. is also celebrating its milestone 100th anniversary in 2023, plus the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood turns 50 this year.
For 50 years, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour has been taking movie fans behind the scenes of Warner Bros. movie and television productions from classics like “Casablanca” and “The Music Man” to modern hits like “Friends” and “Abbott Elementary.”
Warner Bros. Studio Tour History
The original Warner Bros. Tour Department was established in 1973 to provide guided tours through the Burbank, Calif. studio to about 50 guests each day.
Since then, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood has undergone significant additions and enhancements, including its own state-of-the-art Welcome Center, four different tour experiences, exclusive merchandise available only at the WB Studio store and Friends boutique, and interactive exhibits that take guests “behind the lens” of film and TV productions, including “Gilmore Girls,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Gremlins,” “Argo,” “The West Wing,” the DC Universe, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
“The tour prides itself on being a personalized, exclusive, and intimate experience – and that hasn’t changed,” said VP and General Manager Danny Kahn, who has overseen the tour for nearly half its 50 years. “The tour has evolved over the past 50 years, but what makes it special, unique, and repeatable is the time you have with your expert tour guide. It’s such a great opportunity to learn more about how and where we shot some of the most memorable scenes in movie and TV history.”
And, Kahn points out, because the studio is constantly changing, no two days are alike, and no two tours are alike.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Highlights
Every tour includes the Storytelling Showcase, the Script to Screen experience, and the Action and Magic grand finale.
“In the Storytelling Showcase, you really get a sense of the company’s rich history, from the early years of television (Warner Brothers was the first studio to start in TV) to the story of innovation (the company brought sound to film),” Kahn says. “All that that story unfolds in the Storytelling Showcase alongside iconic props and costume pieces like Hilary Swank’s boxing gloves from ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ Phoebe’s guitar from ‘Friends,’ and J.R.’s hat and boots from ‘Dallas.’”
In Script to Screen on Stage 48, tour guests not only learn about the writers’ room, costume design, and production design, but they can literally step into their favorite Warner Bros. television shows.
“We have the Central Park set from ‘Friends’ – and that is a big showstopper – but we’ve also added ‘The Big Bang Theory,’” Kahn says. “When ‘The Big Bang Theory’ wrapped after 16 seasons, we took the boys apartment set from Stage 25 and brought it straight over to Stage 48, so if you’re a fan, you can sit in Sheldon spot.”
“Friends” fans can also snap a selfie at the iconic “Friends Fountain” on the studio’s backlot.
The Action and Magic Made Here finale includes costumes, props, and interactive displays from DC and Harry Potter movies, but it also currently features a display of costumes and props from “Game of Thrones.”
Fun Fact: The Warner Bros. Studio Tour has been seen in “Blazing Saddles,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” “Gossip Girl,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Teen Titans Go to The Movies,” “Entourage,” “Animaniacs,” “The Rookie,” “Grease LIVE,” “Famous in Love,” “Ellen,” and more.
Plus, you never know who you might see on the lot. Courtney Cox, Ellen DeGeneres, Jason Momoa, and Steve Harvey are just a few of the celebrities who’ve crashed a tour.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood Experiences
Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood offers four tour experiences: Studio Tour, Studio Tour Plus, Deluxe Tour, and Classics Made Here Tour.
- Studio Tour (about 3 hours) – Includes the Storytelling Showcase, a guided tour around the movie studio’s iconic backlot, Stage 48: Script to Screen interactive exhibits, “Friends” sets and Central Perk café, “The Big Bang Theory” sets, and the Action and Magic Made Here finale featuring costumes, props, and vehicles from the DC universe as well as magical interactive experiences from The Wizarding World. Prices are $70 for adults ages 11+, $60 for kids ages 5-10, and $58 for SoCal residents ages 5+.
- Studio Tour Plus (about 4 hours) – Includes everything on the original Studio Tour plus a welcome reception (coffee, juice, water, soft drinks, and an assortment of pastries and snacks), an expanded two-hour guided tour on the backlot, and lunch in Central Perk Café (one hot or cold entrée, one side, and one hot or cold beverage). Prices are $150 for adults ages 11+, $129 for kids ages 5-10, and $126 for SoCal residents ages 5+.
- Deluxe Tour (about 6 hours) – Includes all the elements of the Studio Tour Plus, with an expanded three-hour guided tour on the backlot, plus a visit to the Property Department, lunch at the Commissary Fine Dining Room, and a beverage and snack at Central Perk Café. The price is $300 per person ages 5+.
- Classics Tour (about 3 hours) – Focuses award-winning titles from the “Golden Age” of film and TV that shot on the studio’s backlot from the early days through the 1970s. Prices are $70 for adults ages 11+, $60 for kids ages 5-10, and $58 for SoCal residents ages 5+.
Check out our review of the Classics Tour here:
The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Welcome Center, including the WB Studio Store and Starbucks, is open to the public without a tour ticket. Limited same-day tour tickets are also available for those who didn’t purchase in advance. Currently displayed in the Welcome Center lobby are props and costumes from “Barbie,” including the pink Corvette Margot Robbie drove in the blockbuster Warner Bros. movie.
Click here for more information about the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and to book your tour.
I did the deluxe tour in 2018 and it was worth every penny; if you’re thinking of doing it, don’t hesitate.