Hollywood Studio Tour Information
Whether you're by yourself, with friends or with family, visiting Los Angeles can be a lot of fun.
You'll definitely want to try and take at least one studio tour while you're here.
Below is information on which studios offer tours and how you can reach them to make your studio tour reservations.
August 23rd, 2005: This page has recently been added and will be updated with more info very soon.
Please note that this information is posted as a courtesy to our visitors.
We are not responsible for tour reservations, scheduling, pricing, availability, parking or accuracy of information provided.
• Paramount Studios • 5555 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, California • 323-956-1777 • paramount.com/studio
The oldest and perhaps most well-known studio complex in Hollywood is Paramount Pictures Studios. The main studio gates on Melrose Ave are among the most famous landmarks in Hollywood. This tour is a two-hour guided walking tour, incorporatiing historical information about the studio and its film and television productions over the years. Paramount Studios makes both film and TV show productions, and is home to many great shows, including Girlfriends, Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, Yes, Dear, One On One, Out Of Practice, Love, Inc and Cuts. This is a very popular tour and you must make your reservations in advance.
• Paramount Ranch • Paramount Ranch Road, Agoura Hills, California • 818-597-9192 • paramountranch
When Paramount and other studios need wide-open spaces for filming, they go to the Paramount Ranch. This collection of filming sets and wilderness areas is managed by the National Park Service. For over sixty years, Paramount Ranch has been used as Tombstone, Arizona, Dodge City and a lot of other towns. Most recently, this location served as the set for HBO's Carnivale. Many TV series, such as Chips, The Dukes of Hazard and Charlie's Angels have been filmed here, to name a few. The Ranch is now open to the public, including its Western Town. There's no doubt that you'll recognize a lot of these sets... from the hills to the trees... as they have been seen in hundreds of movies and TV scenes over the years. Tours typically run about once per month. Call in advance for availability or visit their website to view the Outdoors Calendar for upcoming tour information. A lot of fun.
• Universal Studios • Universal City, California • Off the 101 - Hollywood Freeway • 1-800-UNIVERSAL • universalstudioshollywood.com
Universal Studios is so large that it's actually located in its own city, Universal City. Nestled between Hollywood and North Hollywood, Universal Studios is one of two Los Angeles area studios that has its own theme park. The Universal Studios tour takes place on a tram that take's you through the back lot, through many well-known sets. You may end up being attacked by "Jaws" and actually experience an earthquake. This is a great tour for families. The kids will love it. While you're at Universal, you can also experience CityWalk, where you'll find great food, a multiplex theatre, cool stores and you can actually get a massage while you're there at the Oxygen Bar. Great fun.
• Disneyland ~ Hollywood Pictures • 1313 Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, California • 714-781-4565 • disney.com
Disneyland is located south of Los Angeles in Anaheim, which is in Orange County (the OC). Like Universal, Disney is simply huge and packed with entertainment of all kinds for adults and kids alike. Their Adventure Park contains a back lot tour of Hollywood Pictures. The tour includes a lot of special effects with homage paid to animation, which is how the Disney empire got its start.
• Warner Brothers Studios • 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank, California • 818-972-TOUR • studio-tour.com
No two tours at Warner Bros are alike. In fact, while your on the Warner Bros tour, which is over two hours in length, you'll actually be moving through actual film and television sets that are working on productions. Depending on the day and time that you're there, it's likely that you'll see a star or two on set. You'll tour the Costume Department, the Scenic Department and the Mill that creates sets for TV and film. The Exterior Set portion of the tour should provide you with some very familiar sets from TV and film. The last stop on the tour is Warner's on-lot Studio Museum, which has a collection of over 70 years worth of film making. The tour is limited to up to 12 people at a time, including your well-informed Studio Guide. Well worth booking in advance... and of course, exciting!
• Sony Pictures Studios • 10202 Washington Blvd, Culver City, California • 323-520-TOUR • sonypictures.com
Sony Pictures used to be MGM Studios, which at one time was Hollywood's most powerful studio. Similar to Paramount's walking tour of the studios and back lot, this tour includes a lot of famous lots, sets and historic scenery. Tours depart daily, Monday through Friday, from Sony Pictures Plaza. Not only is this the studio where Judy Garland once walked on the Yellow Brick Road, it's also home to such shows as Wheel Of Fortune, Jeopardy and King Of Queens, as well as a lot of major motion pictures. Not only will you get a glimpse into the glory days of Hollywood, you'll also get an insider's view of a state-of-the-art film studio. Sony Pictures Studios is located in Culver City, which unlike most of the other studios, is located southwest of Hollywood and close to the LAX airport.
• NBC Studios • 3000 W. Alameda Ave, Burbank, California • 818-840-3537 • nbc.com
NBC is the only commercial TV studio in Los Angeles that offers a behind-the-scenes tour of its complex. Located in Burbank, this studio tour is a little more than an hour, and offers and up-close view of a working television studio. You'll see their vast warehouse areas where props and costumes are stored, as well as... if you're lucky... Studio 3, which is where The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is taped!
Los Angeles Area Transportation Information
Unlike most other American cities, Los Angeles is spread out over a very wide area. Anytime you're traveling in LA, you want to make sure that you leave plenty of time to get around. Even with all of the traffic, many times it's easier to move around the city by car. Currently, LA's Metro subway system only covers a portion of the city. Buses, though, take up a lot of that slack and can help you to get around. To get a glimpse of the public transportation system in Los Angeles, click the link below:
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA
More studios, discount information & links to LA transportation resources coming soon!
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