Warner Bros Studio Tour LA: What to Expect
Are you considering taking the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Los Angeles and want to know what to expect?
My family wanted to go on a studio tour when we visited LA on a quick layover, and we easily chose the Warner Bros Studio Tour based on its offerings. Though there was a time before our tour when I regretted our decision to go on a tour, based on jet lag, the tour was a highlight for all of us.
From purchasing tickets to arriving at the lot, to sound stages and backlots, this guide should help you decide if going on the Warner Bros Studio Tour is right for you and your group of visitors.
My kids were 9 and 10 during our visit, and they both enjoyed the tour.
Purchasing Tickets
It is recommended that tickets be purchased online in advance to guarantee your spot. Luckily, we learned that when it is not crowded, you can easily change the time of your tour on the day.
Options for purchasing tickets online in advance include:
We just had a layover in LA and weren’t sure when we wanted to go on tour. Originally, we opted for a late afternoon tour to ensure we could see more of LA. The plan was to head to a hotel after the tour ended and sleep.
In the end, we were all exhausted, having not slept the entire flight from Sydney. We arrived early and were let on the next tour, which was hours before our booked time.
Arriving for Your Tour (Transportation and Parking)
A large parking lot is located outside the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. There is a parking charge.
We took a Lyft, which dropped us off right by the entrance. Public transportation is also an option. Check before your visit for current arrival information.
They say everyone 18+ needs an ID. Kids under 5 are not allowed on the studio tour, and kids 5-17 need to be with an adult 18+.
The lobby has a shop, Starbucks, and a ticket booth.
The Guided Tour
When it is time for your tour, you first walk through a large room with information on the walls. I imagine this room gets crowded on busy days, but it was empty on our visit, which was on a weekday afternoon at the end of August.
At the end of the room, there is a small theatre where a movie is shown. The movie is about 5 minutes long.
Then you line up in a roped-off line. This is where you wait for your group. You are assigned a group based on who else is in line with you.
Another group joined the line right before we left, so there ended up being 8 of us in the group.
Tours leave every 10 minutes.
After boarding the extended golf cart, our guide introduced himself and asked us what we were most interested in seeing.
While he said he would point out as much as he could, if there were a TV show or movie that he knew we liked, he would be sure to give us more information about it on the tour.
The golf cart has screens that come down, and a video is shown at the beginning of the ride. I get motion-sick, so I just listened to it and looked at the scenery.
One of the first buildings you pass is the office where everyone goes to receive scripts and make deals.
We then drove through sets that were set up and sets that were empty and waiting for their next dressing.
Buildings remain empty and blank until they are assigned a show. Then, it takes 2 days for them to “get dressed,” which includes signs.
We drove past the Abbott Elementary facade, which you can see is not quite as tall as it appears on TV. To the back is a hospital used on ER.
We got off the cart and walked to one of the sound stages. Our guide pointed out different things that had been taped in various studios, but we were only allowed inside one, and we were not allowed to take photos inside.
Each sound stage has a sign out front that lists the movies and TV shows that were taped inside.
We went into Studio 27A and saw the All-American set. Other things that were taped in this sound stage include Hart of Dixie, Fantasy Island, Batman and Robin, A Star is Born, and Ocean 11.
If your show is taped here for 10+ years, it earns a placard outside the sound stage.
Our tour continued to walk around “the neighborhood” that included Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, the Growing Pains house, the Gellers’ house from Friends (which we got to go inside), Lorelai’s house from Gilmore Girls, and Phoebe’s dad’s house from Friends.
After looking at the houses, we got to visit the gazebo that was on the set of Gilmore Girls. From here, we could see the town of Stars Hollow, including where Luke’s used to be. Unfortunately, all of the signs are now gone as the show is no longer filming.
My sister-in-law and her kids visited later that same year, and the gazebo had been moved. That is the thing about an active set, places move and change.
We also passed many buildings, including The Alibi Room from Shameless.
It wasn’t always easy to get great pictures from a moving golf cart, but we also passed a parking garage filled with costumes, the graphic design building, and the building where all the sets are made.
The guided tour at Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood took about an hour and 15 minutes, though I imagine it would take a little longer if our group were larger. We were all allowed to stop and take as many photos as we wanted and were not rushed.
Central Perk
After you finish the guided tour, the guide drops you off at Central Perk. You can opt to turn left and go on the guided tour, or stay at Central Perk.
This is also where the restrooms are located.
Central Perk is set up at a cafe where they serve meals, snacks, and of course, coffee.
Having skipped lunch due to jet lag and the odd hours we ate on the plane, the kids decided they were ready to eat at Central Perk, so we stopped there before going on the self-guided tour.
Central Perk is just a counter service cafe, but the seating area is set up to look like the set of Friends. You can sit on the orange couch or in Monica’s kitchen.
This area is also a shop that specializes in Friends memorabilia. The shop is located among a set that looks like Joey and Chandler’s apartment.
My kids remembered the time we went to the Friends Experience, which they ended up loving. They were happy to point out all the things they recognized from the Friends set.
While they waited for their food to arrive, they played foosball.
The Self-Guided Tour
As soon as you are off the golf cart-guided tour, you can enter the self-guided tour. It begins and ends at Central Perk, and you can go in any order.
The self-guided tour starts with an area that shows what it is like in the planning room. There are large whiteboards with notes and information.
These are from the show All-American, the same one that we were able to walk onto the sound stage for.
The first room on the self-guided tour also has costumes, including these from the movie Crazy Rich Asians.
Touch-screen computers are set up so you can design your own costumes.
This area is set up like a museum, but TV sets are next on the Warner Bros Studios self-guided tour.
The Central Perk set is set up, and you are welcome to get your photo taken on the orange couch. Staff are there to take your photo, and they will take your photo with your phone or camera as well as with their camera.
You can purchase photos at the end of the tour.
Another set that you can sit on is the Big Bang Theory TV set.
Staff is once again available to take your photo on the couch. As there was no line, my kids wandered around the set as well.
I forgot what this set is called, but it is a way to show you how to make one person look much bigger than the other.
The kids enjoyed playing with Dobby, who moves when they do.
There is also a green screen where you can do different activities that are then made into a movie for you to purchase, but you can’t take pictures or videos, even of the green screen.
My daughter opted to ride a Nimbus 2000 that was then made into a short Harry Potter clip that was fun to watch, but way too expensive for us to purchase.
There is a small theatre where you learn about the sounds in movies and how they use random items to make certain sounds.
The Art of Sounds explains sound effect layering in a 10-minute movie and then plays a scene from Gravity.
After learning how sounds are put into movies, there is a sound booth where you can read lines that are then dubbed into a scene from Harry Potter.
This is the last section of the self-guided tour. You can now go back to Central Perk.
When you are finished with this area, you line up at the shop to take another golf cart ride.
I am not exactly sure how long we spent in this area, as I went from writing down the time instead of how much time we spent somewhere.
I would say that it took us at least an hour to wander through the self-guided section and have a snack at Central Perk.
Friends Fountain
We waited about 5 minutes for a golf cart, which took us to yet another orange couch. This one is in front of a fountain and building facades.
This is the fountain used in the opening credits for Friends.
After getting off the cart, you wait for your turn and then get back on a cart and head to the last area of the tour, another self-guided section.
It took us 15 minutes to get from the self-guided area, past the Friends couch, and to the Action and Magic self-guided tour.
Action and Magic Self-Guided Tour
By this time, we were exhausted. The kids and I aren’t into Marvel, DC, or Beetlejuice, so we skipped over that section and spent our time in the Harry Potter area of the Action and Magic self-guided tour.
The kids learned wand choreography and practiced their skills before learning how to mix potions.
We all got sorted by the sorting hat, and we got to see Harry Potter’s room behind the stairs.
While we could have spent a lot longer in this section, we rushed through. Luckily for us, it was empty, so we never had to wait in line.
Of course, there is a store at the end of this section of the tour. They sell Harry Potter-themed items as well as general items from Warner Bros Studios and TV and movie-specific items.
More Tour Options
We opted to take the general studio tour, which takes about 3 hours.
If you have more time and more money, there are 3 different tours you can take: the TCM Classics Films Tour, the Studio Plus Tour, and the Deluxe Tour.
The TCM Classics Films Tour is 3.5 hours long and includes more historical films from the 1920s-1970s.
All of the tours, except the general studio tour, include a visit to the property department, an exclusive screening room, and complimentary pastries and beverages.
The studio plus tour is 4 hours long and also includes lunch at Central Perk. The deluxe tour is 6 hours long and includes a snack at Central Park and a fine dining lunch at the commissary.
FAQ
Wear comfortable clothes on your Warner Bros Studio Tour, as there is some walking.
Yes, the Warner Bros Studio Tour is kid-friendly. Kids 5+ are allowed on the tour, which includes lots of hands-on exhibits and a golf cart ride.
Maybe, but a celebrity sighting is not guaranteed. Filming is generally done in the fall, so plan your trip during a weekday in the fall for the best chance of seeing someone famous.
It depends on the tour you choose, but the general studio tour is about 3 hours long. This includes the guided tour and the self-guided tour.
Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood Wrap-Up
Despite my past visits to Los Angeles, I had never taken a studio tour until now, and I do not know why! It was so much fun.
I know that low crowds aren’t common, but even with more people on the tour, we would have enjoyed learning about how TV and movies are made and seeing the sets from shows we watch.
While shows like Friends and Gilmore Girls are shown on the tour, if there is a show you enjoy and want to know more about, tell your guide! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and pointed out all kinds of shows, most of which I knew of but did not realize were WB shows.
I would recommend the Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood for all ages. There are enough hands-on activities for kids, and my kids were aware of many of the TV shows, even if they haven’t watched them.
I did not know about Abbott Elementary before taking the tour, but I started watching a few episodes on my next flight and have since watched each season.
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