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Hollywood stars all have on thing in common they have all passed through the
gates of the dream factories, The Studios. To-days stars still drive
through some of the very studio gates that welcomed such Hollywood legends as Marilyn
Monroe, James Dean and Clark Gable before them. Of the dozens of Film & TV
studios in Hollywood only a handful of Hollywood studios offer guided tours. Fortunately these
Hollywood studios are
perhaps the best known and some of the most historic. Here is a guide to those
Hollywood studios that offer tours and the names & locations of studios that do not. I list
these non touring Hollywood studios as you can obtain audience tickets, to view live shows
in some of them. Quite a few of the older Hollywood studios are well worth viewing from
the outside for their look alone.
Whilst "The Acker Museum" is not listed
in any studio tours, it is a must for any Sci-Fic - Horror Film fan. This
exhibition contains over 400,000 pieces of memorabilia, collected by Forrest J
Ackerman over 70 years. Entrance is free to this remarkable collection which is
exhibited in his own 18 room mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
Theme Parks incorporating Studio Tours.
| Universal Studios Universal City Hollywood Freeway(101) Tel: 1-800-UNIVERSAL studio |
The Theme Park includes a tram tour of
Universal's back lot taking you through many well known sets, being
attacked by Jaws & experiencing an earthquake. An informal tour that
will not bore the kids in fact they will simple love it. Price is included in admission cost to Universal. www.universalstudioshollywood.com |
| Disneyland. 1313 Harbor Boulevard Anaheim Tel:-714-781-4565 |
This back lot tour is new this year at Disney
Anaheim. Their new Adventure park contains a Hollywood Pictures back lot
tour with particular attention paid to animation and special effects. Price is included in admission cost to Disney. www.disney.com |
Studio Tours only.
| Warner Bros Studios
VIP Studio Tour 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank. CA. Tel: 818-972-TOUR 818-954-1744 |
This two hour plus tour is an actual tour of
working studios, no two tours are alike as you are seeing actual work in
progress. So the chance of seeing a star behind or in front of the
camera is excellent. Tour the Costume dept, Scenic dept, the Mill that
creates sets for films & TV. Then tour the exterior sets that you
will recognize from films & TV, last is Warner's on-lot Studio
Museum a collection of over 70 years worth film making. There are 4 Best
picture Oscars, clothes worn by the stars, A Casablanca museum
with the original piano, John Waynes saddle and even James Deans Triumph
Motor bike. This two floor museum contains virtually something from
every Warner Bros Film. This tour is limited to up to 12 people at a
time including your well informed guide, so it is worth booking in
advance.
www.studio-tour.com studio |
| Paramount Studio Tour 5555 Melrose Ave. Hollywood. CA. Tel; 323-956-1777 studio |
Paramount Studios perhaps the most famous
studio gates in the world and now the only major studio actually located
in Hollywood. This 2 hour guided walking tour, incorporates an
historical and informational behind the scenes look at the daily
workings of a film studio. Don't be surprised if you spot a star after
all they work here.
www.paramount.com |
| Paramount Ranch. Paramount Ranch Rd, Cornell Road Agoura Hills. CA. Tel: 818-597-9192 |
For over sixty years this site as been used as
Tombstone, Arizona, Dodge City & most other towns. TV
series such as CHIPS, Duke of Hazards & Charlie's Angels, many classic
westerns including Gunfight at the OK Corral & many John Wayne films
have been shot here. The ranch is still a working movie ranch Dr.
Quinn Medicine Woman is filmed here by CBS on weekdays in the
Western Town on the ranch. Other filming also takes place here in 1999
several sets were built for The Flinstones: Viva Rock Vegas. The
ranch is now open to the public including its western town: all free of
charge but don't be surprised if the place looks familiar when you
visit, the hills & surroundings have been seen in 100's of movies and
TV scenes. Free of charge studio |
| Sony Picture Studio Tour 10202 W Washington Culver City. Tel: 323-520-TOUR studio |
This is the former home of Hollywood's
greatest studios MGM . This is like Paramount's tour a walking tour of
the studio's back lot, sets, sound stages and historic scenery. There is
also a mini museum & snack area. Being a working studio you
will also have the chance of seeing some live shooting and acting. The
Sony Pictures Studios Tour is a guided 2-hour walking tour and costs $25
per person. Reservations are required and have an age limit of 12 and
older. Tour times change with the fall season and again into summer. Official website is www.sonypicturesstudios.com . |
| KCET Studio Tour 4401 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood 323-953-5289 Free of Charge studio |
This historic studio was the former home of Monogram Pictures and Allied Artists, and now houses LA's own public TV station KCET. Over its 90 years existence legends such as Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Edward G Robinson, Audrey Hepburn, Steve McQueen etc have all worked in this studio. The last film released by the studio in 1965 was Tickle Me starring Elvis Presley. Since when the studio has been a TV facility and since 1970 the home of KCET. The free 90 min. tour takes you through the old movie studio lot and the current studios production facilities. Advance phone bookings are required. www.kcet.org |
|
NBC TV Studio Tour |
NBC is the only commercial TV station in LA that offers a behind the scenes tour of its facilities. This 70 min. walking tour offers a down to earth view of a working TV studio. This guided tour gives you the chance to go deep into the vast warehouse areas where costumes and props are stored. See Studio3 where the Tonight Show is recorded by Jay Leno & guests and view video's on NBC's history. www.nbc.com |
| The Hollywood Studio Museum The DeMille Barn, 2100 N. Highland Blvd, Hollywood. Tel:323-874-2276
|
This simple wooden framed building is one of the most important structures of the Golden Age Of Hollywood. It was in this barn that Cecil B. De Mille shot Hollywood's first full length feature film The Squaw Man with his partners Samuel Goldwyn and Jessie Lasky. This little barn was the start of, and the future Paramount Studios that went on to make many Hollywood blockbusters and still do to-day. This barn was moved in 1920 to Paramount where it spent the next 60 years. Rescued in 1982 and moved to its present location, opposite the Hollywood Bowl, this barn is now the Hollywood Studio Museum. Now a museum to the movie industry, simply brimming with exhibits and articles from the classic films of Hollywood. www.hollywoodheritage.org |
Studios listed below do not have
tours. Entrance can be obtained by obtaining free audience
ticket's to watch their live TV shows & recordings.
| Charlie Chaplin Studios (Formerly A&M Records now Henson Studios) 1416 N. La Brea Avenue Hollywood. Tel: 323-469-2411 studio |
Charlie Chaplin built this studio in 1917
filming all of his films here over the next 20 years. Built to resemble
an English village this studio still stands today at the corner of La
Brea and Sunset Boulevard. Recently sold by A&M Records to Henson
Productions ( the Muppets creators ) this historic studio cannot be
visited by tour or ticket. Designated as an Historic Monument (No
58), the plaque can be found at the entrance. When standing here it is
hard to believe that when Chaplin built this studio the area was little
more than acres of orange groves. Worth a visit to take a picture of
this unusual old studio. www.henson.com |
| The Culver Studios 9336 W. Washington Blvd Culver City. Tel: 310-836-5537 |
The historic Culver Studios has perhaps the
most attractive exterior of all the studios, a copy of George
Washington's mansion Mount Vernon. This was the mansion featured in the
opening credits of David O Selznick's Gone With the Wind which
was filmed here in 1939. Many classic films were shot here including
Citizen Kane & King Kong. A most see studio front. No tours but Live audience tickets available see below. studio |
| Sunset-Gower Studios. (formerly Columbia Pictures Studios) 1438 N. Gower Street Hollywood. Tel: 323-467-1001 studio |
Columbia Pictures was founded by Harry &
Jack Cohen in 1920. Over the years this studio has given many
great movies including From Here to Eternity , Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington, On The Waterfront, Ghostbusters to name just a
few. Now an independent production studios that hires out its
facilities. No tours but Live audience tickets are available see below. |
| Walt Disney Studios. 500 S. Buena Vista Street Burbank. Tel: 818-560-1000
|
Opened in 1937 this is the studio that
produced all those classic Disney animated films and still produces
Disney films to this day. There are no tours here but the large building
that faces the main gate contains a very large 7 Dwarfs, cast in stone,
individually standing arms aloft, reaching up as if supporting the roof
of the building. The sight of these Giant Dwarfs are worth a visit
alone. No tours but Live audience are tickets available see below. www.disney.com |
| Warner Hollywood Studios. 7200 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood Tel: 323-850-2500 |
This was the United Artists studio in 1928
formed by Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and
D.W.Griffith. Became the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in the 50's where all
those classical musicals were made. Since 1980 has been the Warner
Brothers TV studios where TV series such as Dynasty have been
filmed. Right next door to the famous Formosa Cafe. No tours but Live audience tickets are available see below. www.warnerhollywood.com |
|
ABC TV Studios |
CBS Studio
Center 4024 Radford Ave Studio City Tel: 818-655-5000 www.cbssc.com |
CBS TV Center 7800 Beverly Blvd LA Tel:323-575-2458 Tickets free from ticket office at corner of Beverly & Fairfax www.cbs.com |
Hollywood Center Studios 1040 N. Palmas Ave Hollywood. Tel: 323-469-5000 |
| KTLA Studios 5800 Sunset Boulrvard. Hollywood. Tel: 323-460-5500 |
Raleigh Studios 5300 Melrose Avenue Hollywood. Tel: 323-466-3111 Opposite is a famous Celebrity cafe Lucy's El Adobe Cafe |
Ren-Mar Studios 846 N. Cahuenga Blvd Hollywood. Tel: 323-463-0808 |
20th.Century Fox Studios 10201 Pico Boulevard Century City Tel: 310-277-2211 Tickets: 323-956-1777 www.fox.com |
The above studios are a selection from the dozens in LA but they are the main ones to visit.
Tickets for Live TV Shows and Tapings are available free
from the following agencies. These tickets can be obtained in advance, well
worth the postage if you are on a limited time scale or if you require to watch
one particular show. Unless otherwise stated tickets are only available from the
agencies below.
| Audiences Unlimited Tickets by mail include SASE 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City. CA 91608 Tel: 818-771-7195 |
A Ticket booth for walk up tickets is
available in the Entertainment Center at Universal Studios, but this is
behind the entrance so a tour fee is required to get to this booth. Ticket Line: 818-506-0067. |
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| Audience Associates. | Reserved seats for television shows, as well as parts for
crowd scenes in commercials, movies, and television shows are
available. Tel: 323-467-4697 or 323-653-4105. |
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| Free TV Tickets.
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Free tickets to TV tapings in LA.
www.tvtix.com or e-mail tvtix@tvtix.com |
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| Television Ticket Co.
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Free tickets for TV show tapings. www.freetvshows.com or e-mail: mail @ freetvshows. |
