Los Angeles is famous for its film and television industry. When you’re visiting, it’s easy to get up close and personal with landmarks in the entertainment industry. You can see everything from Hollywood’s Walk of Fame to the taping of your favorite sitcom while you’re town. No visit to Los Angeles is truly complete without a studio tour. Studio tours give you a behind-the-scenes look at how your favorite moves and TV shows are made. Los Angeles is really spread out, so it’s smart to take advantage of a car rental to get around. Here’s a list of the places that make Hollywood magic really happen!
Warner Brothers Hollywood
Get set to explore outdoor sets and soundstages in this exciting and interesting studio tour. It’s more than just a tour of movie sets. The tour is more like an educational look into the filmmaking process. Warner Brothers Studio is known for famous productions like Jurassic Park and Batman. They also showcase an amazing Batmobile collection. These include the 1995 Batman Forever and 1989’s Batman cars. If your tastes tend more to Harry Potter, you’ll l love exploring the production artwork to the original props and costumes used in the movies.
At the end of your tour, it’s fun to step into a replica of the Central Perk Cafe set from the hit TV show Friends. You can actually order a cup of coffee, and lunch options are available Monday- Friday.
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures is located in Culver City. It’s easy to get to from LAX with a rental car. It features a fascinating 2-hour-long studio tour that begins by entering through the studio’s iconic gates. Classic MGM movies like The Wizard of Oz were filmed there. This piece of history is commemorated by a giant rainbow arch sculpture near its entrance. You can even visit the soundstage where Judy Garland recorded the famous song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.
If you are a fan of game shows, you will be in for a treat! It’s fun to visit the set of Jeopardy, one of the longest-running quiz shows on TV. It’s a blast to take a picture of yourself in one of the contestant seats. If the timing’s right, you can also enjoy a taping of Wheel of Fortune.
If you are looking for a walking tour that incorporates a look inside a real working film studio, then this is the ideal tour to check out.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures is next on our list. It’s one of the only big movie studios still located in Hollywood proper. A visit to Paramount will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Famous movies like Forest Gump and The Godfather were filmed on the Paramount lot. You can also see props from these movies and more in the prop warehouse.
It’s a big tour that covers a lot of ground. If you get tired from walking, don’t worry — you can ride in a golf cart for part of the tour to see the sights
After you visit Paramount Studios, stop by for a spooky walk inside Hollywood Forever Cemetery next door. Many famous Hollywood actors and directors are laid to rest here.
Universal Studios Hollywood
Last but not least, Universal Studios Hollywood is probably the best known of the studios because of its theme park. It also offers an impressive studio tour. Best of all, a theme park ticket includes the studio tour, so why not do both?
The tour will feel like another amusement park ride in itself after you become immersed in Universal’s world of special effects. You will experience everything from a 3-D King Kong and dinosaurs battle over your tour vehicle, to experiencing a mock earthquake and a car chase similar to the Fast and the Furious movie series.
Universal tours really isn’t an informative studio tour. It’s more of an immersion into a fun cinematic experience that takes place indoors and outdoors.
Car Rental Makes It Easy
Value Rental Car is great for exploring all that Hollywood has to offer. Their Inglewood location is near LAX, with another location in sunny Pasadena. They offer free pickup and dropoff services within seven miles of either location. A car rental makes it easy to step into the movies with any of these studio tours.