The ultimate guide for visiting Warner Bros. Studios in Los Angeles

Living in a city that’s a symbol of the film, television, and entertainment industry and not visiting Warner Bros. Studios, the iconic TV and movie studios that brought so many cultural treasures to the world, is… how should we say…? Kinda lame.
So, after many visits to Universal Studios Hollywood, including their award-winning studio tour, we finally decided, after more than a decade of living in Los Angeles, to take the iconic studio tour of Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. And all we can say is… “Why didn’t we do this sooner?!”

Let’s start by saying that the tickets aren’t exactly cheap, but trust us… the price is worth every cent. By the way, there are various discounts available, such as AAA or reduced rates for California residents, and occasionally there are limited edition tours that are usually more special and therefore more expensive.

If we had to sum up this experience in one sentence, it would probably look something like this: Seeing behind the scenes at one of the busiest studios in the world, learning about professional tricks and secrets, walking among active sets, touring a huge prop warehouse, and taking photos against the backdrop of famous sets from iconic series and blockbuster movies—this is just the tip of the iceberg of what you’ll experience on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour!

And…. Action! Let’s Dive In: Explore the Warner Bros. Studio Tour

We’ll start with an important tip—these are meticulously timed tours that depart in small carts with 12 people and a guide every half hour from 9 AM to 3:30 PM (multiple carts depart during each time slot). These tour tickets sell out fast. By the time we went to grab our wallet to secure our spots, we got a notification that the tour for our chosen time slot was already sold out and we had to pick a different time slot. So, first of all, try to book your tickets as far in advance as possible. Secondly, don’t be like us… have your credit card ready ahead of time 🙂

Book Your Tickets for Warner Bros. Studios

From the moment you approach Warner Bros. Studios Burbank and catch sight of their iconic water tower adorned with the familiar logo, the excitement peaks. Even before stepping inside, amidst the posters of their incredible productions, the magic begins to unfold. Wander through the entrance plaza, where you’ll present your online-purchased ticket and receive your studio tour pass. A brief introductory video awaits at the exit door, introducing you to your guide who will lead you on a magical journey into the parallel world of film sets, active soundstages, iconic costumes, and renowned scenery. The tour is divided into an hour or so of a guided tour inside the sets and studios and then an independent tour inside a mini-museum with lots of cool things… but we’ll get to that later.

Unlike the tram tours of Universal Studios, Warner Bros. Studio Tour primarily serves as a gateway to explore on foot, offering up-close encounters with iconic landmarks like Luke’s Diner façade from “Gilmore Girls” and Phoebe’s iconic yellow cab from “Friends,” ready for that nostalgic photo op.

During your guided hour-long tour through sets and soundstages, followed by independent exploration within a mini-museum filled with fascinating memorabilia, discover the secrets behind Warner Bros.’ blockbuster films and TV shows. Gain insights into how they utilize the same set for summer scenes in California and winter scenes in the heart of New York. What else happens on the tour? Well, during the ride and stops for photos inside entire city sets still actively used today (and if you’re lucky, you might even pass through one such set and catch a glimpse of familiar faces), your guide will give you plenty of cool explanations about how things work. For instance, learn how they transform a street with 3 houses into an endless row of buildings, or how a single building cleverly serves as a city hall facade, a public library, a fire station, and residential apartments all at once. Uncover the secrets behind Warner Bros.’ biggest films and discover how they used the same set to shoot summer scenes in California and winter scenes in the heart of New York.

Delve deeper as your guide leads you not only through external film sets but also into closed soundstages where interior scenes are shot. Uncover the dual-purpose spaces, such as a family living room that doubles as a community school hallway, and learn the art of creating natural-looking artificial lighting, changing backgrounds, selecting locations, and much more.

Explore inside massive hangars, each dedicated to a different theme. For instance, discover a whole warehouse filled with Batmobiles from past Batman movies, costumes from the world’s wealthiest superhero, and even the Bat-signal for summoning Batman to battle villains. There’s also an entire hangar dedicated to DC and Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, featuring original accessories and costumes from DC films and beyond. And if that’s not enough, Harry Potter fans will find a treasure trove of surprises on the tour, including original scripts, the wand of sorcery, authentic costumes, and accessories from sets spanning the years, and much more.

Accessories, did we say? One of the moments that truly made us go “wow” was the Accessories Warehouse (crazy, right?) at the studios. Stepping into the door of Warner Bros. Studios’ Accessories Hangar is like entering a parallel universe. Thousands… sorry, hundreds of thousands of items are meticulously arranged by themes, cataloged numerically, organized by colors, shapes, and sizes, and ready for use according to periods, potential uses, forms, and whatever you desire to fit the film’s nature. In short… just visiting this hangar is an experience in itself. Learn from your guide about the process of selecting accessories for sets, see how warehouse staff move and gather accessories, how they arrange them after use, and inevitably, search with your own eyes for familiar accessories and items (spoiler: you will find some).

So if all that wasn’t enough for you, after the guided tour (which takes about an hour and a bit), your guide will bid you farewell, but not before leaving you to wander independently within a sort of museum/archive of the studios. What will you find there? Original scripts signed by the actors, interactive displays, sets from shows like “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory” where you can take photos, green screens where you can participate in famous scenes, and purchase the results afterward (we didn’t purchase one ourselves so we can’t personally attest to the quality of the videos and photos, but we read reviews that claimed the quality wasn’t top-notch, so scrutinize before buying).

During your self-guided tour, which lasts approximately two hours but entirely depends on your pace, you’ll also discover videos featuring auditions by famous actors for roles that likely altered their careers. You’ll encounter original costumes from movies and Oscar ceremonies, original Oscar statuettes (including one available for photo ops), interactive masks where you can see yourself transformed into creatures from “The Lord of the Rings,” learn about how famous scenes were filmed, hear insights on scriptwriting, audition processes, turning an idea into a film, and much more fascinating and captivating aspects of the entertainment world.

At the end, of course, you’ll exit through the gift shop at Warner Bros. Studio Tour, filled with a variety of cool and popular items that will make you say, “I want this!” Luckily, there’s no time limit on lingering in this part of the tour, so take your time because some of the merchandise there is truly worth it and not something you’ll easily find elsewhere.

So after a few great hours at the studio lot, snapping hundreds of photos, and uttering phrases like “Oh, I recognize that from the movie…” or “I want a picture with that!” we wrapped up our fantastic tour at Warner Bros. Studios Burbank thoroughly satisfied and highly recommend it! We even snagged tickets to be part of a TV show audience courtesy of the studio, but you’ll hear more about that in another guide 🙂

Know Before You Go: Warner Bros. Studios Tour

After immersing you into the Warner Bros. Studio Tour experience, here’s a summary of what you need to know beforehand:

• Book Tickets in Advance: Once you know your travel dates, book your tickets as early as possible.
• Search for Coupons and Discounts Online: Verify their reliability before purchasing.
• Schedule Your Tour Earlier in the Day: Avoid the rush and ensure you have enough time to explore without feeling rushed. This may also increase your chances of catching active sets and glimpsing a celebrity.
• Arrive at Least 30 Minutes Early: Parking and security checks can take time; arriving early is always a good idea.
• Read the Guidelines Thoroughly: Know what you can and cannot bring on the tour (large bags might not pass security).
• Age Restrictions: No entry for children under 5, and minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Bring Identification: You’ll need to show ID upon entry (international driver’s license, passport, or any valid ID in English with your photo).
• Be Aware of Active Sets: Some areas may be closed off during your visit due to filming activities.
• No Photography on Active Sets: Your guides will instruct you when photography is prohibited; listen carefully and follow their instructions.