Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
192
be 12 or older to take the tour, and cameras and recording equipment are
verboten.
Tip:
After the tour , hav e lunch at the P aramount S tudio's world-famous commissar y; y ou
never know who might drop in for a bite, and the food 's pretty darn good.
5555 Melrose Ave. (btw. Gower St. and Van Ness Ave.), Hollywood.
&
323/956-1777.
www.paramount.
com. Tours $35 per person b y advance reservation only. Mon-Fri 10am-2pm. F ollow signs to parking
garages.
Sony P ictures Studio Tour
Although it doesn 't hav e quite the same historical
cachet as Warner Brothers or Paramount, a lot of movie history was made at this Culver
City lot. Four scenes from the Wizard of Oz were filmed here when it was MGM S tu-
dios, and although the Yellow Brick Road once ran through the lot, it's no longer there.
What you will see on the 2-hour walking tour: sets from modern thrillers like
Spiderman,
and an oppor tunity to dr op in on the ne w
Jeopardy!
set (updated in 2009 for its 25th
anniversary) or
Wheel of F ortune
when they ar en't filming or on hiatus. B ut the main
reason for the tour is the chance to catch a glimpse at the stars who wor k here (it's one
of the busiest studio lots in the world). Tours depart from the Sony Pictures Plaza near
the parking lot; be sur e to call ahead and make a r eservation.
Note:
Children under 11
are not admitted, and you must bring a photo ID.
10000 W. Washington Blvd. (entrance Madison Ave.), Culver City.
&
310/244-8687.
www.sonypictures
studios.com. Tours $28 per person, depar ting Mon-Fri at 9:30am, 10:30am, 1:30pm, and 2:30pm. Phot o
ID required. Free parking.
Warner Bros. Studios
The Warner Brothers' “VIP Tour” takes visitors on a 2
1
/
4
-
hour jaunt ar ound the world 's busiest mo vie and TV studio. After a brief intr oductory
film about the histor y of WB, groups of 12 pile into str etch golf car ts for an intimate
view of the inner wor kings of a motion pictur e and television studio: back-lot str eets,
sound stages, sets, and craft shops. B ecause nothing is staged ther e's no telling what or
who you might encounter, and no two tours ar e the same. The tour ends with a visit to
the Warner Bros. Museum, which contains original costumes, pr ops, sets, scripts, and
correspondence from classic WB films and television sho ws. Advance tickets are recom-
mended and av ailable online via their w ebsite, or b y calling
&
866/777-8932;
other-
wise, tickets are sold the day of the tour on a first-come, first-served basis.
Note:
Children
7 and under are not admitted, you must bring valid photo ID, and they recommend you
show up about 30 minutes befor e the tour starts.
3400 R iverside Dr. (entranc e on Warner Blv d.), Burbank .
&
818/972-8687.
w ww.wbstudiotour.com.
Advance r eservations r ecommended. Tours $45 per person, depar ting M on-Fri ev ery half-hour bt w.
8:20am-4pm (extended hours during spring and summer). Follow signs to parking garages: $5.
7
SIGHTSEEING TOURS
Bus/Van Tours
L.A. Tours
(
&
323/460-6490;
www.latours.net) operates r egularly scheduled tours of
the city. Plush shuttle buses pick up riders fr om major hotels for morning or afternoon
tours of Sunset Strip, the movie studios, the Farmers Market, Hollywood, homes of the
stars, and other attractions. D ifferent itineraries are available, from Downtown and the
Music Center to Disneyland, Universal Studios, or Six Flags Magic Mountain. Tours vary
in length fr om a half-day B eaches & S hopping tour to a full-day G
rand City tour .
Advance reservations are required.
The other major tour company in L.A. is
Starline Tours
(
&
800/959-3131;
www.starlinetours.com)—you'll see their air-conditioned minibuses, double-decker B ig
Red buses, and open-air tr olleys all over the city. Since 1935, Starline has been offering
