Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood Review: What to Expect with Teens

The Warner Bros Studios Tour was a surprise hit during our recent trip to California. In this post I am sharing details on planning your visit, is it worth it, and my full Warner Bros Studio Tour review to help you decide if you should include it in your next trip.

I did not know what to expect from the Warner Bros Studio Tour. Honestly, I almost skipped it. We had already packed our LA itinerary with Universal Studios Hollywood, Griffith Observatory, and the Hollywood Bowl. I wasn’t sure a studio tour would hold its own against everything else on the list.

It was the highlight of the trip.

What surprised me most was how personal it felt. The Warner Bros Studio Tour is not a theme park attraction or a generic tourist experience. It’s a small group tour through an actual working Hollywood studio, led by a guide who tailors the experience to the people in your group.

Our guide picked up on what we were excited about and leaned into it. The Gilmore Girls set, the DC Universe costumes, the Harry Potter grand finale, it felt curated for us, not scripted for a crowd.

The mix of a guided backlot tour and self-guided exploration is what makes it work so well for teens specifically. There is enough structure to keep everyone oriented and enough freedom to linger at the things that matter most to your family.

Who knows you may even see a celebrity- like we did! More on that later in the post.

Planning your full LA trip? Read our 4-Day Los Angeles Itinerary with Teens for everything we did including Warner Bros, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Bowl, and more.

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Warner Bros Studio Tour Review

My quick review of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour is that it was so much more than I expected. We didn’t even have it as part of our initial LA itinerary but added it last minute.

We ended up staying in Burbank at the Springhill Suites and drove by it each day. Finally on our last day we decided to book tickets and give it a try. This is why I was so happy we left a bit of wiggle room in our itinerary.

The reason we didn’t have it as part of our plans at the start was because it seemed heavy on Friends, Gilmore Girls, and Harry Potter. We enjoy those shows but aren’t super fans- so I didn’t think it would be worth it.

I was wrong and it was such a great addition to our trip. It is one of the things we all still talk about. Let’s get into all the details and my full Warner Bros Studio Tour review to help you decide if it is a good addition to your trip.

Planning your full LA trip? Read our 4-Day Los Angeles Itinerary with Teens for everything we did. Warner Bros, Griffith Observatory, Universal Studios Hollywood, Hollywood Bowl, and more.

The Basics: What to Know Before You Visit

Tickets & Pricing

• Standard tour starts at $79 per adult. There are also VIP tours and special events offered.
• Kids under 5 not allowed
• Book in advance if you have a specific date in mind.
• Purchase tickets here.

Hours & Days

• Open daily.
• First tour 9:00am, last tour begins at 3:30pm
• Plan for 3 hours total- 1 hour guided, 1.5-2 hour self-guided

Getting There

• Located at 3400 Warner Blvd, Burbank CA 91505
• Covered parking is available and allows easy access to the tour. $15.00 for the day.

What to Know Before You Go

• Bring ID, everyone 18+ needs one
• Backlot availability changes daily based on active production.
• Photos and videos are allowed in most areas unless noted. If you enter a set photos and videos are not allowed.
• No two tours are exactly alike, you may see different sets each visit
• The Superman Experience is a new addition (Thursday through Monday 11am-6pm)
• Most exhibits are permanent but some do change. Always check the website to see what is available during your visit.

What You’ll See on the Warner Bros Studio Tour

The tour is broken into 3 parts: The first is the Storytelling Showcase followed by a short movie, then backlot tour, then self-guided tour. Each area has a lot to experience and see.

The Storytelling Showcase

Self-guided section on arrival. Guests start at a large area that tells the story of Warner Brothers. From the 100 years of Warner Bros history, artifacts, letters, address books to Looney Toons memorabilia. Once your ticket is scanned you enter a theater for a short film followed by an introduction of your backlot tour guides.

The Guided Backlot Tour

This was the coolest part for me. With a group of about 10-12 you board your tour bus and your guide takes you through the working backlot. This is very interactive and customizable.

During the tour we talked with our guide and told him more about the shows we were interested in so he could tailor the tour to what we wanted to see. Some of the highlights are:

• Gilmore Girls set- Stars Hollow street, the gazebo, the houses. Many movies and TV shows are filmed in this town courtyard.
• Friends exterior sets- the fountain, the apartment building exterior. Guests will have an opportunity to take photos on the couch in front of the fountain later in the tour.
• Abbott Elementary exterior building, Full House house, and little details and sets from movies.

A unique element of the backlot tour is that it is a working studio. There are productions currently filming and that means you may see a celebrity or working set.

During our tour we saw Seth Rogan driving around scoping out sets for his show, The Studio. We saw him a few times during our tour at different locations on the lot. If you do this tour and watch The Studio you will see many locations that are on the show.

We also had the opportunity to walk through the Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage set. It wasn’t currently filming and we were not allowed to take photos inside the building. I really enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look at what a set looks like.

Overall we spent about an hour touring the backlot. We went inside what was Luke’s diner from Gilmore Girls and our tour guide was very knowledgeable about different movies and TV shows that filmed throughout the backlot.

Stage 48: Script to Screen

After the guided backlot tour guests are dropped off at Central Perk to start their self guided tour. Here guests can purchase snacks and there are interactive elements from Friends, Big Bang Theory and Harry Potter.

What You Will See:

• Current rotating exhibit at Stage 48. Mortal Kombat II is the current exhibit. Sinners ran through April 30, 2026 during our visit. This area features costumes, props, and more from the productions.
• Space Jam Exhibit and other Warner Bros film costume displays.
• Interactive sound effects stations: Takes guests through pre-production, production, and post production. There was a voice over area that was really fun. We got to layer our voice over famous movie scene lines from Harry Potter.
• Friends Central Perk set- sitting on the couch. There is a professional photographer taking pictures here but you can ask if they will take a photo with your camera.
• Big Bang Theory set – Sheldon’s spot. Another photo op.
• Green screen technology demo

After you are finished exploring this area you will board a tour bus to take you over to the Friends fountain for a photo op. This is not a timed portion and guests can board on their own schedule. Once you leave Stage 48 you don’t return so be sure to spend as much time as you would like there.

DC Sets & Costumes

After the Friends fountain guests are dropped off at a new stage to walk through DC sets and costumes. They had all the different Batman suits, which we though was really cool, the Batmobile, and even the Bat signal. If you are a super hero fan you want to spend a bit more time in here.

Harry Potter & The Wizarding World

The next area guests enter is all about the Harry Potter films. There were photo ops, an interactive sorting hat experience (I was Gryffindor) and set props and costumes.

We have visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London and that studio tour is focused on the Making of Harry Potter films. It is incredibly immersive and highly recommended for Harry Potter fans.

The Warner Bros. Studio tour Hollywood has a broader focus that covers years of television and movies. This tour is best for fans of movies, not just one franchise.

Harry Potter fan? If you loved the Wizarding World section here you need to add the Warner Bros Studio Tour London to your bucket list- a completely different and equally incredible experience.

The Superman Experience (new addition)

The Superman Experience is an add-on experience that is a 25 minute interactive gameplay through immersive technology. It runs Thursday through Monday, 11am-6pm and tickets starts at $39.00. This was not available during our visit but looks like a fun activity if you want to spend the day at the studio.

Tips for Visiting Warner Bros Studio Tour Hollywood with Teens

• Share your interests with your tour guide. They will help tailor the tour to what you want to see. Be sure to speak up.
• Wear comfortable shoes. You will be walking a lot on the tour.
• The tour is appropriate for kids 5 and up but may not be as engaging for younger kids. Use your best judgement when bringing kids 9 and under.
• Eat before or after your tour. Grab a snack at Central Perk cafe if you have time.
• The self-guided portion after the tour deserves as much time as the guided portion- don’t rush it
• Check the current Stage 48 rotating exhibit before your visit
• Set realistic expectations about seeing things being filmed or a celebrity. Some sets are closed during production and tour guides will not take you near them. If you do get to experience either, look at it as a bonus, not an expected part of the tour.

Is the Warner Bros Studio Tour Worth It?

Yes! We loved the studio tour. It was a last minute addition to our LA itinerary and it ended up being one of our favorite things that we did. I had no idea what to expect or if we would be interested in the exhibits but I am so happy we decided to give it a try.

The thing that surprised me most about the tour was how many films and tv shows are filmed on the Warner Bros. lot. I wasn’t sure we would enjoy the tour that much because we don’t really watch Friends or Big Bang Theory, and we had done the Harry Potter studio tour in London, but so many things are filmed here.

Fuller House, Two and a Half Men, to the Pitt, Gilmore Girls, Desperate Housewives, The Studio, and Abbott Elementary are a few examples of TV shows that span different networks.

This tour is best for people that love pop culture and want to get a behind the scenes look at movie making. If you don’t enjoy television and film or guided tours, this may not be for you.

Overall I felt the value, it cost us $395.00 for our family of 5, was worth it. There is a lot to see and do, the tour guide is personalized to give you an experience based on your interests, and the self-guided sections can take as long as you’d like. You could spend an entire day here.

Each tour is completely different making this an experience that we would do again on another trip out to Southern California. Plus I love the surprise that you may see a celebrity or a production being filmed.