Burbank, CA Summary

The name of Hollywood may be synonymous with the movies, but the studios themselves moved out of Tinseltown long ago; the nitty-gritty business of actually making films goes on over the hills in otherwise hot and boring Burbank. Studio tours include a solid look inside NBC, 3000 W Alameda St, Burbank (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm; $7; tel 818/840-3537), the rather uninspired walk-through for Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Ave, Hollywood (Mon-Fri 9am-2pm; $15; tel 323/956-4552, ), and the technically oriented trek into Warner Bros Studios, 4000 Warner Blvd, Burbank (Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; $33; tel 818/972-TOUR, ). The largest of the old backlots belongs to Universal Studios, whose four-hour tours (summer daily 8am-10pm; rest of year daily 9am-7pm; $43; tel 818/508-9600, ) are more like a trip around an amusement park, with high-tech rides and “evening spectaculars” often based on current movies. The shows are without exception cheesy, but for fans of explosions and pratfalls, they’re an absolute must.