Studio Tours
 

Which studio tours would you recommend for a family with children ages 11 & 7? We will be in LA in April. Or any other suggestions to get a taste of Hollywood without getting too "cheesy". We're not interested in any of the "See the Stars' homes" type things. Thanks?

How on earth do you expect to get a taste of Hollywood without getting cheesy?!

With CityWalk outside the front gate, and all the rides and attractions inside, I think Universal would be fun for your kids.

Although Anonymous is kinda right, one CAN class the whole Hollywood thing up.

Your kids will enjoy the Universal Studios tour, since there's a theme park associated with the place, but it's still a working TV and movie studio, so it does give you a taste of the backstage process. Warner Brothers does a less theme park-ish tour.

The Hollywood/Highland complex is kind of "Hollywood as a shopping mall", but worth a trip. The Walk of Fame is all around it. Grauman's Chinese is there as well, and down the street is the old Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel-- full of Hollywood history (and a coupla ghosts). Cheesy, maybe a bit sleazy, but essential.

You might check out a TV taping while you're there.

The Warner Brothers tour was my favorite because we got to walk around on the sets, including outdoor sets, Friends, and ER (this was a couple years ago). Since they've added a museum, which is supposed to be good.

I haven't done the studio tours since 9/11 and don't know how they've changed, but Warner Brothers was the best. They used to take a small group of about eight people on golf carts around the lot. Then you would pop into a rehearsal, if available, and see what was happening.

Paramount is good, but is mostly old time sites visited. Universal is a theme park although it is a working studio. It still feels like a theme park and not real.

The biggest problem you might encounter is that I don't think a seven year old can go on most studio tours. So you may have to do the Universal Park one.

I think WB has a minimum age of 12.

Sony is now advertising studio tours as well. They're located in Culver City.