Warner Bros. Studio offers the Classic Films Tour as a variation of its basic studio tour.
Every year, millions of tourists flock to Los Angeles in search of Hollywood. Of course, it’s not difficult to find this district of the city of Los Angeles on a map, but finding what it represents is harder. The Hollywood Sign still perches on the hills, overlooking the Southern California city, but the glamorous Tinseltown it has represented for over a century is more elusive.
Hollywood is still a movie town, basking in the faded glory of its heyday, the Golden Era of the mid-20th century. Although its memories are shadows of these glory days which keep Hollywood’s reputation glamorous and lustrous, there are few destinations in Hollywood itself where you can explore remnants of this glamour.
Of course, you can visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre to see the names and footprints of bygone celebrities, and a few museums have preserved props and other memorabilia from old films and their stars. However, historic locations such as Universal Studios have become elaborate theme parks dominated by modern franchises like “Harry Potter” and “Despicable Me,” offering little of interest to classic film buffs.
However, one experience in Hollywood is an exception to this disappointing state of affairs. There is still a movie studio that offers tours of its historic lot, allowing old movie fans to roam the streets where Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn, and James Cagney filmed their most famous performances 80 or 90 years ago. Since April 2024, Warner Bros. Studio has offered the TCM Classic Films Tour as a specialized variation on its basic studio tour. Partnering with Turner Classic Movies to provide a unique tour that caters to visitors interested in Warner’s history rather than the latest releases, this three-and-a-half-hour tour offers classic film fans the opportunity to explore one of Hollywood’s biggest lots.
Riding the Black and Gold Bus
Warner Bros. Studio offers several types of tours each day, but only one of these is the TCM Classic Film Tour. However, there are multiple opportunities for this tour throughout the day, because they transport excited fans around the lot in small shuttles that can only hold around 13 guests, plus a tour guide. These shuttles are open on the sides, making them more like golf carts than buses, so it’s easy to see the attractions on either side. All the tours use these shuttles, but TCM Classic Films Tour takers get to ride in glamorous black and gold shuttles, reflecting the studio’s Golden Era.
