The Great Hollywood Studios

There was a time when film studios were a dime a dozen. They’re still about a dime a dozen (even adjusting for inflation), but only a handful of the classic studios are still in operation. My husband, Matt, and I made it one of our goals to visit each of these classic studios at least once. We just got back from our tour of the last studio on our list.

Separately, and before we met, we had both visited Universal (1976 for me; circa 1979 for Matt). It has long been mostly an amusement park, but a tram did take my family and me around some of the behind-the-scenes elements. I understand it remains mostly an amusement park, although still a functioning studio.

We hit the jackpot with Warner Bros. and our visits in 1996, 2009 (twice) and 2012. We did the short two-hour tour first ($45/each) and spotted the three women stars from the series “Friends”; then the longer five-ish hour tour ($200/each) that included visits to the prop house, the costume house, travels along the famed back lot streets and lunch in the studio commissary (on the first day of shooting for Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”) and a brief spotting of Johnny Galecki (smoking!), star of the series “The Big Bang Theory.” It was an expensive, but totally-worth-it all-day tour. We returned to Warner’s later that year to attend a taping of “The Big Bang Theory” and then again in 2012 for a taping of “Two Broke Girls.”

Later in the day of our 2009 trip to Warner’s for the long tour, we zoomed over to the once-glittering MGM Studio (now Sony) for a taping of “Rules of Engagement” -- the first time we attended the taping of a television show. Even though neither of us had ever seen this particular show, we did want to experience a taping and this was the only show where we could get tickets. Little of their famed back lot still remains, but we did get to see fragments of some of it.

We had a wonderful backstage tour of the Disney Studio in 2015 ($65/each). It doesn’t really have a back lot any more (what it did have is now a parking garage), but many films are still shot on the grounds, especially “Saving Mr. Banks.” It was really amazing to see the work areas where animated films were made, Mr. Disney’s office, and other sights rarely available to the public -- including the superb archives. (You have to be a member of Disney’s “D23” to even buy tickets for the tours which are only done a few times each year.)

Finally, there was our recent tour of Paramount this year ($178/each). This tour was totally worth the money. It included many departments where we were actually able to speak to employees, watch special effects being made, see historic costumes and props -- and lunch in one of the rehearsal stages. We walked historic New York streets, saw behind the facades of the “buildings,” and learned a lot about the studio. (As an added bonus, I got to meet Matt Lanter of TV’s “Timeless.”)

Top row: 2009 Warner Bros. VIP tour (our second tour). Here is part of the back lot dressed for the short-lived TV series “Eastwick”; a WB VIP Studio Tour ticket; our return to WB to attend a taping of the once-funny TV series “Two Broke Girls.”

Bottom row: Matt and I (fresh from my heart surgery) at our 2015 tour of the Disney Studio; the keepsake badge given to all tour attendees; our recent tour of famed Paramount Studio (including what was once known as the RKO Studio).