The San Fernando Valley is often the recipient of jokes thanks to cliché movies like Valley Girls. However, this district is home to many studios that have contributed to what Hollywood is today. Let’s name them and what we can go through.
The Disney Studios are closed to the public as there are no guided tours available. That doesn’t stop us from driving to 500 S. Buena Vista, Burbank to see the giant figures of the 7 dwarfs or the Animation building that’s shaped like the Wizards’ hat and Mickey Mouse heads on the bars.
If you want to be part of a studio audience, NBC TV studios will be a hit for you. Call 818/840-3537 and you may have a chance to get a ticket to one of their shows. The Tonight Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Access Hollywood and many more. There are also tours that cost $8.50.
Universal Studios Hollywood may be overrated to some, but I think it’s a good beginner’s introduction to what goes on behind the scenes. Start your day at Universal early as the crowds gather later in the day. Start with the trolley tours and then progress to other park attractions based on movies and TV like Terminator 2:3D, Jurassic Park: The Ride, Shrek 4-D and the warehouse fire in the film’s draft are just a few. the walks that I will enjoy
Warner Bros. studios also have tours that look at behind-the-scenes activities during movies and TV shows. They take it more seriously than Universal studios though, the tour kicks off with a short documentary and then tours the sets of ER, Friends, Gilmore girls and Rebel Without a Cause for starters. The current production offices of George Clooney and Clint Eastwood can be seen from afar, as can the bungalows the stars used to rest in between takes. Reservations are required for the tours, one week in advance to be sure. Regular tours are $45 but they have a 5 hour deluxe tour for $150.
Besides the studies, is there anything else in the Valley? Oddly enough, thrill seekers can definitely have fun here because Six Flags, Magic Mountain calls it home. Some of the biggest, scariest and fastest roller coasters in the world are here. Roller coaster rides like Scream that drops you 150 feet, Superman: The Escape is a 41-story roller coaster, and Riddler’s Revenge is the fastest standing roller coaster in the world. Weekends are peak days, so printing your ticket online is a good idea to save time.
How about something to feed the mind? The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum is also located in the valley. At 40 Presidential drive Simi Valley, one can see the story of Ronald Reagan’s path to becoming president. From his days as an actor, to Governor, and ultimately his two terms as President of the United States. In one pavilion is also the Air Force One plane used by Ronald Reagan and several other presidents. There are guided tours that are only $12 and the museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
Finally, what would the valley be without shopping? A new open-air complex near Glendale called Americana at Brand will awaken any shopping palate. It offers 75 stores such as Armani, BCBG, H&M and Ed Hardy are some of the examples. This mall is at 300 S. Brand boulevard. So the valley is not so much a place of leisure and shopping as a place of work for many in the entertainment industry.
