SONY PICTURES STUDIOS TO OFFER TWILIGHT TOURS
Visitors Can Discover One Of World’s Most Famous Studio Lots
On Thursday Evenings From June 26 To October 2
Culver City, CA -- Sony Pictures Studios announced today that beginning June 26, visitors will be able to take Twilight Tours of the historic studio every Thursday through October 2nd.
“From The Wizard of Oz to Spider-Man 3, this is the lot where dreams are made,” said Pam Byrne, Director of Studio Services. “Now people can enjoy warm summer evenings by experiencing the glamour and history of Sony Pictures Studios. Our Twilight Tours offer the perfect opportunity to treat family, friends and out-of-town guests to a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable Hollywood experience.”
The tours last approximately 2 hours and begin at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Sony Pictures Plaza Building. Free underground parking is available in the Plaza Building, with the entrance off Madison Avenue between West Washington and Culver Boulevards. Upon checking in at the tour department, guests can view costumes and props like the motorcycles from Ghost Rider, the neuralizer from Men in Black, the proton pack from Ghostbusters, and the Cryptex from The Da Vinci Code, among many others cinema icons.”
“This is a working studio, so people walking the lot during their tour may have a chance to see an actual set for a motion picture or television show or, on occasion, actors and extras on the lot for a nighttime shoot,” said Byrne. “Tour guests in the evening enjoy a leisurely stroll around a more relaxed environment than the hustle and bustle of daytime production activity, and they typically have the advantage of being able to access more areas of the lot at night.”
The Twilight Tour begins with a brief video about the studio’s history. From there guests walk through the Madison Gate, tracing the footsteps of famous stars who made history throughout the lot. Visitors can often see actual Oscar® statuettes celebrating a number of Columbia Pictures’ “Best Picture” awards, as well as Scoring and Foley stages, and the sets of shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
Movies were first made on the site of Sony Pictures Studios back in 1915, when Ince/Triangle Studios set up shop there. It was taken over by famous Hollywood pioneers D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett and later sold to Samuel Goldwyn. In 1924, MGM Studios began making movies on the lot and continued for nearly sixty years. Sony Pictures acquired the site in 1990 and began a rehabilitation of the studio that was completed in 1997.
“Our visitors get to see where real Hollywood history was made,” said Byrne. “This is the lot where the Yellow Brick Road once wound through Munchkin Land and Esther Williams made a splash in the early 1940’s.” The latest in a long line of popular films released by Sony Pictures Entertainment is Hancock, opening nationally on July 2.
For more information about the Twilight Tours, or to make reservations,
please call 310-244-TOUR (8687).
Admission is $28 per person.
Discounted rates for group and student tours are available. Children 12 and older are welcome. Dress weather appropriate, and this is a walking tour, so please wear comfortable footwear. Sony Pictures Studios also offers tours during the day, Monday-to-Friday. Sony Pictures Studios is located at 10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. For further information and directions to the studio, visit www.sonypicturesstudiostours.com. Twilight tour tickets can be purchased online at www.sonypicturesstudios.tix.com.