20th century fox studios tour

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Special Tour

96 Years on the FOX Studio Lot!

Sunday, April 14, 2024

About This Tour

Member presale February 28-March 5 General public sale begins March 6 Become a member to get access to this tour during presale.

Join the L.A. Conservancy for an exciting and rare opportunity to tour the historic FOX Studio Lot! Normally closed to the public, this exclusive tour led by Conservancy guides will give tourgoers the chance to amble along the original ‘streets’ and ‘boulevards’ designed as part of the principal studio’s 1928 master plan. 

The architecturally eclectic lot features everything from Egyptian-themed soundstages to a Storybook chateau, as well as art murals and sites iconic to the studio’s history. Learn more about the history of classic FOX films and see the places where stars like Shirley Temple and Marilyn Monroe spent their downtime between takes.

While predominantly focused on the exterior of buildings, participants will be taken inside the FOX scoring stage to see where soundtracks for films like THE SOUND OF MUSIC were recorded. Tourgoers will also visit the famous New York Street, the outdoor New York City streetscape used in innumerable films and television.  

Amid all the sights, tourgoers will learn how historic preservation is part of the future at FOX, and how the Conservancy works with studios, including FOX, to find common ground between the need to modernize and preserve the past.  

Registration Required

Wheelchair accessible

No photography allowed

No food or beverages allowed (except water)

Ticket Information

General Public

Details & Getting There

Key Information

The tour takes approx. 60 to 90 minutes (about 1 and a half hours) . The route is on flat, relatively level ground , and is wheelchair accessible. Parking at the Fox Studio Lot is included in the price of the tour. The tour is entirely outside, except for one interior.   Dress for an outdoor, day-time event. Please wear comfortable shoes.

Identification:  Event attendees must present identification to be allowed on to the FOX Studio lot. ID must match the information that has been provided to us. We will reach out two weeks prior to the event if you need to make any changes to your guest list.

Meeting Location

Meeting and parking information are provided in the registration confirmation.

Important Policies

• Tour will occur rain or shine.
• The L.A. Conservancy highly recommends but does not require wearing a face mask.
• The L.A. Conservancy highly recommends but does not require being vaccinated against COVID-19.
• If a member of your party is in a wheelchair, please let us know in advance by emailing  [email protected] .

Additional Details

For additional details, see below.

All participants in the Los Angeles Conservancy-sponsored Walking Tours knowingly and freely accept and assume all risks, both known and unknown ,  including contracting and/or transmitting COVID-19 and any other communicable diseases ,  and AGREE TO RELEASE, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, NOT SUE, AND HOLD HARMLESS the Los Angeles Conservancy, its principals, officers, employees, volunteers, sponsors, agents and other participants from any and all claims, damages (including medical expenses and attorneys’ fees), injuries and expenses arising out of, or resulting from your voluntary attendance/participation in Walking Tours, including contracting and/or transmitting COVID-19 and any other communicable diseases and any and all other injury, illness, disability, death, or loss or damage to person or property.  All participants expressly waive the benefits of California Civil Code 1542 , which provides that: “A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.

Major funding for the Los Angeles Conservancy’s educational programs is provided by the LaFetra Foundation and the Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation.

Help Preserve Historic Places in Los Angeles

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Saturday, July 7, 2012

20th century fox studio tour.

4 comments:

What an amazing experience!!

How were you able to get in to tour the lot? I want to do so, but it doesn't seem like Fox allows tours on a regular basis. Thanks for any info or tips you can provide.

From time to time I am invited to preview screenings of film on various lots. These pictures were taken one of those times. It was not a real tour they provided. I just wandered around and took a bunch of pictures, to share.

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This building was originally the Executive Building (before the new HQ building was constructed) and is now known as the Bochco Building, named after Steven Bochco (creator, exec.producer & writer of NYPD Blue and Doogie Howser M.D. amongst others) 

Building 22

Building 29.

Used for post-production, this complex of facilities was originally Stages 3 and 4.

Building 32

Building 41.

This is the oldest building on the lot, and was originally the stables for Tom Mix’s horses. Before the studio was constructed, the whole area was dirt / grass, with the stable block in the middle of it, and Tom Mix’s house in the corner.

Building 52 – Hall of Music

Gloriously atmospheric Romanesque courtyard with a fountain, designed to inspire musicians to create great works. 

Seen on Screen: Fox Studios [Hall_of_Music]

Building 80 the old writers’ building.

The building was featured in various movies and TV shows. It features as a restaurant exterior in X Files (episode En Ami). Steven Bochco had an office in the building, along with many other writers working on Fox TV shows.

Building 86 The Stars Building

This building used to house offices for Fred Astaire and Tyrone Power, and the room with the circular window on the ground floor was Marilyn Monroe’s dressing room. The building has appeared regularly in Charlie’s Angels, as well as Peyton Place, X Files etc.

The Commissary at Fox Studios is believed to be the oldest unchanged studio commissary still in existence. It was originally called the Cafe de Paris as it was built on the site of one of the semi-permanent sets, a French restaurant. The star-studded mural featuring Janet Gaynor, Warner Baxter and Will Rogers was unveiled in 1935 and can still be seen to this day. Shirley Temple was added to the design a few years later. The art deco style of the building is delightful. The original studio layout had a circular driveway leading to the commissary. When Darryl F. Zanuck took over the studio in 1935, he brought his own chef with him, who formerly ran a deli in New York. Although the commissary is not open to the public, it has been seen in many Fox movies and TV shows over the years.

Fox Plaza (1987 – present)

Better known as the Nakatomi Plaza, the site of Bruce Willis’ first outing as John McLane in Die Hard, the Fox Plaza building was completed in February 1987 and houses the headquarters of 20th Century Fox. – 492 feet high (150m) – 34 floors – Architects: Scott Johnson, Bill Fain, William L.Pereira. – Owned by The Irvine Company [ Building website ]

Seen on Screen: Fox Studios [Fox_Plaza]

Newman scoring stage, wardrobe department.