Sony Pictures Studios announced that beginning June 14, 2007, visitors will be able to take Twilight Tours of the historic studio every Thursday through September 28.
"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 90 minutes and begin at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby of Sony Pictures Plaza. Free parking is available under the Sony Pictures Plaza building off Madison Ave. in Culver City, between West Washington Boulevard and Culver Blvd.
"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 shoot," said Byrne. "Our visitors also get to see where real Hollywood history was made, from Stage 15 where the Yellow Brick Road once wound through Munchkin Land to Stage 30 where Esther Williams made a splash in the early 1940s. In addition, guests can see props like the motorcycles from GHOST RIDER, the neuralizer from MEN IN BLACK, the proton pack from GHOSTBUSTERS, and the Cryptex from THE DAVINCI CODE, among many others cinema icons."
The Twilight Tour begins with a 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 WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY.
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.
Sony Pictures Ent. is currently the #1 major studio in domestic box office receipts. Over the past year, it has released such popular films as THE DA VINCI CODE, CLICK, TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY, CASINO ROYALE, GHOST RIDER and SPIDER-MAN 3.
For more information about the Twilight Tours, or to make reservations, please call 310-520-TOUR (8687) or 323-520-TOUR (8687). Admission is $25 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 Blvd., Culver City, California, 90232. For further information and directions to the studio, visit
http://www.sonypicturesstudios.com .
