2 Best Sights in Los Angeles, California

With a history dating to the early 1920s, the Paramount lot was home to some of Hollywood's most luminous stars, including Mary Pickford, Rudolph Valentino, Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, and Bing Crosby. Director Cecil B. DeMille's base of operations for decades, Paramount offers probably the most authentic studio tour, giving you a real sense of the film industry's history. This is the only major studio from film's golden age left in Hollywood—all the others are now in Burbank, Universal City, or Culver City.

Memorable movies and TV shows with scenes shot here include Sunset Boulevard, Forrest Gump, and Titanic. Many of the Star Trek movies and TV series were shot entirely or in part here, and several seasons of I Love Lucy were shot on the portion of the lot Paramount acquired in 1967 from Lucille Ball. You can take a two-hour studio tour or a 4½-hour VIP tour, led by guides who walk and trolley you around the backlots. As well as gleaning some gossipy history, you'll spot the sets of TV and film shoots in progress. Reserve ahead for tours, which are for those ages 10 and up.

You can be part of the audience for live TV tapings (tickets are free), but you must book ahead.

Tour an actual working studio, visit hot sets, and marvel at the costumes and props from the biggest blockbusters at Warner Bros. Studios. The exterior sets and soundstages here have been used to film some of the most famous TV shows and films in Hollywood, making a visit here a vital part of the Los Angeles experience.

After a short film on the studio's movies and TV shows, hop aboard a tram for a ride through the sets and soundstages used for classics such as Casablanca and Rebel Without a Cause. You'll see the bungalows where Marlon Brando, Bette Davis, and other icons relaxed between takes, and the current production offices for famous directors. You might even spot a celeb or see a shoot in action—tours change from day to day depending on the productions taking place on the lot. Finally, you can spend a couple of hours pretending like you're part of your favorite shows and movies, whether it's at a working replica of Central Perk from Friends or taking part in a Sorting Hat ceremony from the Harry Potter movies.