You’re standing at the corner of Hollywood Way and Olive Avenue in Burbank, and honestly, the scale of the place is intimidating. To your left, there’s a water tower that’s basically a global icon. In front of you? 110 acres of literal movie history. Navigating the Warner Bros lot map isn't just about finding Stage 24 where Friends lived for a decade; it’s about understanding a sprawling, working city that has its own fire department, its own commissary, and its own very strict rules about where you can and cannot walk.
If you look at the bird's-eye view, the lot looks like a chaotic jigsaw puzzle of soundstages and fake city streets. It's a mess. But it’s a functional mess. Most people think they can just wander in and find the Batmobile. Nope. Security is tighter than a drum, and if you aren’t on a manifest or holding a guest badge, you’re staying behind the gates. The "Front Lot" is where the heavy lifting happens—those massive, windowless beige boxes—while the "Backlot" is where the magic (and the fake rain) lives.
Why the Layout is Actually a Genius Engineering Feat
The geography of the Warner Bros Studio is divided into distinct zones that haven't changed much since the 1930s. You have the soundstages, the backlot sets, and the production offices. If you’re looking at a Warner Bros lot map, you’ll notice the soundstages are numbered. Stage 1 is near the center. Stage 16 is the "Tall Stage," one of the highest in the world. They literally dug out the floor and raised the roof so they could film The Old Man and the Sea and later, the massive water scenes in Aquaman and Dunkirk.
Why does this matter to you? Because the layout dictates the "vibe" of your visit. The North side of the lot is mostly business. The South side is where the New York streets and Midwest towns are.
It’s a weird feeling. You can walk ten feet and go from a dusty 1800s Western town to a high-end Chicago brownstone. This is "Midwest Street," arguably the most famous part of the map. It’s where Gilmore Girls was filmed—Stars Hollow is basically just a circular patch of grass surrounded by fake facades. When Pretty Little Liars moved in, they just repainted the houses. That’s the secret of the lot: everything is a lie, but a very expensive, very detailed one.
Navigating the Soundstages: The Concrete Giants
The soundstages are the heartbeat of the studio. There are 37 of them. Some are legendary. Stage 24 is "The Friends Stage." You can’t just walk in there while they’re shooting, obviously. The red light above the door is the universal "do not enter" sign in Burbank. If that light is spinning, you stay put. Even if you're a high-powered exec, you don't ruin a take.
The stages are clustered in the center of the Warner Bros lot map.
- Stage 16: As mentioned, it's the giant. It has a massive tank that holds over two million gallons of water.
- Stage 12: Known for its history with massive musicals and recently, huge DC superhero sets.
- **Stage 1: ** This is often used for talk shows or sitcoms because it's close to the main entrance and the audience holding areas.
The technical infrastructure buried under these stages is mind-blowing. We’re talking miles of fiber optics, cooling systems that could freeze an industrial warehouse, and soundproofing thick enough to block out the roar of the nearby 134 freeway. If you're looking at a map and see a bunch of squares labeled 1 through 30, just know that inside those squares, literally anything from a Martian colony to a 1920s jazz club currently exists.
The Backlot: A Tour of Fake Real Estate
The backlot is the reason people buy tour tickets. It’s divided into specific "neighborhoods."
New York Street is the one you’ve seen a thousand times. It has the classic fire escapes and the subway entrances. Fun fact: the "subway" is just a staircase that leads to a concrete wall about six feet down. If you see Toby Maguire’s Spider-Man kissing Mary Jane in the rain, they were right there. But if the camera turns an inch to the left, you’re looking at a parking lot.
Then there’s Hennessy Street. It’s designed to look like a gritty urban area. Think Annie or the dark alleys of Gotham City. It was designed by Dale Hennessy, and the forced perspective here is incredible. The windows get slightly smaller as the buildings get taller to make them look like skyscrapers when they’re actually only three stories high.
French Street is tucked away and much smaller. It’s got that European cafe vibe. It’s also where the cafe from La La Land was located (though that was a built set inside a facade). The Warner Bros lot map shows these as distinct blocks, but in reality, they bleed into each other. You can stand in "Paris" and throw a rock into "London."
The "Jungle" and Other Hidden Spots
Wait, there’s a jungle in Burbank? Sort of.
The Jungle is a wooded area on the lot that has a lagoon. This is where True Blood was filmed, and where Kermit the Frog played the banjo in The Muppet Movie. It’s a tiny patch of land, but with the right camera angles and a lot of fog machines, it looks like the deep South. Recently, it’s been used for various forest scenes in the DC universe shows.
Directly adjacent to the Jungle is the "Park," a manicured green space. It’s the most versatile part of the map. It can be Central Park, a suburban backyard, or a cemetery. It’s all about the props.
🔗 Read more: Wait, What Genre Is A Court of Thorns and Roses Exactly?
The Logistics of a Working Studio
You have to remember that this isn't a theme park. It’s a factory. The Warner Bros lot map includes a massive Prop House. We're talking four floors of stuff. You need a lamp from the 1950s? They have five hundred. You need a specific type of throne for a fantasy epic? It’s in the basement.
The "Mill" is where the sets are built. It’s a massive carpentry shop that smells like sawdust and fresh paint 24/7. This is on the far edge of the lot because it's loud. You don't want a circular saw screaming while someone is trying to record a whispery monologue on Stage 4.
Transportation is another weird quirk. Most people get around on bicycles or golf carts. If you’re walking the lot, watch out for the carts. They don’t stop for pedestrians, especially if they’re carrying a producer who’s late for a table read. The map has designated "cart paths," but it's mostly a free-for-all.
The Famous Water Tower
You can’t talk about the map without the water tower. It was built in 1927 and originally stood right in the middle of the lot. After the Long Beach earthquake in 1933, they realized having a massive tank of water right above the stages was a bad idea, so they moved it to its current spot near the entrance. It doesn't actually hold water anymore. It’s just an empty shell used for branding, but it’s the North Star for anyone lost on the lot. If you can see the tower, you know where the exit is.
Real-World Advice for Visiting the Lot
Look, if you’re trying to use a Warner Bros lot map to "sneak in," give up. The security at Gate 4 and Gate 5 is intense. They check under cars with mirrors.
If you’re there for a tour, you’ll start at the Tour Center on the south end. You’ll be put in a giant golf cart. My advice? Sit on the right side of the cart. Most of the iconic facades on Midwest Street and New York Street are easier to photograph from that side as the carts circulate counter-clockwise.
Also, check the weather. Burbank gets incredibly hot. The lot is mostly asphalt and concrete. It reflects the sun, and the "city streets" provide almost zero shade because the buildings are just shells. Wear comfortable shoes. You think you’re just sitting in a cart, but they’ll let you out to walk through the Prop House or the Batmobile collection (officially called the "Warner Bros. Archive"), and you’ll easily clock two miles of walking without realizing it.
The Evolution of the Map: The Ranch vs. The Main Lot
There used to be a secondary location called the Warner Bros. Ranch, located about a mile north on Hollywood Way. This was where the Bewitched house and the Partridge Family house stood. It’s where the Friends fountain originally lived.
However, things change. The Ranch has been undergoing massive redevelopment to turn it into a modern studio complex with even more soundstages. The fountain was moved to the main lot a few years ago. If you’re looking at an old Warner Bros lot map, you might see the Ranch listed, but for 2026, the action is concentrated on the main Olive Avenue property.
How to Actually Use the Map Information
If you’re a fan or a student of film, don’t just look at the buildings. Look at the "plumbing." Notice how the stages are angled. Notice the massive "Elephant Doors"—the huge sliding doors that allow trucks to drive right onto the stage. These doors are the reason the lot can move so fast. A set can be struck (torn down) and a new one built in 48 hours.
🔗 Read more: How Does Seinfeld End? The Truth Behind the Most Hated Finale in TV History
Understand that the map is a living document. A "park" today might be a "parking lot" tomorrow if a director needs a place to crash a prop plane. The flexibility of the space is why it’s survived for nearly a century.
Next Steps for Your Visit
To make the most of your time on the lot, you should prioritize these three areas:
- The Prop House: Even if you aren't a film buff, the sheer volume of history in this building is staggering. Ask to see the "Presidential" section—they have furniture used in almost every movie involving the White House.
- Stage 48: Script to Screen: This is a permanent exhibit at the end of the tour. It’s where you can see the Central Perk set and the Big Bang Theory set. It’s the only place you can really take your time without a guide rushing you.
- The Archive: The rotating costumes and props change based on what’s currently in theaters. If there’s a new DC movie or a Dune sequel, this is where the actual screen-used items end up.
Keep your eyes peeled. You’ll often see "sides" (small snippets of scripts) lying around or production signs with codenames. If you see a sign that says "Blue Harvest" or something nonsensical, that’s a fake title used to keep fans away from a real set. That's the real way to read the Warner Bros lot map: look for what they aren't telling you.