California is usually known for its beaches and theme parks. However, there’s something else that California is known for – entertainment! I recently had the opportunity to explore Burbank (home for Walt Disney Studios) and its surrounding area. Want to know where to stay, where to eat, and where to play near Burbank? From working movie studios to a delicious bakery and iconic motel, here are the best things to do in Burbank!
One of the best things to do in Burbank is take a studio tour at Paramount Pictures, which is nearby in Hollywood.
Best Things to Do in Burbank: Where to Eat, Stay and Play
When my family and I travel to California, we usually visit theme parks like Disneyland and LEGOLAND California. However, during The Geekly Retreat, an invite-only entertainment retreat hosted by The Geekly Show, I had the opportunity to explore Burbank, California and loved what it has to offer, especially for movie (and entertainment) fans. As a result, I’m now adding Burbank to places I’d like to visit with my family. My husband and son would love taking a studio tour at nearby Paramount Studios and I’d travel back to Burbank just to eat at Porto’s Bakery! Plus, flying in and out of the Hollywood Burbank Airport is a breeze compared to LAX (the major airport in Los Angeles). Speaking of which…..
The Hollywood Burbank Airport
If flights aren’t too expensive and your schedule allows for it, then I recommend flying into the Hollywood Burbank Airport as opposed to the much more crowded LAX. The Hollywood Burbank Airport is much smaller and easier to navigate and it’s not as overwhelming.
Where to Stay in Burbank
- Safari Inn
During my trip to Burbank, I stayed at the iconic Safari Inn. The Safari Inn website describes itself as “Where History Meets Hollywood” and I have to agree! The Safari Inn has been around since 1955, and has been featured in movies like True Romance, Apollo 13, and The Incredibles.
Safari Inn has been featured in several movies.
From the outside, Safari Inn has the look of a quirky motel. However, the rooms have been completely renovated. The rooms are not only spacious, but also very clean, and also include a mini fridge for guests. While the rooms don’t have closets, there are hangers and an area where guests can hang up some of their clothes. I used it to hang up my evening gown that I wore during the Frozen 2 Red carpet experience 🙂 Not only does the Safari Inn have free wifi, but it also has a complimentary shuttle to and from the Burbank airport as well as Universal Studios Hollywood and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. An advanced reservation is required but I always appreciate it when a hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to its guests.
The rooms at Safari Inn have been renovated.
Where to Eat in Burbank
Porto’s Bakery is popular and for good reason.
- Porto’s Bakery
One of the best things to do in Burbank is eat at Porto’s Bakery. I’m still drooling over the pastries at Porto’s. It’s a very popular place – the lines are very long, but I can see why, especially because the food is delicious. For example, I had a cinnamon roll for breakfast and I’m still thinking about it! The founder of Porto’s Bakery is Rosa Porto, who emigrated to the United States from Cuba. She originally sold cakes that she baked, but the menu quickly expanded to include other pastry items. Porto’s also caters food, so for lunch one day, we were able to eat sandwiches. So good!! I wish there was a location in Arizona, because I’d be there all the time 🙂
Eating at Porto’s Bakery is a must when visiting Burbank.
- Urban Press Winery
There’s a winery in Burbank called Urban Press Winery.
There’s actually a winery in Burbank! I had the opportunity to sample food at the Urban Press Winery and it’s very good. And since it’s a winery, there’s also wine tasting available. I don’t drink alcohol, but the winery does have both red and white wine for those who do appreciate wine 🙂
A sampling of some of the food available at Urban Press Winery.
- Bob’s Big Boy and the Friday Night Classic Car Show
One of my favorite restaurants growing up was Bob’s Big Boy! There aren’t many locations open anymore, but Burbank is home to the oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy in the U.S. Like the Safari Inn, Bob’s Big Boy has its fair share of history. For example, The Beatles dined there once and customers can request to sit at The Beatles Booth! Bob’s Big Boy has also been featured in Heat, a movie starring Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer. And on Friday nights, it hosts the Classic Car Show. Jay Leno (a former late night talk show host who has quite the collection of classic cars) and Brian Wilson (from the Beach Boys) have been known to attend the classic car shows.
Best Things to Do in Burbank: Where to Play
Fans of Transformers will appreciate Bumblebee!
One of the best things to do in Burbank is take a guided Paramount Pictures Studio Tour. Prior to The Geekly Retreat, I wasn’t aware that Paramount Pictures (in nearby Hollywood) was open to the general public for studio tours. Now I know differently! What makes it especially unique is that it’s still a working studio. Not only can guests see filming locations for movies like Star Trek, but popular TV series like This Is Us are also filmed on the lot. For example, I was able to tour the soundstage for Grace and Frankie (starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin). Since it’s still a working soundstage, I wasn’t able to take photos but it was so cool to see the sound stage in person. There’s also a warehouse which houses props from movies like Transformers and Star Trek. I was able to take pictures with Bumblebee and Optimus Prime and pretend to beam myself up in a portal from one of the Star Trek movies 🙂 Guests must be at least 10 years old to take a studio tour, so I plan on taking my son when he’s old enough. As an added bonus, the Hollywood sign can even be seen from the Paramount lot.
Beam me up, Scotty.
- Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is not only a working movie studio, but it’s also a theme park. My husband and I recently took our son and we had a great time. For Universal Studios Hollywood tips for first time visitors, click here. For best attractions for young children, click here. And to find out if the express pass is worth it, you can click here. As you can tell, my family and I love Universal Studios Hollywood.
Guests must be at least 8 years old to take the Warner Bros. Studio Tour so this is another studio tour I plan on taking once my son is old enough. During the guided studio tour, guests can walk the backlots that were used for filming TV shows like Friends and also see props used in movies like Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Fantastic Beasts series, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. My son, especially, would love to check out the Batcave-Batmobile collection!
Griffith Park is extremely close to Burbank and is home to the Griffith Observatory (featured in movies like Rebel Without a Cause and the Terminator). But there’s plenty of other things to do, like horseback riding, pony rides, and hiking. I was born in the Los Angeles area so my parents would take me and my sister to ride the ponies at Griffith Park when I was younger. So this is a place that families will enjoy, especially those with younger children.
*The official website cautions that due to limited parking and traffic on the weekends, during the summer, and holidays, the easiest way to visit Griffith Observatory or to take a hike to view the Hollywood Sign is to use public transit (the DASH Observatory shuttle).
As you can see, there are several things to do in Burbank and the surrounding area!
Want to know where to stay, where to eat, and where to play near Burbank? From working movie studios to a delicious bakery and iconic motel, here are the best things to do in Burbank!
I can’t wait to go. Good article.