The name of Hollywood may be synonymous with the movies, but the studios themselves, if they were there at all, moved out of Tinseltown long ago; the nitty-gritty business of actually making films goes on over the hills in otherwise boring Burbank.

Studios offering tours include NBC, at 3000 W Alameda St (Mon–Fri 9am–3pm; tel 818/840-3537; $7), and the technically oriented Warner Bros Studios (Mon–Fri 9am–4pm; tel 818/954-1744; $30). The largest of the old backlots belongs to Universal Studios, whose four-hour tours (summer daily 8am–10pm; rest of year daily 9am–7pm; tel 818/508-9600; $38) are more like a trip around an amusement park, with high-tech rides and “evening spectaculars” often based on current movies. The shows are without exception cheesy, but for fans of fireworks or high kitsch, they’re an absolute must.