Burbank

The self-declared "Media Capital of the World", Burbank is a small city in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, in the Los Angeles area. It is the home of the headquarters and primary studios of Warner Brothers and Disney, and of the animation studios of Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.

For other places with the same name, see Burbank (disambiguation).

Understand

Although commonly thought to be named for agricultural researcher Luther Burbank, the city is actually named after its founder David Burbank, a dentist, farmer, and entrepreneur.

Climate

Burbank
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       3.5     68 42       4.5     68 44       3     70 46       1.1     73 50       0.4     76 55       0.1     81 59       0     87 62       0.1     88 62       0.2     86 60       1     80 54       1.1     73 46       2.4     67 41 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches    Data from NOAA (1981-2010)
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       89     20 6       114     20 7       76     21 8       28     23 10       10     24 13       2.5     27 15       0     31 17       2.5     31 17       5.1     30 16       25     27 12       28     23 8       61     19 5 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

Get in

• 🌍 Bob Hope Airport (BUR  ^IATA). Served by Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, SeaPort, Southwest, and United. A free shuttle connects the airport to the Metro Rail station in North Hollywood and the Metrolink station in Downtown Burbank.  

A train station served by the Metrolink Antelope Valley and Ventura lines across from Downtown Burbank on the other side of the 5 freeway; pedestrian access is via Olive Avenue bridge across the freeway and rail tracks. A second Metrolink station is next to Bob Hope Airport and is served by the Ventura County line and by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train. The Antelope Valley line runs seven days a week, while the Ventura line only runs on the weekdays.

Get around

Public transit service in Burbank is spotty; as with most of Los Angeles, most people tend to drive, so you may find yourself the only one heading to the bus stop after your TV taping or studio tour. The city has its own bus system, Burbank Bus, with a few routes that link major destinations in the city, but service only runs during the weekday rush hours, making it of limited use for the casual visitor.

More extensive service is provided by the Los Angeles-wide Metro system, which has multiple bus routes serving Burbank. Among the more frequent Metro routes are the #94 and (weekday only) Metro Rapid #794 along San Fernando Blvd and Empire Ave, the #164 along Victory Blvd, and the #165 along Empire Ave; all of these routes pass through Downtown Burbank, and the 94/794 and 165 stop near the airport. Less frequent but of note are the #155 along Olive Ave, which connects Downtown Burbank to the studios and Universal City, and the #222 along Hollywood Way, which stops near the airport and connects directly to Hollywood.

See

• 🌍 Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour, 3400 Riverside Dr, ☎ [phone]. M-F 8:15AM-4PM (extended hours in summer). Tours of the Warner Brothers lot are conducted in twelve-person carts that visit the backlot sets, soundstages, production facilities, and the Warner Brothers museum. Reservations are offered for the first three tours each day and for the following day's tours, otherwise tours are on a first-come, first-served basis. $54 per person for the two hour and fifteen minute standard "VIP" tour, with a five hour "deluxe tour" offered for $250 per person; parking $7. 
• 🌍 Downtown Burbank. Shops, movie theaters, eateries, etc., on San Fernando by the mall. Take the 5 and get off on the "Olive" exit. That should put you in the thick of things. 
• 🌍 Martial Arts History Museum, 2319 W. Magnolia Blvd, ☎ [phone]. Th-Su 11AM-6PM. The world's first martial arts history museum is a cultural and educational look at how Asian history became part of American history through the martial arts. The museum takes about 40 minutes to visit. $6 Adults, $3 Children (6-12). 
• 🌍 Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street. Completed in 1940, this expansive lot serves as the corporate headquarters for the Disney company and contains its primary film, television, and animation production facilities. Tours of the studio are not available to the general public. There are only two ways to tour the studio if you are not employed there: one is through Adventures by Disney, which offers a tour of the studio as part of their pricey six-day, five-night Southern California tour package. A far less expensive way is by becoming a member of D23, Disney's official fan club, which occasionally offers member-exclusive tours of the studio. (updated Oct 2015)

Do

• 🌍 Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 West Riverside Drive, ☎ [phone]. A large equestrian center with boarding facilities, a riding school, horse rentals, and access to miles of equestrian trails in adjacent Griffith Park. (updated Apr 2016)
• 🌍 Pickwick Gardens, 1001 Riverside Drive. Very attractive place, but don't forget to visit the ice rink and the bowling alley. 
• Television show tapings. TV audiences are needed for tapings of all manner of television productions, in particular game shows and sitcoms. Burbank is home to the production facilities for many shows produced by, among others, ABC, Disney, TBS, and Warner Brothers. You can get tickets online usually free of charge from sites like tvtickets.com, tvtix.com, and on-camera-audiences.com, although if you have a particular show in mind your best bet might be to go to the show's website itself. 

Buy

• 🌍 Dark Delicacies, 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd, toll-free: +1-888-DARK-DEL (3275-335). Tu-F 10AM-7PM, Sa Su 11AM-6PM, closed M. The U.S.'s only all-horror bookstore. The owners are very friendly and anything horror-related will be here. Weekly signings (especially on Saturdays). 

Eat

The Oldest Remaining Bob's

• 🌍 Bob's Big Boy, 4211 W Riverside Dr, ☎ [phone]. The oldest remaining Bob's, built in the 1950s. A national landmark, this diner is a short distance from the Warner Brothers Studio main gate, and celebrity sightings are common. Drew Carey in particular is seen frequently eating burgers here. 
• 🌍 Burger King, 545 N Victory Blvd (Victory Blvd and Cypress Ave, in front of a 'Hobby Lobby' store, in a strip mall along west side of Victory Blvd.), ☎ [phone]. Filming location of Doc Brown's garage (or at least the facade in 1985) and the opening credits of Back to the Future. Filming took place in the south parking lot, by the drive through lane of the restaurant. 
• 🌍 Commonwealth Restaurant, 222 S. Glenoaks Blvd, ☎ [phone]. A small plates restaurant with decent wine list. Entrees $9-16. 
• 🌍 Simmzy's, 3000 W Olive Ave, ☎ [phone]. This friendly neighborhood pub comes via South Bay to the heart of Burbank, making it ripe for the studio-folk who live and work in the area. Try the burger and fill up a pint of craft beer in the expansive digs. (updated Mar 2015)

Drink

• 🌍 The Blue Room, 916 S San Fernando Blvd, ☎ [phone]. A kitchy bar where the locals hang out. Everything is colored blue, and the drinks are cheap. Featured in a bunch of movies. 
• 🌍 The Park Bar & Grill, 2007 W. Burbank Blvd, ☎ [phone]. A must-visit bar for Eastside LA Packer fans! A dive/sports bar with pool tables and TVs. Serves bar food and breakfast (during football season). Gets crowded for big Packer games and Monday night football. 

Sleep

• 🌍 Best Western Media Center Inn & Suites, 3910 W Riverside Dr, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Rates from $120 to $275 per night. 
• 🌍 Courtyard Los Angeles Burbank Airport, 2100 Empire Ave, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. 
• 🌍 Holiday Inn, 150 E. Angeleno, ☎ [phone]. In downtown Burbank close to shopping and restaurants. 
• 🌍 Hotel Amarano, 322 North Pass Ave, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone], fax: [phone]. An upscale hotel near Warner Brothers studios and catering to business travelers. 
• 🌍 Marriott Burbank Airport, 2500 Hollywood Way, ☎ [phone]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. 488 rooms including 20 PURE allergy friendly rooms. 46,000 feet of meeting space. 
• 🌍 Quality Inn Burbank, 2255 N. Buena Vista St, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. A half mile from the airport, this hotel is a bit run-down but is near the freeway and within driving distance of all major sites. Rates from $82 to $120 per night. 
• 🌍 Ramada Burbank Airport, 2900 N. San Fernando Blvd, ☎ [phone]. 1.5 miles from the Burbank Airport. 
• 🌍 Residence Inn Burbank Downtown, 321 South First St, ☎ [phone]. 166 guest suites, with full size kitchens, separate living and sleeping areas, free in-room wireless high speed internet and iPod docking stations. 
• 🌍 Safari Inn, 11911 W. Olive Ave, ☎ [phone]. Small 1950s or 60s-style hotel with palm trees and kind of a hip kitch. If you saw Quentin Tarantino's movie True Romance, you'll recognize it. 

Go next

• Hollywood. Tinsel town is a must-see for any visitor to the Los Angeles area.

Routes through Burbank

Sacramento ← North Valley ←	N  S	→ Glendale → Downtown L.A.
Studio City ← North Hollywood ←	W  E	→ Griffith Park → Pasadena
Santa Barbara ← Van Nuys ←	N  S	→ Glendale → Los Angeles