The Universal Studios lot is great, but you have to go to the theme park for that tour. So, take the WB Studio Tour instead, or arrange a tour of one of the other big studios near wherever you're staying (Fox, if you're by the beach). Mostly they're all just huge, generic, windowless warehouses that act as soundstages, but each lot has a block of cool New York City facades; plus, WB has the Gilmore Girls' sweet, fake perfect town and, for some reason, Universal still has its Old West set. Either way, it's just fun to see people in silly costumes driving around in golf carts.

• 1. Warner Brothers Studio
  3400 Riverside Drive, Burbank, CA 91505; 818-972-8687 34.151988-118.336359 Studio Tour