- A new Game of Thrones studio tour, which cost $54 million to build, has opened to the public.
- It is located in one of the show's filming locations in Banbridge, Northern Ireland.
- I took the studio tour and saw some of the original sets, props, and costumes.
An official Game of Thrones Studio Tour has opened to the public in Northern Ireland, where much of the series was filmed.
At 110,000 square feet, the tour features a host of original costumes, props and sets used during the filming of the TV show, including the iconic Iron Throne.
The tour is tucked away in Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. The studios are where a significant number of the show's most memorable scenes were shot.
Once a linen plant, the site was adapted by HBO to create a studio for Game of Thrones in 2012. According to the studios' general manager, Brad Kelly, it cost upwards of $54 million to transform the studios into a visitor attraction.
Kelly told Insider that HBO announced plans to create a Game of Thrones visitor attraction in 2018, but the pandemic delayed the project a number of times. It was opened to the public on February 4, and I joined the tour one week later.
The tour is packed with original costumes, props, and sets used in filming. The first section of the tour — Beyond the Wall — features original costumes worn by The Night King and Jon Snow.
One staff member told me that the original model of Wun Wun the giant used in filming was too high to fit inside the studios and had to be arranged in a kneeling position.
The tour is interactive and immersive throughout. It has a section dedicated to production design and art, where you can design your own sigil.
At every stage of the tour, staff were waiting to fill guests in on the small details. One staff member told me that the small budget for the first series meant the costume design team used rugs from IKEA as capes.
I was able to walk right up to these authentic statues to snap some photos. One member of staff - who was also an extra on the show - told me they are true to the actors' heights.
"There's a lot of intimacy in the visitor experience, you can get close to all the design features, the costumes, some of which you wouldn't see when watching the show," Kelly told Insider.
If you're a fan, the most captivating portion of the tour is Winterfell's Great Hall. The hall is home to some of the series' most important moments...
... including when Brienne of Tarth is knighted by Jaime Lannister.
Scenes in the hall were filmed in Linen Mill Studios. According to Kelly, the set remained in its original location and the studio tour was built around it.
The tour features a section dedicated entirely to costumes, where you can see Daenerys Targaryen's white fur coat and Cersei Lannister's coronation gown.
Just across from the costume display, you can see the set of the Dragonstone map room.
There is also an interactive section where you can learn more about the prosthetics used to bring the show's characters to life...
... and you can add your own face to the Hall of Faces.
The armory displays some of the weapons and props which were used on set.
The tour finishes at King's Landing, where you can see the grand map courtyard, small council chamber and King Tommen's living quarters.
The last exhibit is the room containing the Iron Throne. According to one staff member, the series' most famous prop was created using weapons from other film franchises.
After finishing the tour, there's also space for visitors to debrief, buy some food or a souvenir. You can even snap a picture on a replica of the Iron Throne.
According to Tourism Northern Ireland, one in 6 people comes to the region to visit Game of Thrones filming locations, contributing over £250 million ($335 million) to the local economy in total.
Kelly told Insider that he was being "pragmatic" about the revival of Northern Ireland's tourism industry in the wake of the pandemic, but hoped to welcome around half a million visitors to the studios in 2022.
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