Burbank

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

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.

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

Get in

By plane

Hollywood Burbank Airport (Bob Hope Airport) (IATA: BUR), 34.1965°, -118.3543°. A major airport for commercial flights serving Burbank, North Hollywood, Glendale, Pasadena, Simi Valley and the surrounding areas in the San Fernando Valley in north/northwestern part of the Los Angeles area. It serves as a western hub for Avelo Airlines with connections to smaller west coast airports in northern California, Oregon, Washington, Las Vegas NV; Ogden UT and Denver/Ft Collins CO. The airport is closer to downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood than Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) which is 20 mi/32 km south of downtown Los Angeles. It is served by:
- Terminal A: American Airlines & American Eagle, Avelo, JetBlue, Southwest.
- Terminal B: Alaska Airlines, Delta & Delta Connection, Spirit Airlines, United & United Express
- JSX 📍 have their own private terminal at Hanger 2 at 4561 W Empire Ave further west of the main terminal.

There are direct rail (see 'By train' in below) and public transportation connections as well as shuttle, taxi and ride share connections to downtown Burbank, downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and the surrounding areas from the main airport terminal.

The next nearest airport for commercial flights from additional domestic and international destinations is Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX) south (via US Hwy 101 & I-405 or I-5, I-110 & I-105) near Santa Monica & Culver City. Travelers flying in with their own aircraft or on private VIP flights can land at Van Nuys (IATA: VNY) west (via US Hwy 101).

By train

There are three train stations in Burbank served by:<br> Amtrak stops only at the Burbank Airport South Station (Bob Hope Airport Station) 📍 located across the street (Empire Ave) from the airport terminal with the following: - Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Runs between San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Oceanside, San Diego and several points in between. - Amtrak Coast Starlight makes an once daily trip in each direction between Los Angeles and Seattle along the same route with the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner between San Luis Obispo and downtown Los Angeles Union Station but with fewer stops then the Pacific Surfliner. From San Luis Obispo it continues to Paso Robles (next stop north) on its way towards Seattle. - Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach offers bus connections to the San Joaquins Train in Bakersfield from multiple places in Southern California including Burbank. Amtrak trains do not stop at the Downtown Burbank Station.

Metrolink Trains stop at Burbank-Downtown Station 📍 located on Olive Ave & Flower St, next to downtown Burbank, with the following: - Antelope Valley Line goes northwesterly from downtown Burbank towards Lancaster through Burbank Airport North Station 📍 (third Burbank station on San Fernando Blvd & Hollywood Way), Sun Valley, Sylmar San Fernando, Newhall, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and points in between. - Ventura County Line goes west and north from downtown Burbank towards Ventura East Station through Burbank Airport South (Bob Hope Airport) Station, Van Nuys, Northridge, Norwalk, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Oxnard, and points in between.

Going the opposite direction from Downtown Burbank, both Metrolink lines go towards the downtown Los Angeles Union Station via Glendale. Both stations offer cross platform connections to Amtrak trains.

By car

Interstate 5 (I-5,The 5, The Golden State Freeway), 34.179°, -118.312°. Interstate 5 connects California with the rest of the western states. From northern and central California, follow I-5 South to Los Angeles, then leave the freeway on any exit between Hollywood Way and Western Ave. From Los Angeles, and regions south of Los Angeles, follow I-5 North to Sacramento then leave the freeway on any exit between Western Ave. and Hollywood Way. Free 2021-03-18
California State Route 134 (The 134, The Ventura Freeway), 34.1563°, 118.3012°. The Ventura Freeway, or CA-134, connects CA-210 to US-101 through the southern end of Burbank. Exit the Freeway between Alameda Ave. and Riverside Dr. to drive through the Ranchero District or by movie studio lots such as Walt Disney Studios. Free 2021-03-18

By bus

The majority of the intercity bus stations and stops for the greater Los Angeles area are located in "Skid Row" east of downtown Los Angeles, downtown Union Station, El Monte, Long Beach, Huntington Beach and/or east L.A. (along Olympic Blvd but can be elsewhere too). To a lesser extent some also have stops in Burbank and North Hollywood with the following:

Flixbus, (bus stop) E Cypress Ave and N 3rd St (Bus will board at the green curb on N 3rd St, east of the intersection of N 3rd St and E Cypress Ave in front of the sign that reads "Colony Theater."), 34.1852°, -118.3120°, +1 855 626-8585. 2018-06-14
Greyhound, (bus station) 11239 W Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood (Small storefront station on W Magnolia & Klump Ave), 34.16505°, -118.37566°, +1-818-761-5119. 2016-04-10
LAX Flyaway, (Union Station bus stop) Patsaouras Transit Plaza (The Patsaouras Transit Plaza can be accessed by a pedestrian tunnel, under the tracks, from Union Station. Stop/ticket desk is in the south end of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza station between Bays 9 & 1.). Direct bus to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from several places in the Los Angeles area. Next nearest stop 7610 Woodley Ave, Van Nuys (at the NE corner of Woodley Ave and Saticoy, next to the Van Nuys Airport) 2019-09-25
Megabus, bus stop at Bus Bay 9 Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station. Goes up to San Francisco (via San Jose or Oakland) on two separate routes. 2016-04-10

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, 34.1521°, -118.3364°, +1 818 972-8687. 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, 34.1790°, -118.3128°. 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, 34.1726°, -118.3335°, +1 818 478-1722. 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, 34.1571°, -118.3257°, +1 818-560-1000. 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. 2022-01-16

Do

Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 West Riverside Drive, 34.1587°, -118.3080°, +1 818 840-9063. A large equestrian center with boarding facilities, a riding school, horse rentals, and access to miles of equestrian trails in adjacent Griffith Park. 2016-04-18
Pickwick Gardens, 1001 Riverside Drive, 34.1606°, -118.3117°. 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, 34.1686°, -118.3455°. 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

Bob's Big Boy, 4211 W Riverside Dr, 34.1524°, -118.3462°, +1 818 843-9334. 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. 2020-11-07
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.), 34.1793°, -118.3196°, +1 818 848-3668. 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, 34.1823°, -118.3047°, +1 818-845-2225. A small plates restaurant with decent wine list. Entrees $9-16
Simmzy's, 3000 W Olive Ave, 34.1566°, -118.3339°, +1-818 962-2500. 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. 2015-03-27

Drink

The Blue Room, 916 S San Fernando Blvd, 34.1748°, -118.3001°, +1 323 849-2779. 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, 34.1807°, -118.3329°, +1 818 557-6561. 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, 34.1519°, -118.3423°, +1 818 842-1900. Rates from $120 to $275 per night.
Courtyard Los Angeles Burbank Airport, 2100 Empire Ave, 34.1913°, -118.3339°, +1 818 843-5500.
Holiday Inn, 150 E. Angeleno, 34.1794°, -118.3080°, +1 818 841-4770. In downtown Burbank close to shopping and restaurants.
Hotel Amarano, 322 North Pass Ave, 34.1559°, -118.3456°, +1 818 842-8887. An upscale hotel near Warner Brothers studios and catering to business travelers.
Marriott Burbank Airport, 2500 Hollywood Way, 34.1938°, -118.3479°, +1 818 843-6000. 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, 34.1973°, -118.3382°, +1 818 848-1680. 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, 34.2007°, -118.3405°, +1 818 843-5955. 1.5 miles from the Burbank Airport.
Residence Inn Burbank Downtown, 321 South First St, 34.1775°, -118.3075°, +1 818 260-8787. 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, 34.1657°, -118.3252°, +1 818 845-8586. 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.

Burbank - city in Los Angeles County, California, United States