Columbia Ranch, Filming location backlot in Burbank, United States.
Columbia Ranch is a 40-acre (160,000 m2) movie ranch at 411 North Hollywood Way in Burbank, California. Its streets were laid out so cameras could shoot from many angles and make the small lot look larger; most houses were only facades, though some New York Street and Western Street sets had working interiors called Practical Sets. The photograph shows two-story facades with arched ground-floor openings, wooden entrance staircases and a rooftop pipe framework holding round tanks, with a "SMOKE SHOP" sign on the right.
Harry Cohn of Columbia Pictures bought a 40-acre lot at Hollywood Way and Oak Street in Burbank by the end of 1934, solving the studio's shortage of outdoor shooting space. Columbia operated the ranch until 1971, then shared it with Warner Bros. as The Burbank Studios from 1972. After Columbia moved to Culver City in 1990, Warner Bros. became sole owner and renamed it Warner Bros. Ranch.
The ranch's streets were laid out so cameras could shoot from many angles, making six city blocks read as a whole town. Its park fountain, built around 1935, appears in the opening credits of Friends and in Hocus Pocus and 1776. The site also housed Warner Bros. Animation from 2007 to 2023.
The site is generally accessible only with permission or as part of an authorized tour, since it functions as an active production location. Visitors should check in advance what touring options and access policies are currently available.
A central fountain built in 1935 appeared in numerous productions including the television series Friends and the film Hocus Pocus. Though it was later moved to the main Warner Bros. studio, its appearances remain connected to memories of the location for many fans.
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