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“Home of Thrones” Game of Thrones Studio Tour opens next year

By John Freeman on May 20, 2019

Winterfell, as seen in Game of Thrones. Credit: Home Box Office, Inc.

Already pining for more Game of Thrones? Then you’re in luck, especially if you’re a fan living in Northern Ireland. Inspired by the renowned HBO Series, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour will open Westeros to everyone in Spring 2020, at the Linen Mill Studios, Banbridge, Northern Ireland.

Showcasing authentic sets, costumes and props from all seasons of the hit series, including the eighth and final season which has just ended its first run on HBO and Sky Atlantic, this engaging, enchanting tour will allow fans to truly step inside the world of Westeros and beyond.

Game of Thrones Dragonstone Map Room. Image: Home Box Office, Inc.

Game of Thrones Dragonstone Throne Room. Image: Home Box Office, Inc.

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour, comprising the imagery, sets, original props and costumes, and other behind-the-scenes items from the show, will drop fans in the very heart of the Seven Kingdoms. Guests will be treated to an up-close and personal look at a wide selection of items pulled straight from the screen and have the opportunity to walk through authentic set pieces from some of the show’s most iconic scenes.

In collaboration with HBO Licensing & Retail, Linen Mill Studios are designing and building the new 110,000-square-foot interactive experience and will open its gates for visitors in Spring 2020, the first in a series of Game of Thrones Legacy projects first announced by HBO last year.

Located within Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland – the original filming location used for many iconic scenes throughout the run of the series – the tour will bring visitors face-to-face with original set pieces, costumes, props, and weapons used to create the worlds of Westeros and Essos.

Featuring a mix of behind-the scenes insights, interactive elements, and expansive, fully dressed sets, visitors will wander in the very footsteps of Westeros’s most prominent residents, re-living key moments from the series and standing right where they took place.

In anticipation of the tour’s opening in Spring 2020, a world-class creative team are working closely with Linen Mill Studios and HBO to bring the dynamic environments of both Westeros and Essos to life in a new format. The deeply immersive and sensory experience will evoke the show’s magnificence from King’s Landing, Winterfell, Dragonstone, The Wall and the lands beyond, to kingdoms across the Narrow Sea like Mereen and Braavos.

Game of Thrones – Cersei’s Courtyard. Image: Home Box Office, Inc.

The Game of Thrones Studio Tour will allow fans from around the world to experience the craftsmanship and artistry of the show’s production team, as part of the largest authentic public display of series artefacts in the world.

The Studio Tour will also feature a first-of-its-kind collection of informative displays highlighting the production spaces and the craftsmanship and artistry of the creative teams who brought the epic series to life. Information about Production Design and the Art Department workshops will enhance the visitor experience along with an interactive Costume Department station, displays about the Make-up and Prosthetics Shop, The Armoury, and others.

“It is our sincere pleasure to announce the first attraction from the Game of Thrones Legacy project in Northern Ireland, ,” said Jeff Peters, vice president, licensing & retail, HBO, when the Tour was first announced last month. “Some of the most iconic scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed at Linen Mill Studios and our fans will soon have an opportunity to visit and see the work of the show’s incredible crew in the museum setting it deserves.

The Black Mess Hall. Image: Home Box Office, Inc.

“Linen Mill Studios is thrilled, in partnership with HBO, to have this opportunity to offer fans a unique insight into the making of the Game of Thrones series in the authentic setting of one of its foremost filming locations,” said Andrew Webb, Managing Director of Linen Mill Studios. “We are committed to giving fans the opportunity to experience firsthand the most comprehensive selection of iconic elements from the show available anywhere in the world.

“Northern Ireland is very proud to host the epic adventure that is the production of Game of Thrones. Almost from the start fans of the show from near and far along with those that are just culturally curious have sought out and enjoyed visiting the public locations featured in the show. It’s now really exciting that Linen Mill Studios, one of the film studios used by Game of Thrones from the start, is soon to become open to the public as a visitor experience.

“It is brilliant that this visitor experience is being built and developed on top of the genuine film studio where many of the most iconic Game of Thrones scenes were filmed,” said Richard Williams, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Screen.

“We very much welcome this exciting announcement. Game of Thrones has transformed Northern Ireland into a leading international screen tourism destination, bringing many more visitors and fans of the show to Northern Ireland to explore the stunning landscapes, coastlines and mountains showcased in the series.

“The new attraction will also allow visitors to see the authentic sets and costumes and learn how Game of Thrones was made,,” said John McGrillen, Chief Executive of Tourism NI. “The Studio Tour location at the Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, midway between Belfast and Dublin, can be easily reached by the 11 million people who visit the Island of Ireland each year as well as providing even more reasons for international tourists to visit.

“I commend both Linen Mill Studios in recognising the increasing opportunity in screen tourism here and HBO’s commitment to Northern Ireland as the ‘Home of Thrones’. I have no doubt this investment will deliver a world-class visitor experience.”

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John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.