‘The Walking Dead’ starts studio tours for first time
Originally posted Saturday, December 1, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
“The Walking Dead” for the first time is opening its Riverwood Studios to the public with special tours.
The studio was purchased by AMC last year for $8.25 million. It has been the home base for the show since 2011.
The tour will run from December 14 through the end of March on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays while the studio is not in use for show production. There will be eight tours a day and each tour will have no more than 15 people.
While Atlanta Movie Tours has been running tours all year around featuring more publicly accessible locations, this is the first time fans will be able to see Negan's former home the Sanctuary, the place where the prison was once located, the Hilltop, Oceanside and the junkyard where Jadis used to preside. The location where Negan killed Glenn and Abraham will also be highlighted for sure. (The Kingdom, by the way, is located at Tyler Perry's studios at Fort McPherson.)
Tom Luse, an executive producer for "The Walking Dead," said the tour is a gift to super fans. The tour guides will be able to impart all sorts of insider knowledge. And since this tour will happen during the winter, fans won't need bug spray.
The 120-acre facility, much of which is covered in forest or pasture, was previously owned by Kudzu Productions Inc. It's 35 minutes south of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport not far from downtown Senoia where the show’s Alexandria has been located for several seasons.
“We’ve had so many people ask us for this for years,” Luse said. “And Senoia has been such a great partner to us. I think the community will benefit by having this. Right now, we’re committed to the off season.” They might consider weekend tours during production season as well.
The tour will consist of:
- 95-minute bus led tour of Riverwood Studios' stages and backlots
- 25-minute bus led tour of Alexandria and the Town of Woodbury
- Commemorative "The Walking Dead Studio Tour" security badge
You can buy tickets here. They are $65 for adults and $45 for children.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
