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

The self-declared "Media Capital of the World", Burbank is a small city located in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, in the Los Angeles area. It is noted as the home of the headquarters and primary studios of Warner Brothers and Disney as well as the animation studios of Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.

Understand

Although commonly thought to be named for notable agricultural researcher Luther Burbank, the city is actually named after its founder David Burbank, a dentist, farmer, and entrepreneur.

Climate

Burbank
Climate chart (explanation)
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3.5
 
 
68
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4.5
 
 
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1
 
 
80
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1.1
 
 
73
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2.4
 
 
67
41
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation+Snow totals in inches
See Burbank's 7 day forecast    Data from NOAA (1981-2010)
Metric conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
 
89
 
 
20
6
 
 
 
114
 
 
20
7
 
 
 
76
 
 
21
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28
 
 
23
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10
 
 
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2.5
 
 
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0
 
 
31
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2.5
 
 
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5.1
 
 
30
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25
 
 
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12
 
 
 
28
 
 
23
8
 
 
 
61
 
 
19
5
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

Get in

Burbank has its own airport, 1 Bob Hope Airport (BUR), served by Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, SeaPort, Southwest, and United. A free shuttle connects the airport to the Metro Rail station in North Hollywood and the Metrolink station in Downtown Burbank.

A train station served by the Metrolink Antelope Valley and Ventura lines is located across from Downtown Burbank on the other side of the 5 freeway; pedestrian access is via Olive Avenue bridge across the freeway and rail tracks. A second Metrolink station is located next to Bob Hope Airport and is served by the Ventura County line as well as Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train. The Antelope Valley line runs seven days a week, while the Ventura line only runs on the weekdays.

Get around

Map
34°10′54″N 118°19′33″W
Map of Burbank

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

  • 1 Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour, 3400 Riverside Dr, ☏ +1 818 972-8687. M-F from 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. 
  • 2 Downtown Burbank. Shops, movie theaters, eateries, etc. all 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. 
  • 3 Martial Arts History Museum, 2319 W. Magnolia Blvd, ☏ +1 818 478-1722. 11AM-6PM, Th-Su. 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). 
  • 4 Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street. 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. Unfortunately, tours of the studio are not available to the general public. Currently, 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. (updated Oct 2015)

Do

  • 1 Pickwick Gardens, 1001 Riverside Drive. 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

  • 1 Dark Delicacies, 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd, toll-free: +1-888-DARK-DEL (3275-335). T-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

The Oldest Remaining Bob's
  • 1 Bob's Big Boy, 4211 W Riverside Dr, ☏ +1 818 843-9334. The oldest remaining Bob's, built in the 1950s. A national landmark, this diner is located 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. 
  • 2 Commonwealth Restaurant, 222 S. Glenoaks Blvd, ☏ +1 818-845-2225. A fairly new small plates restaurant with decent wine list. Entrees between $9 and $16. 
  • 3 Simmzy's, 3000 W Olive Ave, ☏ +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. (updated Mar 2015)

Drink

  • 1 The Blue Room, 916 S San Fernando Blvd, ☏ +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. 
  • 2 The Park Bar & Grill, 2007 W. Burbank Blvd, ☏ +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

Go next

Routes through Burbank
Sacramento ← North Valley ←  N  S  → Glendale → Downtown L.A.
Studio City ← North Hollywood ←  W  E  → Griffith Park → Pasadena
Santa Barbara ← Van Nuys ←  N  S  → Glendale → Los Angeles


This city travel guide to Burbank is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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