9 Hocus Pocus Filming Sites to Visit in Salem That Will Put A Spell On You [2022]

Salem, Massachusetts was the primary filming location for one of the most popular Halloween movies from the 1990s: Hocus Pocus.

It’s been nearly three decades but Hocus Pocus fans can still run amok at a lot of the original filming spots located throughout the charming and fascinating city of Salem.

In this article, I will give you the most efficient way to visit these filming sites and also give you some tips into how to line up your photos with movie screen stills!

Map of Hocus Pocus Filming Sites

The best routes for exploring Hocus Pocus locations in Salem

The easiest way to see all of the Hocus Pocus filming locations in Salem is to lump them into three separate groups and then decide how you want to explore each group (walking, driving, etc.).

Group 1:

  • Ropes Mansion and Garden (318 Essex St)
  • Old Town Hall (161 Essex St)
  • Phillips Elementary School (next to 56 Washington Square)
  • Salem Common (next to 82 Washington Square)

Group 2:

  • Max and Dani’s House (4 Ocean Ave)
  • Pioneer Village (98 West Ave)

Group 3:

  • Old Burial Hill Cemetery
  • Crocker Park
  • 85 Washington St
Map of Hocus Pocus movie filming locations.

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Exploring Group 1 via walking could be done in as short as 15 to 20 minutes from point to point, so it’s a great way to hit some cool Hocus Pocus spots in a very short amount of time.

If you want to add on the sites from Group 2, the time needed for the full walking tour from the Ropes Mansion (318 Essex St) to Pioneer Village (98 West Ave) would be about one hour (one-way).

The Old Burial Hill Cemetery is not located in Salem and is a handful of miles away so if you plan on walking that will take you an additional couple of hours. Using a rental car or calling an Uber would be a better way to go for a lot of people.

We broke our Hocus Pocus tour into two days.

The first day we explored Group 1 sites and then took a short break before heading down to check out the Group 2 locations.

The next day, we chose to drive out to Old Burial Hill Cemetery at sunrise to avoid the crazy October traffic in Salem. After that visit we then took off to Danvers to check out some of the real witch trial memorial sites.

Tip: If you want to start from the very beginning, you can use my pre-set directions here.

I would also recommend to focus on Hocus Pocus locations separately from the Salem witch trial sites.

While it might be more efficient to check out both sites at the same time, visiting the Hocus Pocus filming sites is more about having fun while visiting the historic sites and memorials for the Salem witch trials is more about reflection and remembrance.

I think it is a better experience to explore them separately but that is just me.

Related: The Harry Potter London Tour Review at Warner Brothers Studio

Old Burial Hill Cemetery Hocus Pocus movie.
Old Burial Hill Cemetery at sunrise.

Ropes Mansion and Garden

  • Google Map address: 318 Essex St, Salem, MA 01970
  • Website

Photo/visit notes

The Ropes Mansion is very easy to find and it is right next to the The Witch House at Salem.

To get your movie shot, simply stand in front of the Ropes Mansion and take your photo from the street or sidewalk. To align your photo with a screenshot from the film, make sure you are getting all four posts from the gate.

Movie scenes

  • 23:49

The Ropes Mansion is Allison’s house where they had the fancy Halloween party with Colonial ball costumes. It’s also the site of the infamous and cringe-worthy “yabbos” scene.

When we visited in October, we didn’t find any jack-o’-lanterns or haystacks outside but a day or two before Halloween they might decorate the house in Hocus Pocus fashion.

The actual filming of the party in the interior of the house took place in California at the Crank House, which interestingly enough was also used as the Omega Beta Zeta house from Scream 2 according to iamnotastalker.com.

Did you know? Dozens of black cats were used for Binx with each cat having special abilities that could be tapped into for the specific scene (e.g., jumping, staying still, etc.)

Allison's house Hocus Pocus movie.

More on the site…

Built in 1727 and extensively remodeled in 1894, The Ropes Mansion is one of the most iconic buildings in Salem and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The mansion is now the property of the Peabody Essex Museum. You can walk onto the property and even head to the back where there is a pretty elaborate garden. If you want to explore the interior you can also book a tour. Just be warned, the mansion is apparently haunted!

Ropes Mansion and Garden Hocus Pocus movie Salem MA.

Old Town Hall

  • Google Map address: 161 Essex Street
  • Website

Photo/visit notes:

The Old Town Hall, a National Historic Site, is located right in the middle of town and is about an 8 minute walk from the Ropes Mansion. The side of the building used in the movie did not have stairs and it looks a little different on each side so in case you are in doubt about the correct side, take photos from both angles.

Movie scenes

  • 54:22

This is the building where Max’s parents attended their Halloween party and Bette Midler did her famous rendition of “Put a Spell on You.” The actual filming of the interior took place in California at the The MacArthur’s Elks Hall according to iamnotastalker.com.

Town Hall Hocus Pocus movie.

More on the site…

You can go inside Old Town Hall today and it hosts several events.

The most notable of these events is the interactive play Cry Innocent (about to hit 30 years running…). This tells the story of Bridget Bishop’s trial and allows audience members to participate as members of the Puritan jury. Tickets are about $25. Read more about the play here.

Town Hall Hocus Pocus movie Salem MA.
Town Hall Hocus Pocus movie Salem MA.

If you want to enjoy a nice buttery lobster roll, you can eat at the Lobster Shanty. Some tables set up for outdoor dining have a great view of Old Town Hall.

Related: Goldbelly Lobster Rolls (McLoons) Review (Order from anywhere in the US!)

Looking at Town Hall Hocus Pocus movie from Lobster Shanty in Salem MA.

Did you know? In South America, Hocus Pocus went under the title “Abracadabra.”

Phillips Elementary School

  • Google Map address: 56 Washington Square (next door)
  • Website: None

Photo/visit notes

The Phillips Elementary School is located on the perimeter of the Salem common. You could put in the address 86 Essex St but that will take you to the back of the building.

So I would just head to the Salem Common and then walk along S Washington Square. The old elementary school will be right next to 56 Washington Square. You can’t miss it.

Movie scenes

  • 1:01:28

Phillips Elementary School was used as “Jacob Bailey High School” and featured in the early scene where the students are leaving school. Somewhat accurately referred to as a “prison, for children” by the witches, it is also the place later on where Max and Allison trick the witches and melt them down into a green trail of smoke.

Max's High School Hocus Pocus movie.
  • 1:03:11
Max's High School Hocus Pocus movie.

More on the site…

The elementary school reportedly shut down in 1992 which was just one year before Hocus Pocus was made. From everything I can tell, this building looks like it might serve residential purposes now.

Related: Hobbiton Movie Set Tour Review

Max's High School Hocus Pocus movie Salem MA.

Salem Common

  • Google Map address: 82 Washington Square
  • Website

Photo/visit notes

The Phillips Elementary school and Salem Common film site are located in virtually the same spot so you should be able to knock out two birds with one stone.

Movie scenes

  • 14:13

The scene in the Salem Common looks like it was shot from outside the fenced area near 82 Washington Square.

You can try to line up your shot with the screen still from the movie by using the basketball court as a frame of reference.

However, this one is tough because it’s possible they framed the shot with a nice zoom lens and I’m pretty sure the color change trees were fake, which kind of throws off your alignment.

Salem Common Hocus Pocus movie.

More on the site…

Established in 1667, the Common was initially a partial swamp where livestock roamed freely. Over time, it also became grounds for early militia drilling and may have even been the birthplace of the National Guard.

Eventually, efforts were made to beautify the area and the wrought iron fence around the Common was put up in 1850. Today, this is one of the popular places in Salem for strolling around and for local events.

You’ll likely encounter some food carts here serving up all sorts of different items like crepes, hot chocolate, and fried foods. The prices here were very expensive and the quality in my experience was not very great so keep that in mind.

Salem Common Hocus Pocus movie Salem MA.

Max and Dani’s House

  • Google Map address: 4 Ocean Ave
  • Website: None

Photo/visit notes

From Salem Common this would be about a 1.5 mile one-way walk so it will take you about 30 minutes to get there.

It’s a nice walk down Lafayette Street and a great opportunity to check out a lot of the local architecture. If you’re visiting in October, you’ll see a lot of houses going all out for Halloween. This is Salem, after all!

Max and Dani’s House is also located extremely close to Pioneer Village so you can knock those two out at the same time.

Movie scenes

  • 17:25

You’ll see their house several times in the movie including when they open the spell book and a bright beam of orange light is shot from the crow’s nest atop the house.

Max and Dani's house Hocus Pocus movie.
  • 1:09:53
Max and Dani's house Hocus Pocus movie.

More on the site…

Max and Dani’s House is a private residence so you absolutely want to keep your distance and show respect. I’ve heard that the owner is really cool but your best bet is to stay in the street to take a couple of photos.

You might also want to take photographs in the opposite direction since this house has a pretty amazing view of the water, which was not depicted in the movie (but included in the deleted scenes).

Max and Dani's house Hocus Pocus movie Salem MA.

Pioneer Village 

  • Google Map address: 98 West Ave, Salem, MA 01970
  • Website

Photo/visit notes

The village is tucked away behind a baseball park and could be very easy to miss. It is only about a 7 minute walk from Max and Dani’s House. Check out the open hours and dates below if you want to visit.

Movie scenes

  • 2:16

The opening scenes of the film (before Thackery Binx made his feline transition) were filmed at Pioneer Village. Because it was closed when we visited, we were not able to explore this place closely. But even if it is closed when you arrive, you can still peak over the fence and check out a couple of the structures that were used in the movie.

Pioneer Village Hocus Pocus movie.

More on the site…

Pioneer Village, built in the 1930s, is America’s first living history museum and still offers tours. As of October 2021, they were only open on weekends from 12 to 4pm with a $5 admission ticket. So be prepared for odd and limited hours.

Pioneer Village Hocus Pocus movie Salem MA.

Old Burial Hill Cemetery

  • Google Map address: Marblehead, MA 01945
  • Website

Photo/visit notes:

From Salem Common this would be about a 4.5 mile one-way walk, taking you about 1.5 hours. For that reason, you may want to drive or take an Uber.

There are a few areas to park along the street nearby and if you go early in the morning (we went around sunrise) you should be able to easily find a spot somewhere close.

When you get there, you will see Fountain Park on one side and then some steps taking you to the cemetery on the other side. It’s a short uphill walk and to find the specific spot that was used in the film.

Movie scenes

  • 15:45

This scene is where Max ends up shoeless after he has a run-in with the two bullies: Jay and Ernie (aka Ice). This spot is cool because you can get in the exact same location that was filmed in the movie by finding the specific tombstones.

Shortly after you enter the graveyard you will look to your left and you’ll be looking for two tombstones that are angled towards each other (pictured below in the bottom left). The name on the tombstone you are looking for is: Mary Doak.

I think that the tombstone pictured below on the right is either a fake or was removed for some reason because I did not see it in person.

There are also a couple of other tombstones you can find that were used in individual scenes, like when Max was riding his bike into the cemetery.

Old Burial Hill Cemetery in Hocus Pocus movie.

More on the site…

In case you couldn’t tell this is a real graveyard (and in fact it is one of the oldest in New England dating back to 1638). It’s said that about 600 Revolutionary soldiers were buried here so be sure to be respectful.

Old Burial Hill Cemetery in Hocus Pocus movie Marblehead MA.

If you want to add an extra location to your stop check out nearby Crocker Park. There is where a quick scene was shot where Max is overlooking the city right after dealing with the bullies and you can check out that overlook.

  • 17:19
Old Burial Hill Cemetery in Hocus Pocus movie.

You can also head to a nearby intersection at 85 Washington St, Marblehead, MA 01945. This is where another very short clip of Max riding his bike back home after getting bullied was shot.

  • 15:22
Max riding bike Hocus Pocus movie.

Los Angeles, CA Locations

As mentioned above, some of the shots from the movie were also filmed in Los Angeles.

If you remember the scene where the Sanderson sisters find themselves in the home of their “master” aka Satan (and his not so happy wife), that house is located at 6536 Friends Ave, Whittier, CA 90601.

Another house was used was 6546 Friends Ave, located just two houses down from the house above. This house was only seen briefly in a scene where kids were trick-or-treating.

Interestingly, the shot where they are celebrating after melting the witches was actually shot at the Warner Bros. Ranch. It’s the same park and fountain used in the intro of Friends.

Also, in case you were wondering the graveyard where the Sanderson sisters turned to stone/died and their house where they brewed their potions were filmed on Stage 2 on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, CA.

Information found via iamnotastalker.com.

Hocus Pocus 2 filming location

Hocus Pocus 2 how now been released!

Filming began in the fall of 2021 and at least one filming site was open to the public at Chase Park in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

A large portion of the park was partitioned off but they still left a trail on the fringes that you could follow and get a good view of the set.

The set at Chase Park consisted of a small colonial village, which we were able to capture below.

Hocus Pocus 2 movie filming Lincoln RI.
The new Hocus Pocus 2 movie set getting built!

Final word

Salem Massachusetts already has a ton of interesting and fascinating places to see. But if you are a fan of Hocus Pocus, you’ve got the added pleasure of checking out these cool sites. If you follow this guide you should be able to efficiently visit all of these filming places and know exactly what to look for.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour Review (Ultimate Guide)

I have seen some pretty cool movie set tours like the Harry Potter Warner Bros. studio tour in London and the Hobbiton Movie Set tour ranks up there with the best. In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour. I will cover things like ticket prices and tours and also give you a detailed review of what the experience is like.

What is the Hobbiton Movie Set?

The Hobbiton Movie Set is a hilly farmland in Waikato, New Zealand where scenes featuring “Hobbiton” of the Shire were filmed for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film series. The site now offers several different tours and experiences that allow fans to enjoy the movie set in memorable ways, such as guided tours and festive banquets.

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Booking the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

Below I will go into the details for all of the prices for the different tours.

One thing I will say right off the bat is that you need to book your tickets as soon as possible because the spots will fill up very quickly. This is especially true if you want to do one of the special tours that involve a lunch or banquet. This is not an attraction that you want to wait until the last minute to book!

There are four main different tours that you can choose from. Note that the prices will be increasing for all of the tours as of April 2020.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

This is the main tour that most people will do. It takes you through the major sites like the Hobbit Holes and Green Dragon Inn and takes about two hours (I’ll go into detail on this tour below). 

You can choose to be picked up from three different locations:

  • The Shire’s Rest (the tour’s main location)
  • Matamata i-SITE
  • The Hobbiton™ Movie Set Shop, 1235 Fenton St, Rotorua (more expensive)

The tours from The Shire’s Rest depart every 10 minutes so there are many of these tours every single day. When you go to book a tour you will have a selection of different time slots to choose from and you should see if there are limited spaces for certain slots.

Daily Hobbiton Movie Set Tour list and times

Here are the prices for the tour: 

(All prices below are in New Zealand dollars. For your reference, you can click on a price below and see the US dollar equivalent. 84 New Zealand dollars is ~$55 USD as of 12/19.)

  • Adult (17 years and over): $84.00, $89.00 from 1 April 2020
  • Youth (9-16 years): $42.00, $44.00 from 1 April 2020 
  • Child (0-8 years): Children are FREE but must have ticket allocated prior to arrival and be accompanied by a full paying adult.
  • Tours depart daily from 9am until 3.30pm.

If you are going to be late for your tour I suggest that you contact them immediately. They will work with you to try to get you into the soonest tour but keep in mind that if other tours are all sold out they might not be able to get you in that day.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour + Lunch

This is the tour that I wish I would have done. If you want to make your tour experience a little bit more memorable without paying a whole lot of extra money, I think this tour option is perfect. There are only three timeslots though and these tours need to be booked very far in advance to secure your preferred time slot.

Here are the prices:

  • Adult (17 years and over): $120.00, $125.00 from 1 April 2020
  • Youth (9-16 years): $78.00, $80.00 from 1 April 2020 
  • Child (0-8 years): Children are FREE but must have ticket allocated prior to arrival and be accompanied by a full paying adult.

Times

  • 10.05am departure begins with tour followed by lunch at 11.35am
  • 12.05pm departure begins with tour followed by lunch at 1.35pm
  • 1.25pm departure begins with lunch followed by tour at 2.25pm

Hobbiton Movie Set Evening Banquet Tours

The Hobbiton Movie Set Evening Banquet Tour is probably the coolest way to explore the Shire because it is a tour that takes place at dusk. Also, you get to enjoy the banquet at the Green Dragon which is a unique experience.

I think I would enjoy this tour but there is something special about visiting the Shire during the daytime when the sun is out shining brightly and this tour may not offer you that same type of experience.  

Here are the prices:

  • Adult (17 years and over): $195.00, $199.00 from 1 April 2020
  • Youth (9-16 years): $152.50, $162.00 from 1 April 2020 
  • Child (5-8 years): $100, $104.00 from 1 April 2020. Children must be accompanied by a full paying adult- Must also have a ticket allocated. 
  • Infant (0-4 years):  Infants must be accompanied by a full paying adult- Must also have a ticket allocated.

Private Tour

The private tour is very expensive but it is probably the best option for the diehard fans and I will explain why below.

Here are the prices:

  • Private tour (up to 4 people): $750.00
  • Additional Adult (17yrs+): $84.00
  • Additional Youth (9-16yrs): $42.00
  • Additional Child (0-8yrs): Free with full paying adult

Please note: From 1 April 2020 Private Tour departures will be $1,000.00 for maximum six adults or equivalent.

Tour packages

Because the movie set tour is a couple of hours away from Auckland, New Zealand and semi-close to other attractions, a lot of people like to package together tours and spend an entire day hitting up multiple spots.

This can be an efficient use of both time and money so it is definitely something to consider. One of the popular tourist packages you can do is what is known as the trilogy and it offers the following tours:

  • 45 minute Tour of Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Waitomo
  • 2 hour tour of Ruakuri Cave, Waitomo
  • 2 hour Tour of Hobbiton Movie Set, Matamata
  • 4.5 hours exclusive guided tour of Te Puia; Maori welcome ceremony and cultural performance & Māori Feast (traditional indigenous dinner), Rotorua

The Trilogy Package Prices

  • Adult $342
  • Child $171
  • Family $924 (2 adults and 2 children; extra child add $171)

Don’t forget — watch the movies!

Once you book your tickets, I recommend that you re-watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy and also the Hobbit movies so that everything is fresh on your mind. And obviously if you have not seen the movies, you need to get on that ASAP!

Getting to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

Here is the address of the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour:

501 Buckland Road, Matamata 3472, New Zealand

Below are the approximate time frames it will take you to get to the movie set from major destinations:

  • Waitomo Glowworm Caves: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • Auckland, New Zealand: 2 hours
  • Wellington, New Zealand: 6 hours

We stayed at the Hilton Auckland Hotel and so we were about a two hour drive away from the movie set, which we made in a rental car. 

The drive to the movie set from Auckland was very beautiful!

You will pass through many rolling green hills and beautiful farm landscapes. It reminded me a lot of driving through California when all of the hills are nice and green and full life.

Driving in New Zealand
Driving to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour.

Your GPS will probably take you right to the location but you will also notice several signs pointing you in the right direction as you approach the movie set. If you don’t want to drive there, you can look into getting transferred there.

Also, there are farm stays in the local area so you could stay in something like a B&B for a night and enjoy a nice complimentary dinner and breakfast. 

Hobbiton Movie Set Tourist Farm sign

Arriving at the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

There are pretty large parking lots at the Hobbiton Movie Set so you shouldn’t have an issue finding a parking spot when you arrive. 

Parking lot at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

The first thing that you need to do when you arrive is to snap a photo of you underneath the Hobbiton Movie Set sign. It is a picture perfect sign and there is a little walkway that will take you right to the sign. 

Man standing under Hobbiton movie set sign

The Shire’s Rest

When you arrive, you will need to check in to receive your tickets if you booked online and you will want to head to The Shire’s Rest to do this. Simply follow the signs to the Shires Rest Ticketing Centre where you can get that done. When we arrived, there was only a short line to deal with. Keep in mind that they request you to check in 15 minutes prior to your scheduled tour time.

Ticketing area Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Shires Rest Ticketing Centre.
Ticketing area Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

If you have arrived early then you might want to spend some time at the nearby Shire’s Rest Cafe or Garden Bar. The Garden Bar offers a nice shady spot to grab a bite and craft beer before or after your tour and it’s perfect for summer days.

You can also order ice cream and milkshakes or thick shakes for around five to seven New Zealand dollars from the ice cream shop. If you really have a sweet tooth consider going with the Hobbit Crunch which is a fancy sundae that you will surely enjoy.

List of ice creams at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

You can also explore the gift shop. However, a lot of visitors like to save the gift shop until the end of the tour so you might want to go that route. I will talk more about the gift shop below.

Getting ready for your tour

As the time approaches for your tour, you will want to line up where the sign indicates your tour will be taking off. I would suggest lining up about five minutes before your scheduled tour time.

Lines for Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

Depending on the type of tour that you booked, you might be getting transported via a bus or a van. In our case, we did the bus tour.

Group getting on bus at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

After lining up we boarded the bus and found our seats which were in a 2-2 lay out.

Bus at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

Once we got going, they played some special footage related to the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies and also provided us with some insightful content about the production of the movies, the 12-acres that was used for Hobbiton, and some other really cool and interesting facts.

I don’t want to give everything away but you will find out some little tidbits about the movie that you probably did not already know.

The drive through the Alexander family sheep farm over to the movie set is also an extremely scenic drive. You will wind through some beautiful rolling green pasture land dotted with sheep living a good life. 

Rolling pastures at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

The bus ride from the arrival area to the actual movie set took a total of 15 minutes. 

Once everybody exits the bus you will meet up at the first sign and they will go over some of the information that you need to know about the tour. Basically they just told us to stay together and to not venture into any of the areas without permission.

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Group walking at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Welcome to Hobbiton sign

The Tour

The way that the tour works is that you will travel as a group and your group will stop at several different Hobbit Holes throughout Hobbiton. At each stop, you will be able to check out the areas and get photos while learning some cool facts about each little site.

Group walking at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

The biggest drawback to this tour is that they move along too efficiently.

Basically if you are in the back of the line you will feel rushed from the group behind you coming up.

It’s a very awkward experience when you are trying to get a photo and you have 30 tourists glaring at you as they impatiently wait for you to leave so that their tour guide can start showing them the site.

Therefore, if you are a true Lord of the Rings fan and you want to savor this experience, you probably want to consider a private tour. Yes, they will be much more expensive but you will be able to enjoy the sights without any pressure from the crowds.

Spoiler alert

If you don’t already know, you will find out that these little Hobbit Holes are not actually real little houses with rooms and lively corridors to explore. Some of them open up to a small area that is similar to a closet but most are just facades.

But still, it can be really fun to explore the exterior of the Hobbit Holes and the entire community.

One thing that fascinated me about the different Hobbit Holes was all of the details. Everything from the windows to the doorhandles are extremely intricate and it is really fun to explore them from up close. It really feels as if little hobbits are living inside behind those doors.

Hobbit hole at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Hobbit hole at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Hobbit hole at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

It’s really cool to see some of the sights like the detailed clothes drying out on the clothes lines.

Clothes on line at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Clothes on line at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

Also the landscaping with all of the colorful flowers is pretty immaculate and a sight to see. When we visited in February, there were tons of butterflies fluttering around and it was a very magical experience.

Hobbit hole at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

Your tour guide will point out the residences of the most notable hobbits.

Bilbo Baggins home at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Bilbo Baggins home.

One of the coolest things to see are all of the live plants and produce that they produce on site. 

Hobbit hole at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Hobbit hole at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Garden at Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

You can even find batches of raw honey.

Jars of honey

I also appreciated the attention to detail in things like the “street signs.”

Each time you stop at a little Hobbit Hole you should have enough time to get some photos and to pose in front of them. Like I mentioned though, this is much easier to do if you are at the front of the group because you will not feel as much pressure to move along quickly.

Man at hobbit hole Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Man at hobbit hole Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Group at hobbit hole Hobbiton Movie Set Tour

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Your tour should stop at at least one Hobbit Hole that they will allow you to step inside of and get some photos. And when I say step inside of, that literally means just taking like one step inside of the Hobbit Hole. 

Make sure you are listening to your tour guide because during our tour some of the tourists entered in one of the Hobbit Holes that was NOT meant to be entered in. This caused a little bit of commotion so just be mindful of this.

The tour will wind up and down the hillsides as you hit up the different sites. The walking required is not overly strenuous, but I would definitely bring some walking friendly shoes. 

The pathways are not wheelchair friendly but there are options for those who can’t complete all the walking.

Also, you are permitted to bring strollers on the tour but many of the pathways are cobblestone or bumpy and they also can be quite narrow so bringing a stroller can be a task.

Hobbit holes Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
Cottage on the water

Green Dragon Inn

Eventually you will wind up at the tavern at the end of the tour, known as the Green Dragon Inn.

The Green Dragon Inn
The Green Dragon Inn.

According to the official Hobbiton website, “The Green Dragon Inn was the meeting place for all residents of Hobbiton, who would gather in the warm surroundings of the bar to chatter about the day’s events.” 

The Green Dragon Inn
The Green Dragon Inn.
Inside The Green Dragon Inn

The Green Dragon Inn is a really cool spot where you can enjoy some grub or even some drinks from the Hobbit Southfarthing range, which I believe is brewed right on location.

Here are some drinks that you might be interested in trying:

  • Girdley Fine Grain, Amber Ale
  • Sackville Cider, Apple Cider
  • Oatbarton Brew, Traditional English Ale
  • Frogmorton Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic)
Inside The Green Dragon Inn
Inside The Green Dragon Inn

Once you find yourself a drink, head over to the fireplace and relax in a nice comfy seat.

Inside The Green Dragon Inn
Inside The Green Dragon Inn

If you have also booked a lunch tour then this is where you will depart from the other group to enjoy the lunch buffet served in the Party Marquee. The Party Marquee is adjacent to The Green Dragon Inn, with the garden bar seating overlooking the Hobbiton Movie Set.

In our case, we only did the standard movie set tour so we then headed back to the gift shop. The entire tour lasted about two hours.

The gift shop

There are a lot of interesting items to purchase at the gift shop. You will find all sorts of different collectibles, books, and some decoration items like the maps of Middle Earth which I thought were pretty awesome.

Maps at Gift shop

For something like a map you would be paying about NZ$35.

They also had some awesome figurines of different characters and those were more expensive — usually ranging around NZ$100-NZ$300.

Figurines in case

Some of the items cannot be purchased at the store but they are on display and available at websites that will be shown on the display.

They also had a lot of standard gift shop items like candies and various types of sweets. You could also venture into the café and purchase sandwiches for around $6.50 and beverages like iced coffee or milk for around 3 to NZ$5.

Food at gift shop

If you wanted something more substantial you could order a meal like eggs Benedict for $16.50, second breakfast for $19.50, or a Lamb burger for around $18.

Food menu at gift shop

There are several picnic tables for you to enjoy your meal outside and on a nice day it can be an extremely pleasant experience.

Picnic tables outside gift shop

But there are also tables located indoors just in case the weather does not cooperate.

Indoor seating at gift shop

Lord of the Rings tours

If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy there are other tours that you can do that will take you to various destinations and locations used in the films. Some of these tours can be up to two weeks in length so you can live your fandom for days on end!

Here are some companies to look at:

Hobbiton Movie Set Tour Review (Ultimate Guide) FAQ

Can I wander around by myself?

No, the tours are all guided and require visitors to be supervised. This is probably in the best interest of everyone.

Are drones allowed?

Drones are not allowed during the normal tour hours. You can contact the site owners to inquire about after our drone usage but there is no guarantee they will allow it.

Do tours still take place when it rains?

Yes, they will continue with tours in the rain. They will supply you with umbrellas but this is one reason why you want to bring quality closed toed shoes with you on this trip (or a poncho).

Can we go inside the Hobbit Holes?

You will likely only be allowed to step inside of one Hobbit Hole. And keep in mind there will only be a small closet-like area behind the door.

How long are the tours?

The standard movie set tour is approximately two hours and about 30 minutes of that is travel time to and from the movie set.

Can I take photos?

Yes, you can take as many photos as you would like just make sure they are not for commercial use. I brought out my professional DSLR camera and had no issues with photos.

What do I need to bring with me?

You don’t need to bring anything special with you on this tour. But you would probably be good with a small backpack where you can hold things like sunscreen, a jacket if you don’t need to be wearing it, water bottles, etc. As mentioned above, I would consider a rain poncho if I were visiting when rain was expected.

Final word

Overall, the movie set tour is a must see destination for any fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the Hobbit movies. You will no doubt be floored by the amount of details in the Hobbit Holes and surrounding areas. But while I loved the tour I do think that a private tour would be much more enjoyable for a diehard fan even with the price tag of $1,000.