We haven’t heard much about the Game of Thrones Studio Tour ever since it was officially announced back in April of last year, but now we have more details and a more accurate date for its opening.
As reported by The Irish News, the Studio Tour at Banbridge’s Linen Mill Studios, where much of the show was filmed, will employ up to 194 people, operating 12 hours per day, seven days a week. Expected to cost £23.7 million ($31 million USD), this Game of Thrones museum is predicted to attract up to 600,000 visitors per year, resulting in a £396.2 million ($520 million USD) boost in tourism spending for Northern Ireland by 2030, after ten years in operation. Indeed, as we originally announced, the tour is debuting in 2020, though it’s now projected to open this fall.
An official mock-up of the Studio Tour’s entrance
The expanded studio will offer a 110,000-square-foot interactive experience in which guests will be treated to a close look at a wide selection of items pulled straight from the show and have the opportunity to walk through authentic set pieces, from the first to the final season, as well as informative displays highlighting the production spaces and the craftsmanship and artistry of the creative teams who brought the show to life.
There will also be a restaurant and a ‘back-lot’ café, designed to replicate the studio catering experience that the cast and crew of the show enjoyed (I hope) during production, which should be quite interesting.
So, anyone planning a trip to Northern Ireland this fall?
