At 110,000 square feet, the tour features a host of original costumes, props and sets used during the filming of the TV show, including the iconic Iron Throne.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
The tour is tucked away in Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. The studios are where a significant number of the show’s most memorable scenes were shot.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
Once a linen plant, the site was adapted by HBO to create a studio for Game of Thrones in 2012. According to the studios’ general manager, Brad Kelly, it cost upwards of $54 million to transform the studios into a visitor attraction.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
Kelly told Insider that HBO announced plans to create a Game of Thrones visitor attraction in 2018, but the pandemic delayed the project a number of times. It was opened to the public on February 4, and I joined the tour one week later.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
The tour is packed with original costumes, props, and sets used in filming. The first section of the tour — Beyond the Wall — features original costumes worn by The Night King and Jon Snow.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
One staff member told me that the original model of Wun Wun the giant used in filming was too high to fit inside the studios and had to be arranged in a kneeling position.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
The tour is interactive and immersive throughout. It has a section dedicated to production design and art, where you can design your own sigil.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
At every stage of the tour, staff were waiting to fill guests in on the small details. One staff member told me that the small budget for the first series meant the costume design team used rugs from IKEA as capes.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
“There’s a lot of intimacy in the visitor experience, you can get close to all the design features, the costumes, some of which you wouldn’t see when watching the show,” Kelly told Insider.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
If you’re a fan, the most captivating portion of the tour is Winterfell’s Great Hall. The hall is home to some of the series’ most important moments…
Abby Wallace/Insider.
… including when Brienne of Tarth is knighted by Jaime Lannister.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
Scenes in the hall were filmed in Linen Mill Studios. According to Kelly, the set remained in its original location and the studio tour was built around it.
Abby Wallace/Insider.
