BURBANK, Calif. — At the newly revamped Warner Bros. studio tour, visitors can lounge on "Friends" character Monica's couch or play foosball just like Joey and Chandler in their New York City apartment.

Visitors can grab a coffee and dine at the Central Perk, the fictional diner where the characters from the popular NBC sitcom often met.

What You Need To Know

  • Warner Bros. unveiled a newly revamped studio tour this summer in Burbank

  • The renovated tour was slated to come out in May 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic

  • The new tour features the studio tram tour around the backlot, along with several new exhibits and interactive displays

  • Warner Bros. expanded the Central Perk diner, where the characters of "Friends" often met 

And of course, visitors can still hop aboard a tour cart and roam around the various working soundstages and backlot, take a picture in front of the "Full House" house and walk through the set of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." They can even hold and take photos of an Academy Award's Oscar statue from the 1940s as if they had won the actual award.

After being closed for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Warner Bros. studio tour has reopened and features new experiences to bring visitors into the world of television and movies. The tour reopened in June.

"We've really reimagined the tour from where it was prior to the pandemic," said Gary Soloff, director of marketing and communications at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. "Now, guests can see the entertainment they love in a more immersive and experiential way."

Since the 1970s, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour has been a staple attraction for visitors visiting Los Angeles and wanting an up-close look at the various soundstages and backlot sets — the real behind-the-scenes magic of Hollywood films and television.

The tour has grown over the years in size and scope. What started as private tours hosted by Jack Warner of Warner Bros. to special VIP guests of their production facilities is now a full-fledged tour operation open to the public from Thursday to Monday.

Soloff didn't give attendance numbers but said the studio tour has a very healthy demand. Visitors are required to wear face coverings during the tour and inside the exhibits. The tour prices start at $57 for Southern California residents through Sept. 30 and $69 for all other adult visitors.

Warner Bros. began renovating its popular studio tour in 2017. The company was slated to unveil the new tour in May 2020. However, the pandemic and related shutdowns delayed its opening until last month. Soloff didn't disclose how much Warner Bros. invested in revamping the tour.

The tour has several new features. An old parking lot has been transformed into a brand new welcome center, for example.

When visitors first walk in, they'll be able to learn about the four Warner brothers and the founding of the motion picture company.

Along the walls are photos and videos of the various movies and television shows, along with animations that Warner Bros. produced during its history.

Visitors then watch a short introductory film hosted by Ellen DeGeneres before meeting their tour guide, where they'll zip through the soundstages, backlot and prop facilities. The tram ride is about an hour.

"This is where we show how we bring the movie magic to life," said Soloff. "Our guides are expertly trained and give visitors an inside look at how we all put this together."

From there, the guide drops off visitors at Stage 48, the popular "Friends" television show soundstage.

The soundstage has been transformed into an interactive getaway. Here is where visitors can live out the fantasies of their "Friends" and other favorite shows. They can also grab a New York-inspired lunch at the newly expanded Central Perk diner, lounge in the leather chairs like those in Joey and Chandler's apartment, knock on Sheldon's apartment door and take pictures inside the actual set of "The Big Bang Theory."

One hallway showcases famous movie dresses worn by stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis and Lauren Bacall.

There are also plenty of interactive displays — areas where people can learn how motion capture works and forced perspective from "Lord of the Rings."

At the automatic dialogue replacement sound booth, visitors can dub the sound of their voice in place of the Morpheus character from "The Matrix" and tell Neo to take either the red or blue pill.

Additionally, people can grab a video of themselves flying aboard a broomstick or the Batpod in front of a green screen for an additional price. There is also plenty of exclusive merch at a brand new "Friends" store.

New to the tour is a celebration of the DC Universe and Harry Potter franchise.

Inside the building are iconic scenes, props and costumes from "Wonder Woman," "Aquaman" and more. Several of Batman's bat cars are on display, including the original batmobile from the Tim Burton and Michael Keaton film, the Tumbler from Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" and more.

Ever wonder what house you'd be placed in the Harry Potter universe? Well, there's an area where visitors can put on the magical sorting hat.

Soloff said the new and old studio tour experience is about creating an immersive environment to capture the imagination of the fans.

"This is all about the fans," he said. "We do this for the fans. If you're a fan of the Wizarding World or a fan of DC, you want to feel like you're in the story, and you want to be able to share that in 'Instagrammable' moments or a photo op. They want to be part of the story, and this enables them to be part of the story."