Game of Thrones is set to launch a new studio tour at the Linen Mill Studios near Banbridge, Northern Ireland. Fans of the hit show will be able to visit the sets and see the costumes and props used during the making of the HBO show.
Linen Mill Studios began working with the series' producers in 2008, after the original mill that had operated on the site since 1832 was closed. The studio tour, which has been developed under license with Warner Brothers Consumer Products, will allow visitors to explore the worlds of Westeros and Esteros.
The series, which was also filmed in Morocco, Croatia, Iceland, and Spain, was primarily based in Northern Ireland, where the sets for Winterfell, the throne room in Dragonstone, Cersei’s courtyard in King’s Landing and the mess room in Castle Black were located.
The attraction hopes to draw as many as 600,000 visitors a year. Although plans for the tour had been previously announced, the studio was waiting for permission from local authorities. Last year, HBO’s vice president, licensing & retail Jeff Peters said, “Fans will soon have an opportunity to visit and see the work of the show’s incredible crew in the museum setting it deserves.”
The tour will also include a visit to the “makeup and prosthetics shop” and a look at the special effects used on the show. In addition, there will be a pre-show experience, a shop selling Game of Thrones merchandise, and a restaurant. The attraction, which cost £24 million, is expected to generate an estimated £400 million annually, according to Blooloop.com.
The studio tour will join other major Game of Thrones attractions in Northern Ireland, including the Dark Hedges, which featured as the Kingsroad, the longest highway in Westeros, which ran from Castle Black at the Wall to the capital city of the Six Kingdoms, King's Landing, passing the Kingdom of the North. Fans can also visit Ballintoy Harbour in County Antrim, which featured as the Free Cities where Varys was born and as the coastal nook where Theon Greyjoy returned to the Iron Islands and met his sister Yara.
Source: NME