Take a peek at the behind-the-scenes business of Hollywood Studios Lot Tours

For over 100 years, Hollywood has been transporting audiences to worlds outside their own, from the polished streets of New York City to the yellow bricks of the Land of Oz.

With hundreds of acres across Los Angeles dedicated to crafting stories for screens from the biggest to the smallest, film studios are offering more ways than ever before for movie fans to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how and where the magic is made.

“Touring the studios, going to the places where these things happened, being in the physical spaces of all these things that people have seen for over 100 years, seems like the most natural kind of tourist attraction in the world,” said Robert Thompson, a professor at Syracuse University.

Organizer Universal, Warner Bros., Sony and ParamountStudio tours showcase the filmmaking process, from set design and sound recording to costumes and props. These paid experiences not only increase revenue for the studios, but also serve as training programs for junior employees just starting out at the company, and as supplemental marketing for upcoming projects.

“Los Angeles is the only tourist destination in the world where you can visit multiple working studios in different neighborhoods throughout the city,” said Adam Burke, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Bureau.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, the film industry generates more than $100 billion in tourism revenue for the city, with attractions such as the Studio Tour, the Hollywood Sign, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame drawing visitors from near and far.

“While visitors to the Studio Tour are often drawn to their favorite TV shows and movies, we hope they leave with a deeper understanding of the entertainment industry, the unique culture of Los Angeles and the city’s vibrant creative heritage,” said Burke.

Universal, Warner Bros., Sony and Paramount wouldn’t disclose how much revenue their studio tours make each year or how many people pass through the gates, but each company noted attendance and demand for their tours remain strong.

“[Studio lot tours] “This project appeals to all levels of people, people who are really interested in what goes on behind the scenes and how things work and how they’re made, and even the average person who isn’t as curious will get the excitement of being able to actually be in a place where this happens,” Thompson said.

Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City is the newest tenant on the 45-acre site, originally the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio complex that is now home to hit TV shows “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune.”

Sony’s two-hour walking tour, which costs $55 per person, begins by taking guests through a recreated “Seinfeld” set and displays of props from famous movies and TV shows, including “Spider-Man,” “Justified,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “Groundhog Day,” “A League of Their Own” and “The Social Network.”

Guests will immediately notice a giant 94-foot-tall rainbow towering over the studios. It was created by artist Tony Tasset in 2012. It’s a homage to “The Wizard of Oz,” which was filmed on the property more than 85 years ago. Tour guides will be eager to tell you which sound stages were used to film various scenes from the movie, including the scene where the infamous “Wicked Witch” melts.

The studio’s most recent tenants, “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune,” are among the most-watched shows on television outside of live sports. When the shows are not being filmed, guests can enter the set; otherwise, tour guides will lead visitors through the various locations. Tours change daily based on which areas of the studio are open to the public and which are closed for production.

Additionally, Sony allows guests to step into a Foley studio and see how sound is created for movies and TV shows.

The cluttered space features a variety of floors – wood, concrete, stone and gravel – multiple door handles with different types of locks, shelves lined with different shoes, a kitchen with a variety of plastic and metal bottles, cups, cutlery and of course coconut shells, and a closet full of jackets that can be used to make a variety of zipper sounds.

Vehicles featured in “Breaking Bad” and “Ghostbusters” are also on display.

Warner Bros. is making a big effort to support visitors on tours of the studio grounds.

In addition to guided tours of the grounds, which last between one and three hours depending on the package, the company has created a fully interactive soundstage called Stage 48, showcasing how movies and TV shows are made and offering guests numerous free and paid photo opportunities.

The tour combines walking and cart rides through the backlot district, allowing guests to wander through out-of-town filming locations from Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Gilmore Girls, as well as jungle areas used in Jurassic Park, True Blood and Aquaman.

Visitors will notice that, as is the case with all Los Angeles studios, many non-Warner Bros. productions also film on the campus, renting studio space from other studios as needed. For example, the famous upside-down fire escape kiss in 2002’s “Spider-Man” was produced by Sony but filmed on the Warner Bros. campus.

The guided tour also includes a look into Warner Bros.’ extensive prop room, which includes a replica falcon statue from “The Maltese Falcon,” a section of marble and imitation marble busts, and a room filled floor-to-ceiling with lamps, candelabras, and chandeliers.

After the guided tour, guests will arrive at Stage 48, an area that features a recreation of Central Perk from “Friends,” where food and drinks will also be available for purchase.

Here, fans of “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Lord of the Rings,” Batman movies and “Harry Potter” can have their photos taken on recreated and green-screen sets, some of which cost extra.

This area features many famous costumes from classic films, as well as interactive stations showcasing different elements of the post-production process.

Guests will then be transported back to the Welcome Center where they will walk through areas where Warner Bros. exhibits costumes and props from DC films such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Flash, as well as costumes from Game of Thrones, and props and costumes from the Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts series.

The one-hour guided tour and two-hour self-guided tour at Stage 48 cost $73 per ticket, while a two-hour guided tour with access to Stage 48 and lunch costs $160, and a deluxe three-hour guided tour with lunch at a fine dining restaurant and access to Stage 48 costs $330 per ticket.

Warner Bros. also recently launched the Turner Classic Movies Tour, which takes visitors through areas of the property used in films such as “Casablanca,” “My Fair Lady” and “The Music Man.”

While the Warner Bros. tour focuses on finished movies and TV shows, the Paramount Studio Lot Tour takes a deeper look at how these movies and shows are made.

The tour is a walking and cart ride around the grounds, led by docents from Paramount’s Pages program who take guests on a tour and meet the people who keep the production going.

During their first six months of employment with the studio, these pages work as studio tour guides, after which they may take on utility positions within the studio, assist with audience control for television shows, or even be hired for VIP tours.

There are three levels of Paramount tours: the regular studio tour is two hours and costs $65 per person, the premier tour is three hours, gives you access to more of the archives and the backlot, and costs $150 per person, and the VIP tour is four hours and costs $215 per person.

The most extensive option introduces you to the many artisans on-site, including lighting crews and sign makers, and a resident archivist leads a tour of the archival costume and prop collection, including jewelry. The VIP option also includes a private lunch or breakfast.

Visitors can see where director Alfred Hitchcock’s office was located, stroll around “New York” and peek into the “Open Air Tank” used in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” “The Truman Show” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

The prop shed is home to a number of vehicles, including the Egg Mobile from Sonic the Hedgehog, a pod from Star Trek: Beyond, and even a life-size Bumblebee from the Transformers series.

The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park actually started out as the Studio Tour. Starting 60 years ago, guests were given special access to the production sites, and over time, Universal began to introduce attractions using special effects.

These now include a choreographed flood in which 10,000 gallons of water cascades downhill toward guests, an earthquake simulation, and of course, the terrifying Jaws that erupts from a small lake.

The one-hour Studio Lot Tour attraction, included with theme park admission, also features two immersive rides — one in which King Kong battles dinosaurs and another in which the Fast and Furious cast engages in a high-speed street car chase — while guests remain aboard the tram.

On the standard tour, visitors can also see some classic sets, including the Bates Motel from “Psycho,” the plane crash site from “War of the Worlds” and the courthouse from “Back to the Future.”

General admission to the theme parks starts at $109 per person, but varies depending on the time of year, and prices are often higher during holiday seasons.

Those wanting a more in-depth look at the studio grounds can purchase a VIP tour package, which includes extended backstage access, a private trolley, a buffet lunch, and front-row access to all of the park’s rides and attractions. Prices for the VIP experience range from $379 to $499 per person.

“The concept of Hollywood can be elusive, and guests visiting Los Angeles always wonder: ‘Will I meet a movie star?'” said Dennis Satterfield, director of Studio Tour operations at Universal Studios Hollywood. “The Studio Tour helps to alleviate some of that doubt, giving guests access to a real movie studio and the opportunity to see production sites, film sets and sometimes movie stars in their environment.”

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.