How to Get a Tour of Pixar Studios

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 29, 2022

Pixar Animation Studios is a famous film studio known for its many successful animation films, including Toy Story, Cars, and Inside Out. The studio is located in Emeryville, California, and while it’s full of exciting and creative treasures, it’s closed to the public. While getting a tour at Pixar is very difficult, you just may be able to get in the door if you have personal connections, participate in a charity event, win a contest, or get a job at Pixar.

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Getting a Tour through Personal Connections

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Find out if you know anyone who’s connected to Pixar. The most common way to get a tour of Pixar Studios is to have a personal connection. If none of your immediate family members work at Pixar, ask your parents if any of your extended family does. Also, ask all of your closest friends if they know anyone who works at Pixar.^{[1]
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- Consider posting a question about touring Pixar Studios on social networking sites, such as Facebook, to reach a larger audience of family, friends, and acquaintances.
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Go to a family and friends day. Pixar sometimes has days that are designated for family and friends to come visit and tour the facility. On these days, employees are often allowed to invite a guest to come to the studio. If you have a connection with someone at Pixar who’s very important, you may be able to get a private, unscheduled tour, but it’s usually easier to get a tour on the family and friends days.
- To respect your personal connection’s time and space, consider calling them instead of approaching them in person.
- When asking about family and friends day, try saying “Hi! I was hoping to ask you something about Pixar. Do you have a moment to talk?” If they seem eager to speak with you, say something like, “I’m such a big Pixar fan. Is there a family and friends day at the studio some time soon that I’d be able to attend with you?”
- If you get to attend the studio on family and friends day, you can expect to tour the Steve Jobs Building, tour the Brooklyn building, and also check out the interesting outdoor features, such as the big model of the Luxo lamp and ball.^{[2]
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- While many areas are off limits during family and friends day tours, you should still be able to see the screening room, the mail room, the gift shop, the cafe, as well as recent Pixar artwork and Pixar awards.^{[3]
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Check out a private screening. Pixar shows private screenings of their movies a few months before they’re released in theaters. Pixar often allows employees to invite guests to come to the studio to see these films. While you may or may not be able to tour the studio if you get into the facility this way, you’ll at least get to see some of it and you’ll also get to see a movie before it comes out.
- Be sure to politely and appropriately ask the person you know who is connected to Pixar for this opportunity. For example, you might say, “I’m really excited for that new Pixar movie that’s coming out soon. It looks incredible. Is there any way that I could see it with you before it’s shown in theaters?”

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Participating in Charity Events and Contests

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Participate in charitable auctions that are posted online. Go online to Pixar news sources, such as http://www.pixarpost.com/ and https://pixarplanet.com. These websites typically post about different charitable auction opportunities that happen from time to time. The purpose of these is to raise money for different organizations, such as the LA Food Bank or the Singing Stones School. Follow the directions on the website in order to place your bid, as you may get a tour if you have the highest one.^{[4]
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- While this is a good way to get a tour, it can be extremely expensive.
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Purchase tour tickets for special charity events. Another way that Pixar uses charity fundraising to offer tours is by temporarily giving the public an opportunity to buy touring tickets, usually just before a film premier. Check out https://www.charitybuzz.com/ to see if any charity ticket opportunities have been posted.
- This is another pricey option. For example, tickets for a charity event in 2011 that included a black tie dinner, a screening, and an exclusive tour were $1,000 USD each.
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Participate in contests that are posted online. While it may be harder to get a tour by winning a contest, it’s a great option to pursue if you don’t have any personal connections and you also don’t want to spend a lot of money. Check out https://pixarplanet.com/blog/category/competition/ regularly to see what contests are posted.
- Contest entry requirements range in difficulty from answering a prompt with a short essay response to creating a trailer for a film. The prizes also vary, from special edition Blu-Ray disc sets to tours of the studio.

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Getting a Tour through Your Job

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Go online to check out current job openings. You can also potentially get a tour of Pixar Studios by becoming an employee there. Go online to https://pixar.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Pixar_External_Career_Site and scroll through the current positions that are available. If one sounds interesting, click on it and see if you meet the qualifications.
- There’s a wide variety of jobs that are needed at Pixar. Some of these jobs include software engineering, marketing, and cooking.
- Pixar offers internship opportunities as well. This may be a better option for you if you’re currently a student.
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Click on “Apply” or “Apply through LinkedIn.” If you come across a job posting that sounds interesting and you think you may be qualified for it, you can either apply for the job through your Pixar account or through your LinkedIn account. Click the “Apply” button if you have a Pixar account and click the “Apply through LinkedIn” button if you’d rather use your LinkedIn account. Then, proceed as you’re instructed to.
- If you don’t have either account, make a Pixar account by clicking on the “Create Account” button that appears after you click “Apply.” If you’d rather make a LinkedIn account, click on the “Join LinkedIn” button on the page that pops up after you click “Apply through LinkedIn.”
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Work for the press as an alternative. Pixar often invites the press to come tour the studio when they’re promoting a new movie premiere or DVD/Blu-Ray release. If you don’t have an interest in working for Pixar and you’re more experienced in journalism, search for a press job that covers Pixar and/or movie exclusives. Then, send your resume and portfolio to the news organization that’s looking to fill the position.
- Some news organizations that frequently cover Pixar include The Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian, and The Vancouver Sun.

Community Q&A

Question

How can you become a part of Pixar studios?

Community Answer

I had the privilege to tour Pixar, and some of the animators and storyboard artists I spoke with started out as janitors at Pixar. So, get involved in any way you can, and who knows, maybe you will move up one day. Visit the careers section of the Pixar website regularly to see what opportunities are available.
Question

Can you take a tour of Pixar Studios?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

Yes, but it may be a little tricky. There isn't technically a tour that's open to the public, but there are ways you can get a tour of the studios. The most common way to get a tour of Pixar Studios is to have a personal connection. If you don't know anybody that works at Pixar, try asking friends or family if they do. You could even post a question on social media asking if anybody knows someone who works at Pixar. Pixar sometimes has days that are designated for family and friends to come visit and tour the facility. If you have a connection with someone who works there, you may be able to get a private, unscheduled tour, but your best bet is to go on the family and friends days. Another option is to go view a private screening at the Pixar studios. Pixar sometimes allows employees to invite guests to come to the studio to see these films.
Question

How do you get a Pixar tour?

Drew Hawkins1

Community Answer

The easiest way is to ask someone you know who works there if you can take a tour with them. But if you don't know anybody at Pixar, you could try participating in a charity event or a contest. Go to a Pixar news website and look for information about different charitable auction opportunities that happen from time to time. Follow the directions on the website in order to place your bid, as you may get a tour if you have the highest one. Pixar also sometimes offers tickets to take a tour of their studio to raise money for charities. They usually happen just before a new movie premier. Check out the Pixar website for tour tickets you can purchase, but keep in mind these can be pricey. For example, tickets for a charity event in 2011 that included a black tie dinner, a screening, and an exclusive tour were $1,000 USD each. Another option is to look for contests you can enter to potentially win tour tickets. Check out the Pixar website and keep an eye out for contests you can sign up for.

Warnings

If you're in the area of where the studio is located, don't try to sneak in. The facility has security, and sneaking in is illegal.

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If you do know a person that works at Pixar, you can't force them to give you a tour, so don't harass them.

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