Soon ‘Game of Thrones’ Fans Will Be Able To Visit Winterfell, King’s Landing, and More IRL
Next year will, sadly, deliver the final episodes of Game of Thrones, but the end of the series also brings some good news for fans. For the first time ever, you’ll be able to visit Westeros for real.
OK, we all know the George R.R. Martin-created fantasy continent isn’t real, but the Game of Thrones sets across Northern Ireland are the closest thing to what he imagined. After the series finishes its eighth and final season, set to debut sometime in the first half of 2019, HBO is planning to turn some of its biggest filming locations into tourist attractions (because what else do you do with massive sets for the most popular show on TV?). While fans can already go on tours of GoT locations now, none are affiliated with HBO, so the Game of Thrones Legacy project, as its being called, would include much more exclusive access.
HBO hasn’t said which sets will become attractions yet, but as Variety reports, the network is considering including Northern Ireland locations for Winterfell and Castle Black, and interestingly King’s Landing, which is filmed in Dubrovnik in Croatia. (Perhaps they’ll transport pieces of the Croatian set to Belfast, or maybe this will be a multiple country-spanning attraction.)
Whatever locations are included, fans will be able to step inside the sets to see costumes, props, models, and art files from all eight seasons, and go on a tour of Linen Mill Studios. There will also be interactive exhibits about the VFX behind the series (dragonsss!). Just like Season 8, no exact date is set for the opening of the Legacy project just yet, but it’s expected to open sometime in 2019. Better start saving up for an Irish vacation!
Gallery – The Best Dressed Game of Thrones Characters: