Hobbiton Movie Set Tours
Hobbiton Movie Set Tours, Bag End
Discover the most picturesque private farmland near Matamata, where you can visit the Hobbiton Movie Set that was completely re-built for filming of The Hobbit Trilogy and will remain as it was seen in the film trilogy.
Hobbiton Movie Set provides visitors with first-hand insights into the details that went into creating the set. The hobbit holes, Green Dragon Inn, mill and other structures created for the The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films can be viewed and you will see how this beautiful piece of Waikato farmland was transformed into The Shire from Middle-earth.
Visitors are guided under the party tree and through the ten acre site past over 40 hobbit holes including Samwise Gamgree’s home and the iconic front door of Bilbo Baggins' house Bag End. Knowledgeable tour guides provide fascinating insight into how the movie set was created and what went on during filming of both trilogies.
The Green Dragon Inn – Hobbiton
The Only Brew for the Brave and True...
To wrap up the tour, visitors are taken to the now functioning Green Dragon Inn, where they can sample the beer, ale, or ginger beer brewed in Hamilton by Good George Brewery, exclusively for The Green Dragon at Hobbiton Movie Set and sit in wonder at the meticulous details that have brought the Inn to life.
Home to all manner of creatures
Pickle the cat enjoying the fire at The Green Dragon, Hobbiton
As you make your way past the homely looking hobbit holes, it is hard not to expect some friendly hobbit folk to walk around the corner. While there are not actual hobbits on site, Hobbiton Movie Set is home to a number of friendly creatures – one of which is ‘Pickle’ the Hobbiton Movie Set resident cat, who will often be seen basking in the sunshine or keeping cosy in her favourite spot next to the fire in The Green Dragon.
Hobbiton Movie Set may seem like a mythical world, but the sheep farm it is built within is still a functioning farm. Sheep and cattle will be seen grazing the pastures, and in the right season, visitors can bottle feed the irresistibly cute baby lambs at The Shires Rest Café before or after their tour.
How it all began
The story goes that it was a quiet Saturday afternoon in 1998, when a surprising knock on the door of an inconspicuous Matamata farm house, would take a seemingly normal sheep farm in the heart of the Hamilton & Waikato region, and turn it in to one of the most visited attractions in New Zealand.
Hobbiton Movie Set - How it all began
That knock on the door was a film scout seeking permission to look around the Alexander’s farm. Within days Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema were making arrangements to turn the lush rolling hills and bucolic setting of the Alexander farm into The Shire.
The large established pine tree perfectly placed in front of the idyllic lake and the surrounding farmland that was untouched by 20th century clutter all contributed to Sir Peter Jackson securing what was to become Hobbiton Movie Set.
Filming for The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy began in late 1999, with over 400 people on site at the peak of production. The set was rebuilt again in 2011 in preparation for filming of The Hobbit Trilogy, only this time set construction was done with permanent materials, making Hobbiton Movie Set the only permanent movie set in the world and a magical place that will transport people into Middle-earth for generations to come.
Celebrations at Hobbiton Movie Set
Functions & Events at Hobbiton Movie Set
Visitors to Hobbiton Movie Set can now have a truly Middle-earth themed function or event with on-site venue hire option. The Green Dragon Inn is available for venue hire and events – with some fans already tying the knot at Hobbiton Movie Set.
You might not be celebrating your ‘eleventy-first’ birthday like Bilbo Baggins did in The Lord of the Rings , but you can certainly celebrate in the same style with a party tent beside the Green Dragon, and tailored venue options to suit. Perfect for a wedding, birthday, or corporate function with a difference.