About Hobbiton™ Movie Set
A short journey through rolling farmland gives way to a world that feels lifted straight from the screen. Colourful round doors dot the hillsides, gardens spill across winding pathways and Bag End overlooks the lake, while the distant Kaimai Ranges frame the storybook landscape of the Shire.
The Story of This Place
Hobbiton™ Movie Set began in 1998, when Sir Peter Jackson’s location scouts discovered the Alexander family’s sheep farm during an aerial search for the Shire. Its rolling hills, lake and unbroken rural views closely matched J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagined landscape. The original set was built for The Lord of the Rings, then permanently reconstructed when filming returned for The Hobbit trilogy, creating the detailed attraction visitors explore today.
The Experience of Visiting
The experience begins with a short coach ride through the working farm before a specialist guide leads visitors into the Shire. The route winds past colourful Hobbit Holes, Bag End, the Millhouse and stone bridge, with time to enter a fully furnished Hobbit home at Bagshot Row. The tour finishes at the Green Dragon Inn with a complimentary drink from the Hobbit Southfarthing range.
Natural Features
The movie set is woven into the natural contours of a working sheep farm, with rolling green hills, a central lake and views towards the Kaimai Ranges. The absence of visible roads, power lines and modern buildings was one of the reasons the farm was chosen, allowing the filmmakers to create an uninterrupted vision of the Shire. Gardens, orchards, hedgerows and farmland now form part of the carefully maintained landscape visitors see today.
Good to Know
- The Alexander family farm covers 1,250 acres, with the Hobbiton™ Movie Set occupying 12 acres and containing 44 reconstructed Hobbit Holes.
- Guided tours began in 2002, the Green Dragon Inn opened in 2012, and the interior Hobbit Hole experience at Bagshot Row opened in December 2023.
- The Signature Tour lasts 2.5 hours, including coach transport between The Shire’s Rest and the movie set.
Stories Shared Along the Way
The specialist Hobbiton™ Movie Set guide reveals how an ordinary working farm was transformed through set design, landscaping and filmmaking into the Shire seen on screen. Along the route, guides point out famous locations and intricate details while explaining how the movie magic was created.
Little-Known Facts
The original set was never intended to become a permanent visitor attraction. After filming, an attempt was made to dismantle it, but 17 bare plywood façades remained. Those remnants inspired the first guided tours in 2002 and ultimately led to the permanent reconstruction of Hobbiton™ Movie Set for The Hobbit trilogy.
Hobbiton™ Movie Set is not a preserved film set left untouched after production. Its gardens, props, buildings and decorative details are continually maintained by specialist teams, including carpenters, scenic painters, crafters and props staff, to keep the Shire looking alive and lived in.
One Thing to Know
You do not need to be a devoted fan to appreciate Hobbiton™ Movie Set. Its rolling landscape, richly planted gardens and remarkable handcrafted details make the Shire feel like a storybook village with a life of its own.