On Location: Gossip Girl

I am a huge Gossip Girl fan, when I was fifteen I read all the books in the series in just three weeks and I avidly watched every season of the show when it was on the air.  I loved how the show brought some of my favorite books to life and I finally got to see the glamorous lives of the characters unfold before my eyes.  On Saturday I had the opportunity to channel my inner Serena van der Woodsen and take a tour of Gossip Girl shooting locations in Manhattan with On Location Tours.  As you can imagine I was beyond excited to be in my favorite city to learn more about one of my favorite shows.

The Gossip Girl Sites Tour is a three hour tour that combines a bus tour and stops at certain locations.   Our lovely tour guide, Madeline, was upbeat, fun, and super knowledgable about the series and places on the tour.  While on the bus we drove past various locations from the show and then stopped at the bigger (most exciting!) sites.  During the time on the bus Madeline showed us various clips from the show that took place at the locations we were seeing, talked about the different sites, and gave us behind the scenes info, which I loved!  I also have to say I really loved taking the (comfy) tour bus around the city because you get such a different (and I would say better) view while in a bus compared to when you're seeing things as you walk the sidewalk.

The tour began at The Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue, but unfortunately my Mom and I got stuck in horrible (very unforeseen) traffic on our way to the city and had to miss this part of the tour. Thankfully, the people at On Location Tours were so sweet and told me where to go so we could meet up with the group!  We met the group outside the Museum of the City of New York where the front of the museum was used as a location to shoot the courtyard of the school all the ladies on the show attended, Constance Billard School for Girls.  The museum is beautiful and it was awesome to see the differences between it in person and how it appears on the show.

From there we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and on our way saw sites like the building Blair Waldorf lived in, the Vera Wang boutique Blair tried on wedding gowns at, and the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum where Bart Bass and Lily van der Woodsen were married.  When we got to the Met we stopped to take in the beautiful museum and get some pictures on the landmark steps that were featured throughout the series.  I have been dying to go to the Met for sometime now and even though I didn't get to go inside I was happy I got to see it and take some pictures on the iconic steps.

When we were done at The Met we saw Nate's family's home and Hunter College where the characters took their SATs, among other locations.  Next, we stopped at Dylan's Candy Bar where Dan and Vanessa went shopping on the show.  Dylan's Candy Bar is a sugar filled dream with every kind of candy you can think of!  It's such a magical store and we had a blast checking out all it they have to offer.  When we got off the bus there we were given discount cards from On Location Tours to use while we shopped!

The next spot we stopped at was The Empire Hotel (Chuck Bass owned it on the show!) and on the ride there we got to see everything from Central Park to the Pulitzer Fountain and more.  The Empire Hotel is gorgeous and located right near Lincoln Center, which happens to be another location that was on the series!  

After the hotel our next stop was Henri Bendel, where all the girls on the show shopped!  It's also the shop that so many of Blair's famous headbands came from.  I've been to Bendel's before and was more than happy to go again.  It's a very pretty store with so many different things to choose from, if you're in New York City it's definitely a fun place to check out.

The last stop of the tour is Grand Central Station where Gossip Girl began.  I had never been before, but heard it was gorgeous so I was excited to finally get to see it.  Grand Central did not disappoint and was absolutely beautiful.  It's such an elegant building and it makes for an incredible train station.  Our tour concluded here so my Mom did a little exploring of our own and got to check out some of the shops inside!  There was also a super cute police dog there that I got to pet because I am a crazy dog lady.

I really cannot tell you how much fun the tour was!  It was so interesting to see all the different locations and learn things about the show I never knew.  If you are a Gossip Girl fan you absolutely have to go on this tour!  I felt like I was playing Serena and Blair throughout the tour, which was so much fun.  Also I feel like I got to see Manhattan in a way I never have before.  On Location Tours offers many different location tours for movies and shows shot in New York City and I would love to go on another one.  I think next time I would like to check out the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour!

Would you like to win a chance to go on a tour like I did?!  The sweet people at On Location Tours are giving away two tickets for one lucky winner to use at their convenience!  Enter below for your chance to win - good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I recieved the Gossip Girl Tour as a part of a partnership with On Location Tours.  All words and opinions are my own.

  

                

Make sure to add me on Snapchat - @kthomp22!

Today I'm linking up with #HowIFall, Hello Monday, Mingle Monday, Fall Weekending, and MIMM.