Hobbiton Open for Touring

It seems that while the Hobbit is filming elsewhere, The Hobbiton set remains open for tourists - if willing to sign a non discloure agreement. The location is allowing tourists to visit the now permanent local attraction even though it is being prepped and maintained for whenever the production schedule moves to the site for filming.

The skeleton that remained of the set has been a very popular tourist attraction. We also know that it has since been rebuilt for The Hobbit - and that this time it won't be removed once filming is completed. It's been designed to last 50 years.

But what surprises me is that the public can visit the rebuilt set right now before the cameras roll. Ian Brodie, author of the detailed and very handy Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook, is the media and communications manager for the Hobbiton movie set.

He told me that multiple tours continue to visit the set each day. "The only thing they [visitors] have to do is sign a non-disclosure agreement. They can take as many photos as they want, they just can't post them up online or do those sorts of things. Certainly they are seeing it at its best."