There’s a certain thrill to pulling back the curtain to see the inner workings of a place. And the chance to hold historic artifacts that aren’t usually on display can turn a routine museum stop into something truly extraordinary.

That’s the appeal of behind-the-scenes experiences; they are, by definition, not the usual fare. These elevated itineraries take groups beyond the day-to-day to offer one-of-a-kind experiences that forge favorite travel memories.

From feeding stingrays to handling an authentic Old West firearm or walking in the footsteps of football legends, visiting these six behind-the-scenes experiences gives groups the chance to feel like true VIPs.

Lambeau Field Stadium Tour

Green Bay, Wisconsin

As the oldest continually operating NFL stadium in the country, Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, stands as a mecca for sports fans of all stripes, though it’s an especially hallowed place for Green Bay Packers fans.

Groups can immerse themselves in the rich history of the stadium, which opened in 1957, and explore decades of Packers lore and nostalgia through several Lambeau Field tour experiences, ranging from one to two hours in length.

“By far the best part is we bring everyone down through the players’ tunnel where the Packers players run out on game day, and then we bring you down next to the field,” said Andrew Montana, Lambeau Field’s Hall of Fame & Stadium Tours group sales executive.

At two hours in length, the Legendary Tour offers the most extensive overview of the facility, with stops including a rooftop view from the stadium — the tallest point in Green Bay — plus visits to premium seating areas, the visiting team locker room and the press box.

On game day weekends, alumni players lead the stadium tours, “so groups get to interact with the alumni one-on-one, take pictures with them and ask questions,” Montana said. “Those almost always sell out and offer a fun, intimate experience.”

With the Ultimate Ticket package, groups can also visit the stadium’s Hall of Fame and enjoy a 90-minute trolley tour of historic sites in Green Bay with ties to the Packers, including the homes of Packers founder Curly Lambeau and legendary coach Vince Lombardi. 

“I always say, even if you’re not a football fan or a sports fan, a visit to Lambeau Field is still enjoyable and still entertaining,” Montana said. “We are the only stadium in the NFL that still uses aluminum bleachers. So, you get very comfortable and close to your neighbors. Many people will say that the best experience you can have in sports is experiencing a Packers game day.”

packershofandtours.com

Newport Aquarium Behind-the-Scenes Tour

Newport, Kentucky

Just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky, boasts thousands of aquatic species from around the world, including a rare white alligator and endangered shark rays. The facility hosts an array of engaging permanent and rotating exhibits, and its 85 feet of acrylic shark tunnels and unique Shark Bridge — where guests can traverse a tank full of sharks on a suspended rope bridge — provide ample opportunities to view the majestic predators up close.

Newport’s Behind-the-Scenes Tour elevates the fun with the chance to tour several areas not typically seen by the public. The 60-minute experience includes access to the aquarium’s extensive filtration systems, veterinary lab, dive station and animal food prep kitchen, among other spaces.

Whenever possible, the behind-the-scenes experience also delivers VIP access to the aquarium’s various ambassador animals and visitor-favorite species.

“One of the highlights for everyone on the behind-the-scenes tours is the penguin experience, when it’s available,” said Travis Ragsdale, who supports media messaging for the aquarium. “Going into the penguin enclosure and playing with the penguins up close is always a high point for both kids and adults.”

The Behind-the-Scenes Tour typically also includes a stop at a jellyfish propagation area not typically seen by the public, where a dedicated care expert shares insights about the jellyfish on display. Many visitors’ favorite part of the tour, though, is the chance to prepare a shrimp-based snack in the aquarium’s kitchen to feed to the stingrays by hand.

“It’s very cool,” Ragsdale said. “They will eat right out of your hand. Where else are you going to get to feed a stingray?”

newportaquarium.com

Grand Ole Opry Backstage Experience

Nashville, Tennessee

No site in country music is more hallowed than the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. But fully experiencing the Opry’s sweeping influence on the genre — not to mention the decades of magical moments captured on stage there — requires a backstage look.

Fortunately, the Grand Ole Opry offers multiple backstage group options, from a 50-minute daytime tour to a 60-minute post-show experience. Two additional specialized itineraries, the 45-minute Women of Country spotlight and the 90-minute VIP tour experience, can accommodate small groups for fun extras like mimosas and pastries or an immersive dressing room experience, respectively.

As a starting point, most groups lean toward either the daytime tour or the post-show tour, with both options including video histories, backstage access, a dressing room viewing and, generally speaking, the chance to stand on the Opry stage.

“With the daytime tour, you’re taking the same steps the stars do when they come to the Opry,” said Stacy Thompson, senior manager of tour operations and VIP services for the Opry. “So, you’re heading to the artist entrance, seeing dressing rooms and the green room, and then most times getting to stand on the stage as well.”

While the post-show tour generally covers the same spaces as the daytime tour, its flavor is a bit different, in that it focuses a little less on history and a bit more on show production. The bonus of the nighttime option is that groups might luck out and get to see the performing artists leaving for the night.

“Sometimes they’ll stop and take pictures and sign autographs,” Thompson said.

opry.com

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Burbank, California

During the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, groups get the chance to step in the footsteps of Hollywood stars on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, California, and peer behind the camera for behind-the-scenes insights into the making of TV and film favorites that have helped shape American culture for generations.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, the studios’ most popular group experience, combines Hollywood history, a working film studio and the chance to experience fan-favorite TV and movie set components, all in one visit. Guests get to explore the iconic backlot through both guided and self-guided experiences, with plenty of time to snap photos of sites where film and TV favorites like “Batman,” “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Gilmore Girls” — among many more — were produced.

For groups with a deep interest in movie history, the TCM Classic Films Tour offers a deep dive into Warner Bros.’ Golden Age. The tour includes stops at the historic backlot and soundstages where classic films like “Casablanca” and “The Music Man” were shot.

“Guests love the chance to step behind the curtain of a real working studio,” said Brad Crawford, director of publicity and communications for Warner Bros. Discovery. “On these tours, groups get to experience the energy that drives the WBD lot. You see the hustle of the men and women who make first-class entertainment daily — from the grips, lighting and landscape professionals to the actors, directors and filmmakers who bring real storytelling to life.”

Groups looking for an even more in-depth itinerary can customize tailored experiences by working with the studios’ tour teams.

“Whether you’re interested in classic films, television favorites or the broader Warner Bros. legacy, we can help tailor the experience based on a given group’s needs,” Crawford said.

wbstudiotour.com

Exclusive Tours at Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Cody, Wyoming

With five world-class museums and a research library under one roof, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, holds one of the country’s most comprehensive collections of artifacts and memorabilia related to the frontier heritage of the American West.

Founded in 1917 to honor the legacy of Buffalo Bill Cody, the center — located just 50 miles from Yellowstone National Park’s East Gate — today houses the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, the Draper Natural History Museum and the Cody Firearms Museum in one, 300,000-square-foot complex.

The center’s exclusive tours let groups enjoy a private, expert-led exploration of its vast holdings, including items from behind-the-scenes collections not on display to the public.

“Our exclusive tours are customized to match the interests of the individual or group,” said Kirsten Michael, visitor services director for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. “These are private, personalized experiences led by highly trained and engaging guides who can lead the groups through one museum or all five of our museums, whether they’re interested in cowboys or art or Native Americans or firearms.”

As part of the one- to two-hour experience, group members don white gloves for the opportunity to hold and learn about select artifacts from the center’s vaults and other restricted areas.

“It’s one thing to see an artifact through a glass exhibit case and read a label about it,” Michael said. “It’s another thing entirely to have an original cowboy rifle from the 1880s placed into your hands or to be able to appreciate the artistry of a Native American moccasin, with its beautiful glass beading, up close.”

centerofthewest.org

Field Museum Behind-the-Scenes Tour

Chicago

In summer 2026, the Field Museum in Chicago resumed its one-hour Behind-the-Scenes Tour for the first time in six years. The tour option had been shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic, and staff are excited to finally welcome guests back again to some of the museum’s insider-only access spots, said Peyton Lindquist, the museum’s hospitality and tourism sales director.

“The Field Museum has over 40 million artifacts, and only 1% of those are actually on display to the public,” Lindquist said. “But with the Behind-the-Scenes Tour, groups get to go down to different, nonpublic areas of the museum and talk with our fossil, plant and geology experts to learn more about our artifacts and other cool things that not everyone gets to see.”

In addition to the behind-the-scenes experience, the Field Museum also offers a VIP Early Access ticket, which enables groups to enter the museum an hour before its public opening. During their VIP hour, groups can enjoy a personalized tour of the museum’s Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet, home to SUE — the largest Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever discovered — as well as a vast collection of fossils and interactive displays exploring the evolution of life.

Both specialized ticket options include general museum access, so groups can also enjoy visiting the Field’s many other galleries and collections, including the Grainger Hall of Gems, Inside Ancient Egypt and Maximo the Titanosaur, at 122-feet long, and 28-feet tall, one of the biggest dinosaurs discovered to date.

fieldmuseum.org