Everyone is obsessed with something. For many people, it's a fictional world created through some kind of media. Turns our, many of these worlds can be visited on Earth. If you want to dive straight into your favorite franchise, here are a few travel destinations for you.
1. New Zealand, The Lord of the Rings
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Many fans who read or watched The Lord of the Rings wish they could visit Middle Earth. Well, now you can. The majority of the films were shot in New Zealand and the sets are open and available to visitors. Scattered across New Zealand, you can visit Hobbiton and many, many other filming locations and sets. You can also visit the Weta Workshop and learn how the costumes, weapons and make up were all created for the films.
2. Orlando, Harry Potter
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J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World captured the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world. Now, you can finally visit Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley in Orlando, Florida. This theme park is a part of Universal Studios in Orlando. You can get your own personalized wand, sip on a butter beer and even catch a ride on the Hogwarts Express. If you want to visit sets from the films, there is a Warner Bros. studio tour in London.
3. Cardiff, Doctor Who
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Who doesn't want to travel through space and time? Well, you probably won't meet a Time Lord, but you can still experience Doctor Who in Cardiff. Much of the show is filmed in Cardiff so you can join a location tour to visit the famous sites. There is also the Doctor Who Experience, which is essentially a museum featuring costumes and props from the series since the beginning in the 1960s. Unfortunately, this attraction is set to close in the summer of 2017 If you're dying to visit, you should do it soon.
4. San Francisco, Lucasfilm
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San Francisco is the home of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light and Magic. These are the production companies that created Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Neither offer public tours, but you can still visit the Yoda fountain at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio. Just seeing the outside of these buildings should give you something to be excited about. If that's not enough for you, you can also visit the various filming locations of the Star Wars movies in California. These include the famous redwood forest and desert locations on Tatooine.
5. Tokyo, Pokémon
Tasayu Tasnaphun/Flickr
Japan is the birthplace of Pokémon. As such, Tokyo features not one, but three different Pokémon centers, or stores. You can find a wide variety of Pokémon merchandise, including stuffed animals, toys and games of all kinds. Of course, you can still order these online, but it's not quite the same as walking into the storefront. Also, if you play Pokémon Go, visiting Japan is one of the few ways you can catch the Asian regional exclusive Pokémon Farfetch'd. But if you don't want to travel internationally for your Pokémon fix, you can also visit the Nintendo store in New York City.
