Winter is coming for all "Game of Thrones" buffs. As fans (not so) patiently wait for the eighth and final season to premiere in 2019, HBO announced Monday that several iconic sets in Northern Ireland featured in the Emmy Award-winning series will be transformed into tourist attractions next year. “HBO is thrilled to celebrate the work of the 'Game of Thrones' creative team and crew by preserving these locations and inviting fans to visit Northern Ireland and explore Westeros in person,” said Jeff Peters, vice president of HBO licensing & retail. The experience, dubbed the Game of Thrones Legacy attractions, may include the picturesque sets of Winterfell (home to the Starks), Castle Black (the headquarters of the Night's Watch) and King's Landing (the capital where Cersei Lannister and, more importantly, the Iron Throne reside). Related: Most popular 'Game of Thrones' filming locations In addition to exploring the locations, the attraction will give visitors an up close and personal look at costumes, props, weapons and other production materials. HBO added that a formal tour of Linen Mill Studios will display contents from all seasons and settings. Are you a fan of dragons, White Walkers and magic? The unique experience will have that covered too with "state-of-the-art digital content and interactive materials, which will showcase some of the digital wizardry the series is known for," according to HBO. More: HBO hints at 'Game of Thrones' return date, sets plans for 'Deadwood' movie "While fans have seen the stunning landscapes, coastlines and mountains in the series, we are thrilled they will now have the opportunity to fully experience the charm of Northern Ireland and immerse themselves in to the world of Westeros,” said John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism NI. The network promised the sets will be "on a scale and scope bigger than anything the public has ever seen," and judging by past seasons of "Game of Thrones," HBO has shown they are capable of going "wilding." Filming for the final season has ended, and the attraction is scheduled to open in 2019. More: George R.R. Martin reveals inspiration behind killing of 'Game of Thrones' characters<doc-sep>Game of Thrones is expected to premiere in the first half of 2019. HBO intends to turn several iconic Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland like Stark residence Winterfell, King's Landing and Castle Black of the Night's Watch into tourist attractions, reports Variety. The network also plans to launch Game of Thrones Legacy Experience and include a tour of the sets that will feature props, costumes and other production material. "HBO is thrilled to celebrate the work of the Game of Thrones creative team and crew by preserving these locations and inviting fans to visit Northern Ireland and explore Westeros in person,” said Jeff Peters, HBO’s VP of licensing and retail. The network is working with the tourism board of Northern Ireland on the attractions. John McGrillen, Chief Executive of Tourism for the region, termed this move as a "game-changer" on a global level. The attractions will also open to public next year after the conclusion of the series. Game of Thrones recently commenced the production of its eighth and final season, which is scheduled to premiere in the first half of 2019. David Benioff and Dan Weiss had in an interview described the last installment as the "biggest thing" they have ever done.<doc-sep>HBO is turning Game of Thrones’ filming locations in Northern Ireland into tourist attractions, it announced Monday, which might include the sets of Winterfell, Castle Black, and King’s Landing. Separately, it’s planning a tour of Linen Mill Studios in the city of Banbridge, where materials from all eight seasons will be showcased. These will open to the public sometime in 2019, possibly soon after the conclusion of the series. Winterfell is filmed at Castle Ward in County Down, Castle Black is set in a quarry in Magheramorne, and part of King’s Landing is shot near Armoy. Each site will also have costumes, props, weapons, set decorations, art files, and models in addition to digital content and interactive material to detail the millions Game of Thrones has spent on VFX over the years. Together, they will be known as "Game of Thrones Legacy". HBO is promising that the planned Thrones tourist attractions in Northern Ireland will be “on a scale and scope bigger than anything the public has ever seen” with Jeff Peters, HBO’s VP of licensing and retail, adding in a statement: “HBO is thrilled to celebrate the ongoing work of the Game of Thrones creative team and crew by preserving these locations and inviting fans to go to Northern Ireland and explore Westeros personally.” Game of Thrones Wins the 2018 Emmy Award for Best Drama Series “We anticipate opening the gates and sharing the excitement of stepping inside these amazing sets with Game of Thrones fans from round the global world. The chance to celebrate Northern Ireland’s pivotal role in the entire life and legacy of the show and share its culture, beauty and warmth is really a huge inspiration behind these Legacy projects also,” Peters added. “We couldn’t become more worked up about the Game of Thrones Legacy project arriving at Northern Ireland. While fans have observed the beautiful landscapes, mountains and coastlines in the series, we have been thrilled they’ll now have the chance to fully go through the charm of Northern Ireland and immerse themselves into the world of Westeros,” said John McGrillen, CEO of Tourism NI. “The Game of Thrones Legacy project will be a casino game changer for Northern Ireland on a worldwide tourism level. We quite definitely welcome this exciting announcement by HBO and appearance forward to attracting a lot more people to our beautiful country because of this,” McGrillen.<doc-sep>
Westeros is set to open its doors to Game of Thrones fans after HBO began working on turning its locations in Northern Ireland into tourist attractions. The premium broadcaster is set to turn locations including Winterfell, Castle Black and Kings Landing into attractions as well as planning a tour at Linen Mill Studios. Winterfell, the backdrop for the pilot and much of Season 1, is filmed at Castle Ward in County Down; Castle Black, HQ of the Night’s Watch, is filmed in a disused quarry in Magheramorne; and (some of) Kings Landing is filmed near Armoy. The attractions are being lined up to open in 2019. HBO’s move comes as it is set to say goodbye to the epic fantasy period drama with Season 8. Related Story 'The Last Of Us': Merle Dandridge To Reprise Role From Original Game For HBO Series “HBO is thrilled to celebrate the work of the Game of Thrones creative team and crew by preserving these locations and inviting fans to visit Northern Ireland and explore Westeros in person,” said Jeff Peters, HBO’s VP Licensing and Retail. “We look forward to opening the gates and sharing the excitement of stepping inside these amazing sets with Game of Thrones fans from around the world. The opportunity to celebrate Northern Ireland’s pivotal role in the life and legacy of the show and share its culture, beauty and warmth is also a huge inspiration behind these legacy projects.” Said John McGrillen, CEO of Tourism NI: “We couldn’t be more excited about the Game of Thrones Legacy project coming to Northern Ireland. While fans have seen the stunning landscapes, coastlines and mountains in the series, we are thrilled they will now have the opportunity to fully experience the charm of Northern Ireland and immerse themselves in to the world of Westeros. The Game of Thrones Legacy project will be a game changer for Northern Ireland on a global tourism level. We very much welcome this exciting announcement by HBO and look forward to attracting many more visitors to our beautiful country as a result.”