Universal Studios Hollywood: A Journey Through Film and Fantasy

Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park located in Universal City, California, near Hollywood, Los Angeles. It stands as one of Hollywood's oldest and most famous film studios still actively in use. Beyond its function as a theme park, the facility near the Universal Pictures backlot strives to consolidate all of NBCUniversal's West Coast operations into a unified area, currently housing KNBC, KVEA, and NBC News with Noticias Telemundo Los Angeles Bureaus on the Universal lot, previously occupied by Technicolor.

The Genesis of Universal Studios Hollywood

In 1914, German American immigrant Carl Laemmle acquired the Taylor Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, establishing Universal City as a massive studio with its own zoo, police force, mayor, and even Native Americans residing on the premises. On March 14, 1915, Laemmle inaugurated Universal Studios with a grand two-day event that attracted 10,000 attendees. Subsequently, he opened the studio to the public for a modest five-cent admission fee, which included a boxed lunch with chicken. Visitors also had the opportunity to purchase fresh produce from the then-rural Universal City, which still functioned partly as a working farm.

A History Marked by Fire

Throughout its history, Universal Studios Hollywood's backlot has been damaged by fire nine times. The first incident occurred in 1932 when embers from a nearby brush fire ignited four movie sets, causing over $100,000 in damage. In 1949, another brush fire led to the complete destruction of one building and damage to two others. An arson fire in 1957 destroyed the New York street film studio set, resulting in a half-million dollars in damage. Ten years later, in 1967, the Little Europe area and part of Spartacus Square were destroyed, along with the European, Denver, and Laramie street sets, doubling the damage. In 1987, an arsonist was suspected of destroying the remaining portion of Spartacus Square, along with street sets and other buildings. Another deliberately started fire occurred just three years later.

The most significant damage occurred on June 1, 2008, when a three-alarm fire erupted on the backlot. The fire, which started when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asphalt shingles on a facade, resulted in the destruction of Brownstone Street, New York Street, New England Street, the King Kong attraction, some structures of Courthouse Square, and the Video Vault. Notably, the Courthouse building survived the fire for the third time, with only minor charring on its west side. Over 516 firefighters from various local fire departments, along with two water-dropping helicopters, responded to the fire. Fourteen firefighters and three Los Angeles County sheriffs' deputies sustained minor injuries. Universal president Ron Meyer stated that "Nothing irreplaceable was lost."

However, a New York Times article published in June 2019 revealed that the fire had completely destroyed Building 6197, a warehouse adjacent to the King Kong attraction. This warehouse housed a video vault and a massive archive of analog audio master tapes belonging to Universal Pictures' former division, Universal Music Group (UMG). The collection included the master tape catalogs of various labels acquired by Universal over the years, such as Chess, Decca, MCA, Geffen, Interscope, A&M, Impulse, and numerous subsidiary labels. Estimates of the individual items lost ranged from 118,000 to 175,000 album and 45rpm single master tapes, gramophone master discs, lacquers, and acetates, along with all the documentation contained in the tape boxes. Many of the destroyed tapes contained unreleased recordings, including outtakes, alternate versions of released material, and instrumental 'submaster' multitracks created for subsequent dubbing and mixdown to the final master tape.

Following the publication of the New York Times story, Questlove of The Roots confirmed that the master tapes for two of the band's albums, including unused material and multi-track recordings, were lost in the fire. Similarly, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic believed that the masters for the band's 1991 album Nevermind were "gone forever" as a result of the fire. Representatives for R.E.M. also acknowledged potential losses.

From Studio Tour to Theme Park

In 1962, shortly after Music Corporation of America (MCA) acquired Universal Pictures, accountants proposed a new tour in the studio commissary to increase profits. On July 15, 1964, the modern tour was established, featuring dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, staged events. Over the years, this evolved into a full-fledged theme park. In 1965, the War Lord Tower opened as one of the first attractions in the theme park.

One of the early challenges for Universal was creating attractions for young children. The existing small Ma & Pa Kettle Petting Zoo was expanded into the Ark Park, which included the Mt. Ararat petting zoo with over 200 animals and birds representing 30 species, as well as a Noah's Nursery and a Noah's Love Inn playhouse for children and animals. This was followed by the opening of the Animal Actors' School Stage in 1970.

In 1968, the Screen Actors Guild enacted a rule prohibiting visitors from most soundstages. This, coupled with more productions being shot on location, meant that the backlot tram tour could not show visitors much in the way of real movie and television production. Jay Stein, President of the Recreation Division, championed the idea of creating exciting experiences for visitors in place of viewing actual production. Later that year, the Flash Flood set opened, becoming the first special-effects attraction and proving to be a hit. 20,000 gallons of water rushed 200 feet down a narrow Mexican village street, uprooting an old tree and threatening to engulf the tram. The Parting of the Red Sea attraction opened in 1973.

In 1974, the Rockslide staged event was added to the Studio Tour. The following year, The Land of a Thousand Faces opened on the Upper Lot. In 1979, the Battle of Galactica replaced Rockslide as a staged event on the Studio Tour. The Flintstones Show opened, replacing the Star Trek Adventure. In 1991, E.T. Adventure opened as the park's first "dark ride," an industry term for an attraction that uses ride vehicles to take passengers through an indoor show building. Around the same time, sister park Universal Studios Florida opened, which had its own, similar E.T. attraction. The Florida version was more of a conventional theme park and paved the way for the Hollywood park's evolution. In 1993, Back to the Future: The Ride replaced Battle of Galactica. In 1996, Jurassic Park: The Ride opened. In 1997, The Land Before Time show replaced Rocky and Bullwinkle Live, only to be replaced with Coke Soak a year later, and Totally Nickelodeon replaced the Flintstones Show. In 2000, the Rugrats Magic Adventure replaced Totally Nickelodeon. In 2001, the Nickelodeon Blast Zone opened, and Animal Planet Live replaced the Animal Actors' School Stage.

In 2003, E.T. Adventure was closed to make way for Revenge of the Mummy, which opened in 2004. This was the first roller coaster to open at the park. The following year, Fear Factor Live replaced Spider-Man Rocks. In 2007, Universal's House of Horrors replaced Van Helsing: Fortress Dracula. Both Back to the Future: The Ride and Lucy: A Tribute were closed, being replaced in 2008 by The Simpsons Ride and the Universal Story Museum, respectively. Also in 2008, the Nickelodeon Blast Zone was re-branded to the Adventures of Curious George. In 2010, the Special Effects Stages and Backdraft attractions were closed to make way for Transformers: The Ride - 3D, which was announced in 2008; Special Effects Stages moved to the former Creature From The Black Lagoon building and removed the last "s" from its name. King Kong 360 3-D also opened.

In April 2014, the park announced Springfield, a new dining complex built around the Simpsons Ride, featuring "signature eateries from Krusty Burger to Luigi's Pizza and Phineas Q. On August 13, 2017, Shrek 4-D closed after 14 years to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre. On April 10, 2019, the park announced The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!, an attraction based on The Secret Life of Pets. The attraction was set to open on March 27, 2020, adjacent to the Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction. However, Universal announced a temporary closure starting on March 14, 2020, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 5, 2021, it was announced that Universal Studios Hollywood could reopen with reduced capacity beginning April 1, 2021. At the end of March, it was announced that the park would reopen to California residents on April 16, 2021. Universal also announced that The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash! would be among the attractions opening.

On March 10, 2022, Universal Studios Hollywood announced that its version of Super Nintendo World would open in 2023. On December 14, 2022, Universal officially announced that the land would open in Hollywood on February 17, 2023. The area soft-opened under technical rehearsals for reserved guests on January 12, and officially opened as planned on February 17, about a month and a half before the release of Universal/Illumination's The Super Mario Bros.

Navigating the Park: Upper Lot and Lower Lot

Universal Studios Hollywood is divided into two areas on different levels, connected by a series of escalators known as the Starway. These areas are the Upper Lot and the Lower Lot. As of 2021, Universal Studios Hollywood features ten rides, seven shows, and two play areas.

The Upper Lot

The Upper Lot is home to a variety of family-based attractions. Its theming includes a Mission Revival entrance pathway, known as Universal Boulevard, which features the large Universal Plaza that opened in 2013. Rather than fully themed lands, the Upper Lot consists of smaller environments linked together with a common Art Deco theme reflecting the glamour of Old Hollywood.

Attractions in the Upper Lot:

Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: Guests are transformed into minions and undergo training by navigating an obstacle course. (Minimum height: 40 inches (102 cm))
Super Silly Fun Land: A large outdoor wet and dry play area themed to the Despicable Me franchise. (Minimum height: 34 inches (86 cm))
The World-Famous Studio Tour: A tour of the Universal Studios backlot, featuring backdrops and sets used in many of their films, including NBC shows. Narrated by Jimmy Fallon.
DreamWorks Theatre Featuring Kung Fu Panda: Themed around characters featured in films from DreamWorks Animation.
WaterWorld: A woman arrives with news of a "Dryland," but rival "smokers" attack on jet skis and boats until a Mariner arrives to fight them off.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Soft-opened February 12, 2016, and officially opened April 7, 2016. This is the largest themed area in the Upper Lot, featuring the animatronic and screen-based thrill ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, housed in a replica Hogwarts castle with actual props from the films in the queue. This area also includes the family-friendly roller coaster Flight of the Hippogriff and the interactive Ollivander's Wand Show, where a wand picks a witch or a wizard. Two live shows, Frog Choir and Triwizard Spirit Rally, are featured on the outdoor stage. The themed area features multiple shops, a Hogwarts Express train picture spot, The Three Broomsticks restaurant, and a variety of outdoor vending carts selling food and drink. (Minimum height: 39 inches (99 cm))
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: Make your way through the classrooms of Hogwarts.
Frog Choir: This outdoor live show features students of Hogwarts with their singing frogs.
The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash: a fully immersive experience in which guests assume the roles of stray puppies as they join characters from the hit animated films on their quest to find forever homes.Using animatronics, video mapping and more high-tech magic, the family-friendly adventure takes visitors through the streets of New York as they make their way to the adoption fair.
Springfield, U.S.A.: The Simpsons' hometown comes alive with favorite locations from the award-winning animated series. From eateries like Krusty Burger, Luigi’s Pizza and Phineas Q.

The Lower Lot

The Lower Lot is the smaller of the two lots. There are five rides in this section of the park, each with height restrictions.

Attractions in the Lower Lot:

Jurassic World: The Ride: A water adventure ride that takes visitors through the events of the film Jurassic World, ending with an 84 ft (26 m) drop. Outside the ride stands the Raptor Encounter, a show that happens throughout the day, and the Dino Play jungle gym area for children too small to ride. Before the ride, guests can face-to-face with Indominus rex as she stalks you through the jungle. You'll be caught in an epic battle for the ages when she’s confronted by her archrival, Tyrannosaurus rex.
Raptor Encounter: Meet Blue the Velociraptor and the friendly Triceratops.
DinoPlay: Discover the interactive kids area with activities for younger guests.
Isla Nu-Bar: Enjoy a Tiki cocktail beneath the shade of the thatched roof.
Jurassic Café: Whether you're as hungry as a T.
Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride: A high-speed indoor roller coaster transporting guests through moments reminiscent of the 1999 Mummy franchise. (Minimum height: 48 inches (122 cm))
Super Nintendo World:
Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge: An interactive dark ride attraction featuring augmented reality technology based on the Mario Kart franchise, which is located inside of Super Nintendo World.
Transformers: The Ride - 3D: Uses high-tech technology to simulate a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons with 4K-3D screens and flight simulator ride vehicles. (Minimum height: 42 inches (110 cm))

Seasonal Events

Throughout the year, Universal Studios Hollywood hosts popular seasonal events, including Halloween Horror Nights (Sep. 4 - Nov. 2, 2025), which brings together the stories and visions of the world’s most notorious creators of horror.

Essential Information for Visitors

Transportation

Universal Studios Hollywood is easily accessible by public transportation at Universal City/Studio City. Passengers can also arrive at the entrance of the theme park by several Metro bus routes. Metro Local lines 150, 155, 224, and 240 stop at Lankershim Blvd & Universal Center Drive (front entrance). Metro Local line 165 and Metro Shuttle line 656 Owl stop farther away from the entrance, at Ventura and Lankershim Boulevards.

Universal CityWalk

With over 30 stores, 30 dining options, six nightclubs, live outdoor entertainment, and a 19-screen movie theater - including a seven-story IMAX - Universal CityWalk is a one-stop destination for entertainment located just steps from Universal Studios Hollywood. The state-of-the-art 5 Towers concert venue showcases live, free entertainment all year long.

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