Universal Studios Hollywood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Universal Studios Hollywood

Entrance to the theme park
Location	Universal City, California
Coordinates	34°08′11″N 118°21′22″W / 34.136518°N 118.356051°W / 34.136518; -118.356051
Status	Temporarily closed
Opened	April 30, 1912; 113 years ago (1912-04-30) (as a movie studio) March 15, 1915; 110 years ago (1915-03-15) (L.A. studio lot) July 15, 1964; 60 years ago (1964-07-15) (as a theme park)
Owner	NBCUniversal (Comcast)
Operated by	Universal Parks & Resorts
Theme	Show business and Universal entertainment
Slogan	The Entertainment Capital of LA
Attractions
Total	10
Roller coasters	2

Universal Studios Hollywood is a famous film studio and theme park located in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. Most of the studio is in Universal City, while some parts are in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the oldest and most well-known Hollywood film studios still making movies and TV shows today.

Its main slogan is "The Entertainment Capital of LA". The park first started by offering tours of the real Universal Studios movie sets. It was the first of many Universal Studios Theme Parks that now exist around the world.

Near the theme park, there's a new, modern building for all of NBCUniversal's West Coast operations. This area is home to TV stations like KNBC and KVEA, plus NBC News and Noticias Telemundo offices for Los Angeles. Universal City also has hotels like the Universal Hilton and Sheraton Universal Hotel. You can also visit Universal CityWalk, which has many shops, restaurants, a large movie theater, and an IMAX screen. In 2017, over 9 million people visited the park.

Studio History: A Look Back

Early Tours: See How Movies Are Made

From the very beginning, Universal offered tours of its studio. When Carl Laemmle opened Universal City in 1915, he invited everyone to see the movie-making action. The ticket cost just five cents and included a packed lunch. Visitors could also buy fresh food from the farm that was part of Universal City back then. This first tour stopped around 1930. This was because sound films were invented, and the studio stages were not quiet enough for visitors during filming.

Backlot Fires: Challenges Over the Years

The backlot at Universal Studios Hollywood has had nine fires throughout its history. The first fire happened in 1932. Embers from a nearby brush fire burned four movie sets, causing a lot of damage. In 1949, another brush fire destroyed one building and damaged two others.

In 1957, the New York street film set was destroyed by a fire that was started on purpose. Ten years later, in 1967, even more damage occurred. The Little Europe area and part of Spartacus Square were destroyed. This fire also ruined the European, Denver, and Laramie street sets. In 1987, the rest of Spartacus Square was destroyed, along with other sets. This fire was also thought to be started on purpose.

Just three years later, in 1990, another fire was deliberately set on the backlot. The New York Street set, the Ben Hur set, and most of Courthouse Square were destroyed. In 1997, a seventh fire happened. A part of Courthouse Square was again damaged, but most of it survived.

The 2008 Fire: A Big Challenge

The Courthouse building is seen near the smoke from the 2008 fire.

The biggest fire happened on June 1, 2008. It started when a worker was using a blowtorch on a building. Over 500 firefighters and two helicopters worked to put out the fire. It took twelve hours to stop the flames. Fourteen firefighters and three police officers had minor injuries.

The fire destroyed several famous sets, including Brownstone Street, New York Street, and New England Street. The King Kong attraction was also burned. Some parts of Courthouse Square and the Video Vault were also lost. The main Courthouse building survived the fire for the third time, with only slight charring on one side.

Sadly, 40,000 to 50,000 digital video and film copies of Universal's movies and TV shows were destroyed. These included films like Knocked Up and Atonement. TV series like NBC's Law & Order, The Office, Miami Vice, and CBS's I Love Lucy were also affected.

Universal president Ron Meyer said that "Nothing irreplaceable was lost." He explained that they had copies of everything that was destroyed.

After the fire, it was first said that the King Kong attraction would not be rebuilt. However, in August 2008, Universal decided to rebuild the King Kong attraction. The new version would be based on the 2005 movie.

In 2019, it was revealed that the fire had also destroyed Building 6197. This warehouse held a huge collection of original audio master tapes from Universal Music Group (UMG). These tapes included music from many record labels Universal had bought over the years, like Chess, Decca, MCA, Geffen, and Impulse. Experts believe between 118,000 and 175,000 album and single master tapes were lost. Many of these tapes contained unreleased recordings.

Some artists whose master tapes were affected include Chuck Berry, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf. Also, many of John Coltrane's master tapes from his later career were thought to be lost. However, UMG later said that the Chess, Coltrane, and Impulse Records recordings had survived.

After the news, artists like Questlove of The Roots confirmed that some of their master tapes were lost. Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic believed the masters for their album Nevermind were "gone forever." Other artists like R.E.M., Hole, and Steely Dan also looked into their possible losses. A representative for Eminem confirmed his master recordings were digitized before the fire, but didn't say if the physical tapes were affected.

Park History: From Tours to Thrills

In 1962, a company called Music Corporation of America took over Universal Pictures. They thought a new studio tour could make more money. So, on July 15, 1964, the modern tour began. It included walking through dressing rooms, seeing real productions, and later, special staged events. Over the years, this grew into a full theme park.

The guided tram tour still goes through the active backlot where movies are filmed. However, today, the exciting staged events, stunt shows, and high-tech rides are the main attractions.

In 1965, the War Lord Tower opened as one of the park's first attractions. Universal struggled to find things for young children to do. So, a small petting zoo was expanded into the Ark Park. This area had over 200 animals and a playhouse for children. In 1970, the Animal Actors' School Stage opened.

In 1968, a new rule stopped visitors from entering most soundstages. Also, more movies were being filmed in real locations, not just on the backlot. This meant the tram tour couldn't show visitors much real filming. Jay Stein, who led the park's recreation division, had the idea to create exciting experiences for visitors instead.

Later that year, the Flash Flood set opened and became very popular. It showed 20,000 gallons of water rushing down a street, threatening to wash away the tram. The Parting of the Red Sea attraction opened in 1973. In 1974, the Rockslide event was added to the Studio Tour. The Land of a Thousand Faces opened in 1975. In 1979, the Battle of Galactica replaced Rockslide.

In 1991, E.T. Adventure opened. This was the park's first "dark ride," which is an indoor ride that takes you through a show using ride vehicles. Around the same time, Universal Studios Florida opened with a similar E.T. ride. The Florida park was more like a traditional theme park, which helped shape Universal Studios Hollywood. In 1993, Back to the Future: The Ride opened, replacing Battle of Galactica. In 1996, Jurassic Park: The Ride opened.

In 1999, T2-3D: Battle Across Time and a Chicken Run Walkthrough opened. In 2003, E.T. Adventure closed to make way for Revenge of the Mummy, which opened in 2004. In 2008, Back to the Future: The Ride closed and was replaced by The Simpsons Ride. Also in 2008, the Nickelodeon Blast Zone became the Adventures of Curious George.

In 2010, the Special Effects Stages and Backdraft attractions closed to make room for Transformers: The Ride 3D. This ride opened on May 24, 2012. King Kong: 360 3-D also opened. On December 31, 2012, T2-3D: Battle Across Time closed for Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, which opened on April 12, 2014.

In April 2014, the park announced Springfield, a new dining area built around The Simpsons Ride. It features places like Krusty Burger and Moe's Tavern. It opened on March 28, 2015.

On May 7, 2015, Universal Studios announced a partnership with Nintendo to create attractions based on Mario and other Nintendo characters. This area, called "Super Nintendo World", opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2020 and is planned for Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood later.

On August 13, 2017, Shrek 4-D closed after 14 years to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre attraction.

The International Broadcast Center (IBC) for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be at Universal Studios Hollywood.

On September 3, 2018, Jurassic Park: The Ride closed for updates. It reopened as Jurassic World: The Ride on July 12, 2019.

On April 10, 2019, the park announced The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash!, an attraction based on The Secret Life of Pets. It was set to open in March 2020. However, Universal temporarily closed the park on March 14, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Park Layout: Exploring the Upper and Lower Lots

Universal Studios Hollywood is divided into two main areas, called the Upper Lot and the Lower Lot. These areas are connected by a series of escalators known as the Starway. As of 2019, the park has 9 rides, 7 shows, and a large outdoor play area. Each lot offers different rides, shows, attractions, and places to eat and shop.

Upper Lot: Family Fun and Movie Magic

The Upper Lot has many attractions for families. The entrance area, called Universal Boulevard, has a classic Hollywood style. It leads to the Universal Plaza, which opened in 2012. This area features shows like Universal's Animal Actors Show, the Special Effects Stage, and Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular. The DreamWorks Theatre is also here, themed to DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda.

Minion Way is another part of the Upper Lot. It features Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, a motion simulator ride that turns you into a minion. This area also has a large outdoor play area called Super Silly Fun Land, with wet and dry play zones for kids. There's also a spinning ride called Silly Swirly. You can grab a bite at Gru's Lab Cafe and Despicable Delights.

Springfield, U.S.A. is themed to The Simpsons. Here you'll find The Simpsons Ride, a motion simulator. There are also many places to eat that look like spots from the show, a gift shop like the Kwik-E-Mart, and chances to meet characters.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter officially opened on April 7, 2016. It's the biggest themed area in the Upper Lot. It has the thrilling Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride, located inside a detailed replica of Hogwarts castle. You can see real props from the movies in the queue line. This area also has the family-friendly roller coaster Flight of the Hippogriff. You can also visit Ollivander's Wand Fitting Experience where a wand chooses you! Live shows like The Frog Choir and Triwizard Rally happen on an outdoor stage. Besides attractions, there are shops, a Hogwarts Express photo spot, The Three Broomsticks restaurant, and food carts.

The Studio Tour is a 45 to 60-minute ride. Trams take visitors from the Upper Lot to the backlot, where many shows and movies are actually filmed. This tour is a signature attraction at the park. It starts with a video introduction by Jimmy Fallon. The tram then goes through sound stages and metropolitan sets. You'll visit Courthouse Square and other backlot buildings.

The tour includes exciting attractions like King Kong: 360 3-D. You'll also travel through sets from Jurassic Park and meet Dilophosauruses. The tram then goes to the Flash Flood attraction. You'll see Old Mexico, Six Points Texas, a miniature model of the SS Venture from King Kong, and Little Europe. Then, you'll experience the Earthquake: The Big One attraction. The tour also passes movie sets like Amity Island from Jaws, Whoville from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Bates motel from Psycho, and the crashed plane set from War of the Worlds. The tour ends with the Fast & Furious: Supercharged attraction, based on the Fast & Furious movies.

The Upper Lot also has the Streets of the World. This area includes a French-themed street with quick food options. There's also a replica of Mel's Diner, famous from the Universal classic movie American Graffiti.

Upper Lot Attractions: What to Ride and See

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Magic Comes to Life

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter officially opened on April 7, 2016. It has a family-friendly roller coaster and a thrilling motion simulator ride. There are also live shows like the Frog Choir, the Triwizard Spirit Rally, and Ollivander's Wand Show. In Hogsmeade, you can buy souvenirs and food inspired by the Harry Potter books and films.

Lower Lot: Thrills and Adventures

The Lower Lot is smaller than the Upper Lot. It has three thrilling rides, each with height limits. It is home to Jurassic World: The Ride, Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride, and Transformers: The Ride 3D.

Jurassic World: The Ride is a water adventure ride that takes visitors through events from the film Jurassic World. It ends with an 84-foot drop. Outside the ride, you can find the Raptor Encounter, a show with a "raptor handler" and a velociraptor. There's also the Dino Play jungle gym for younger children. Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride is a fast indoor roller coaster that reminds you of the 1999 Mummy movie. Transformers: The Ride 3D uses advanced technology to create a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons. It features 4K-3D screens and flight simulator ride vehicles. The Lower Lot also has gift shops and quick-service restaurants.

Lower Lot Attractions: Get Ready for Action

Character Appearances: Meet Your Favorites

Just like other Universal parks, costumed characters walk around the park. They represent many different types of Hollywood icons and characters from Universal's movies and TV shows.

Park Visitors: How Many People Visit?

Getting There: Public Transportation Options

Universal Studios Hollywood is served by the Metro B line at Universal City/Studio City.

Universal Studios Hollywood is easy to reach by public transportation. You can take the Metro B line subway train to the Universal City/Studio City station. This train runs between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles, Westlake, Koreatown, East Hollywood, and Hollywood.

Several Metro bus routes also stop near the park entrance. Metro Local lines 150, 155, 224, 240, and Metro Rapid line 750 stop at Lankershim Blvd & Universal Center Drive (the front entrance). From the front entrance, a free shuttle tram takes you directly to the theme park entrance.

See also

In Spanish: Universal Studios Hollywood para niños