Universal Studios Lot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Universal Studios Lot |
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|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Television and Film Studio Complex |
| Location | Universal City, California |
| Address | 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California 91608 |
| Inaugurated | 1915 |
| Owner | NBCUniversal Filmed and Entertainment (NBCUniversal/Comcast) |
The Universal Studios Lot is a huge place where TV shows and movies are made. It's located at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City, California. This lot is home to Universal Pictures and is owned by Comcast through its company, NBCUniversal. The studio officially opened its gates on March 15, 1915. Today, the Universal Studios Lot covers 400 acres. It has more than 30 sound stages and 165 different buildings.
History of Universal Studios Lot
On March 15, 1915, a man named Carl Laemmle opened Universal City Studios. He built it on a 230-acre ranch in the San Fernando Valley. He called this new place "Universal City". This site later became known as the Universal Studios Lot. Universal City was special because it was the first community made just for making films.
In 1950, the Universal Studios Lot got even bigger. Universal bought more land, making the total size 400 acres. Later, in 1958, a company called Music Corporation of America (MCA Inc.) bought the Universal Studios Lot. Universal then rented its property back from MCA. Eventually, MCA and Universal joined together in 1962.
Famous Movies and Shows Filmed Here
Over many years, lots of famous TV shows and movies were filmed at Universal Studios Lot. Some well-known spots include the Courthouse Square and Colonial Street sets. Here are some of the popular productions made there:
- Psycho (from Paramount Pictures)
- Back to the Future (from Universal Pictures)
- The Perfect Storm (from Warner Bros.)
- War of the Worlds (from Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks)
- Desperate Housewives (from ABC)
- The Good Place (from NBC)
Today, Universal Studios Lot is one of the biggest places for film and TV production. It keeps getting better and plans to add more soundstages and buildings. Since 2016, the NBC show American Ninja Warrior has filmed its Los Angeles city qualifiers and finals courses on the lot.
Take a Studio Tour
The Studio Tour is a fun way for visitors to see the historic studio lot. You can experience it as a VIP or through the nearby Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. The tour lets you go behind the scenes of where movies are made.
The very first tour opened in 1915. Carl Laemmle invited people to come and watch the studio in action. The Universal Tour stopped for a while in the late 1920s. But it came back in 1964 and has been popular ever since. Over the years, the tour has changed a lot. It has new tour guides, movie sets, and exciting experiences for everyone.
