Universal Studios

A lot of our clients are interested in checking out the different studio tours in L.A. while they are here. A popular studio to visit is Universal Studios. Part movie theme park, part movie history, Universal Studios is a fun place to take the whole family.

Universal City was opened 100 years ago in 1915 by film pioneer Carl Laemmle. He thought that the general public would want to see all of the movie action in person and charged 5 cents a person for this privilege. The price of admission included a lunch box with chicken and the ability to purchase fresh vegetables on the working farm that the studio was situated on. While that same 5 cents would be worth about a dollar 100 years later… the price has gone up significantly. The current price of admission is $92. And, no, a chicken lunch is no longer included.  But a lot of very cool attractions have been added, making it worth, well, the price of admission. While the original tour was discontinued in 1930 due to the new popular sound films that had begun in production all over, the ability for the general public to see the inner workings of movies became a popular phenomena.

Although the general public wouldn’t see a studio tour through Universal pictures for another 30 years, Laemmle’s idea took root and the new owners of the studio thought that creating a new and improved tour would increase profits. The general public would be able to walk through dressing rooms and take a look at actual productions and see staged events. Eventually, they offered a tram that would take guests around the studio backlot. This tram still runs today and shows patrons some of the most famous studio sets in the world today including Psycho, War of the Worlds, Back to the Future, The Sting, The Great Outdoors and Desperate Housewives Wisteria Lane to name a few. While on the tram tour, park guests can also experience an 8.3 magnitude earthquake, a flash flood AND a visit from Jaws.

While you can no longer bring home food directly from the farm of Universal City (mainly because it is not a farm any longer), you can go on several rides at the park. These rides keep in theme of popular movies the Universal has produced. You can go on Jurrassic Park : The Ride, Revenge of the Mummy, Transformers: The Ride and the Universal Experience where you can see all of the costumes and props from the last 100 years. If rides aren’t your thing, you can still experience some awesome 3D movies, Stunt Shows and live shows.

There are so many incredible things to do and see while in Los Angeles. Let L.A. Insider Tours show you the ins and outs that will help make your next visit a magical experience.