Universal Studios Hollywood is a theme park with some incredible rides, but did you know it’s also a working film studio? If you’re a bit of a movie buff, you’ll love the chance to explore the film and TV sets of some of the most famous productions of all time at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Read on to find out more about the film and TV sets that you can actually explore at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Does Universal Studios have movie sets?
Yes, the Universal Studios theme park in LA has both TV and film sets in the backlot. Over the years, countless movies have been shot at the park, and it’s still used for filming today.
Take the Universal Studios Tour
At Universal Studios Hollywood, you can literally step straight into the movies as you get the chance to see iconic film sets up close on the Studio Tour (also known as the Backlot Tour). The tour started way back in 1964 with the opening of the park and has seen many changes over that time.
Climb aboard a vintage-style tram that takes you on a one-hour tour around the studio lot. You’ll see sets, sound stages, props, and special effects and you’ll get an insight into how Hollywood films are made. The whole family can enjoy the tour as there is no height restriction and you don’t get off the tram.
Expert Studio Tour guides provide insights along the way, and they’re joined by video host Jimmy Fallon, who hosts The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the US.
As well as enjoying seeing behind the scenes on the real-life sets, you’ll also get some immersive experiences. Come face-to-face with King Kong when you don your 3D glasses and visit Skull Island, then survive a shark attack from Jaws. Hold on tight: the grand finale of the tour is a high-speed car chase in the Fast & Furious – Supercharged.
The Studio Tour can change slightly on each visit. If filming is taking place then you may be re-routed. You might even spot some stars during the tour!
Is the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood free?
The tour is included in the admission price when you buy a Universal Studios Hollywood Ticket. You can also upgrade to a Universal Studios VIP tour with a VIP Experience ticket which includes valet parking, use of an exclusive VIP lounge, and the opportunity to disembark and see sets that aren’t open to regular park guests.
Real movie & TV sets at Universal Studios Hollywood
Here are just a few of the sets you can see during your time at the park.
Bates Motel from Psycho
If you’re a film fanatic, you’re sure to be familiar with the classic thriller Psycho. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this iconic movie became one of the most famous horror films of all time, so of course, it is one of the highlights of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood.
You’ll go past the eerie Bates Motel, with its vacant rooms and the car from the movie still parked outside. Then you’ll see the infamous Psycho house – home to creepy hotel owner Norman Bates.
If you look closely, you might just see Norman’s mother looking out of the upstairs window! Keep your eyes peeled for Norman, too, if you want to catch a killer!
Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives
One of the most popular TV sets to visit at Universal Studios Hollywood is Wisteria Lane. This fictional street featured in the hit TV show Desperate Housewives, with its fascinating residents being the focus of the show.
On the Studio Tour, fans will be able to see the white picket fences and perfect houses inspired by suburban America where stars like Eva Longoria and Teri Hatcher lived. You might be surprised to see that some houses on the street are just facades rather than actual buildings – but you can’t tell on TV!
Desperate Housewives was filmed at the studios for around eight years, and while some changes are being made to the street so that it can be used in new movies, there’s still so much to see.
Plane crash from War of the Worlds
Whether you’ve seen the famous movie War of the Worlds or not, you can’t fail to be amazed by this impressive set. As the Studio Tour takes you past, you’ll be awestruck by the sight of the plane crash scene that featured in the movie.
To create the epic scene, a real commercial 747 aircraft was bought and broken into pieces before being transported to Universal Studios in LA. The cast and crew, including director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Cruise, were shooting on the enormous outdoor sets for three days to capture the catastrophic scene perfectly.
The set has remained the same ever since, and you can get a real close-up look at it on the tour.
New York Street
Never been to New York? Well, the Studio Tour will make you feel as though you’re walking through the streets of the Big Apple itself. There are several different areas to explore, with New York Street being one of the most recognisable.
Over the years, several movies, TV shows, and even music videos that you may have thought were filmed on location in NYC were actually filmed here at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.
Scenes from the 1969 movie Change of Habit starring Elvis Presley were filmed on New York Street, as well as famous scenes from the likes of Dirty Harry, Bruce Almighty, Spider-Man 2, Transformers, and Gone Girl.
You’ll learn plenty of filming secrets about these productions, and many more, along the way.
You might recognise Kevin’s Uncle’s brownstone house from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. In the film, Kevin heads to the house to find his uncle, but he’s away, and the house is being renovated. The house then becomes the place where Kevin lures the Wet Bandits and sets up his traps.
Courthouse Square from Back to the Future
The tram passes by Courthouse Square, where you’ll find the iconic courthouse and clocktower from Hill Valley in the cult classic Back to the Future films.
The set was originally built for a 1948 film called An Act of Murder, but it is now better known for its appearance in the much-loved trilogy. It was also used as a set for the Gremlins series and To Kill a Mockingbird and has been in hundreds of other films.
Some of the facades have changed since filming, but you’ll be taken straight back to 1985 when you see it, or even further! You can easily imagine Doc and Marty here. The buildings here can be made to look completely different when other props are arranged around them.
Jupiter’s Claim from Nope
If you’ve seen Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror film Nope, then you’ll be sure to recognise the original sets from the Jupiter’s Claim theme park on the Studio Tour. The set was used on location in the Santa Clarita Valley, California, to shoot the film, and then it was rebuilt at Universal Studios.
Enjoy seeing the set against an atmospheric soundtrack using some of the audio from the film and flashing lights that take you right back to the UFO encounters in the frontier town.
The irony of a fictional theme park within an actual theme park is not lost on us!
Falls Lake
Falls Lake is an artificial lake at Universal Studios Hollywood which is regularly used for large productions. It’s a large open area with a water tank and a blue-sky backdrop that can be replaced digitally with anything. It’s used in conjunction with a green screen to create some epic shots.
It was first made in 1926 for the early film Uncle Tom’s Cabin and has been used in lots of movies since, including Godzilla, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Evan Almighty, and Pirates of the Caribbean: World’s End.
It also featured in the cult classic The Truman Show. Spoiler alert! We’re about to talk about the end of the movie so scroll past if you haven’t seen it yet. In the final scene of the film, Truman sails out on his boat into the waters surrounding the town of Seahaven, where he lives, and bursts the wall of the dome that keeps him in the reality TV programme.
Brownstone Street
We’ve already had New York Street, so let’s have a look at one of the other street-based film sets. Brownstone Street is designed to look like a generic street in America. Brownstone Street used to have two sides – one residential with houses and one like a business district with offices and high rises – so the camera could just be turned around for a completely different filming location. The business side is no longer there. Instead, there’s a park opposite the brownstone houses.
Brownstone Street is the location of Jim Carey’s character Bruce’s home in the film Bruce Almighty. Universal Studios Hollywood was also the filming location for another scene in the movie. The bit where Bruce walks on water was shot at Falls Lake.
Old Mexico
Old Mexico is a set resembling ancient Mexico. The set here can be easily changed to look completely different, so it has featured as an historic location in many films. One of the most notable is Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, where Old Mexico was used for shots of Port Royal.
During the Studio Tour, you’ll experience the Flash Flood here – a water flood effect which is also used during filming. The water rushes down from the top of the hill, threatening to sweep the tram away, before it drains off set, ready to be reused for the next tram.
So, there we have it, a list of film sets that any film fanatic would be pleased to visit – and you can see them all at Universal Studios Hollywood.
If you want to experience the magic of the movies for yourself, then it’s time to start planning your trip to Hollywood. Lights, camera, action!
