The Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood has an unusual history. In 1914, a German American immigrant named Carl Laemmle founded Universal City which contained a movie studio, a zoo, its own police department and mayor. The following year he invited the public to get up close and personal to the world of moviemaking for just five cents a ticket. Not a bad deal given that it also included a boxed lunch. But that tour came to an end in 1930 since it was difficult to soundproof the stages. However, in 1964 the movie makers began to offers tours once again.

This time around, guests were paraded inside “Glamor Trams” with red and white awnings. The two-hour long tours (which is about twice as long as today’s tours) would drive by numerous real sets and sound stages used to make movies and TV shows. The house from Psycho was one of the first film sets accessible for visitors to see. No other movie studio was offering such a thing. The trams were loaded up five times a day Mondays through Fridays.

This year marks Universal’s 60th year of tram tours. According to the studios, over 200 million people have ridden on the trams and experienced this attraction which has changed with the times over the years.

In the early days, the tour consisted of behind-the-scenes special effects, a makeup demonstration, a display of costumes made by designer Edith Head, a two-man stunt show and a tour of outdoor film sets. In 1965, in addition to the tour, Universal Studios began offering a larger stunt show, an animal show and a screen test comedy theatre. For years, one of the best features at the park was the Tourist Center where make-up artist demonstrations, trick photography and special props were on display. Some items on display had included a rotary phone from The Incredible Shrinking Man, a van you could lift like The Six Million Dollar Man and a hanging shark from Jaws that you could pose with. Guests would walk through Lucille Ball’s dressing room and see some of the special effects Alfred Hitchcock used to make his films.

Although Universal Studios Hollywood has grown into a full-blown theme park, the Studio Tour has kept its roots giving guests a peek into movie-making magic. Although some of the duties of the tour guide has been given over to a video presentation hosted by Jimmy Fallon, the studio still relies heavily on the actual human guides which can make the difference between a good or bad experience. According to Universal, “dozens of producers, directors, performers, movie and TV professionals as well as industry executives began their careers as Studio Tour Guides, and to this day, rank among the leaders shepherding the Studio Tour and Universal Studios Hollywood into the future.”

Over the past 60 years, the tram ride has changed many times. Special effects like the falling bridge, a runaway train and a rockslide have gone. In their place, the park has added mini adventures that put guests “into” the movies – if only for a few moments.

“The Parting of the Red Sea” (1973-2016) where the waters would part and the tram would drive right through the now dry land. (Note: this effect was more impressive from a distance rather than close up). The spinning “Avalanche Tunnel” (1974-2001) was a simple effect that played with your mind and was a part of the trip for years. The “Rockslide” (1974-1979) of tumbling boulders always looked more realistic in the photos than what people experienced on the trip but the near collision with the “Runaway Train” (1974-1985) managed to rattle a few nerves.

The “Flash Flood” (since 1968) showered guests with a unique behind-the-scenes look at movie weather effects. All these years later, the popular attraction continues to be a staple on the Studio Tour. Meanwhile, the look of Jaws has changed many times but he still packs a punch and is still considered one of the park’s premier Studio Tour attractions.

In 1989, “Earthquake” had guests clinging for their lives with its fabricated but eerily realistic 8.3 magnitude quake. All these years later, “Earthquake”, which continues to shake things up on the Studio Tour. It is currently closed but will open again soon with what promises to be even better.

In 2005, an original movie set from Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, War of the Worlds landed onto the backlot as a sprawling addition to the Studio Tour, in which trams traverse a key scene depicting a small town devastated by an elaborately choreographed 747 jetliner crash and surrounded by wreckage and debris.

The tour once featured an amazing “King Kong Encounter” (1986) but was destroyed in a huge backlot fire in 2008. However, he remerged just two years later as “King Kong 360-3D” (since 2010) which was inspired by Peter Jackson’s film.

“Fast & Furious: Supercharged” (since 2015) presents a gripping, high speed, 3D-HD experience based on Universal Pictures’ most successful film franchise of all time.

The most recent addition to the tour is the original “Jupiter’s Claim” set from Jordan Peeles’ NOPE which was added in 2022. The elaborate set was carefully disassembled post-production and transported to Universal Studios Hollywood where it was meticulously reconstructed on site, complete with original props and details from the film.

While Universal Studios Hollywood is planning some special touches this year for the Studio Tour’s anniversary, none have been announced just yet.

All images: Universal Studios Hollywood