Universal Studios Hollywood celebrates 60th anniversary with retro studio tour
Universal Studios Hollywood will take visitors on a time-traveling tour aboard retro red-and-white candystriped Glamor Trams to see a scaled replica of the famed Hollywood sign, an updated version of the Earthquake attraction and the return of the Runaway Train.
Universal Studios Hollywood will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the studio tour from April 26 through Aug. 11 with a host of throwback memories, foods and souvenirs.
The studio tour has been taking tourists around the Universal backlot since 1964 for a firsthand look at Hollywood moviemaking in action. Back then, the tour was two hours. Today, it has been trimmed to about an hour.
This spring and summer, studio tour tram riders will be able to take a nostalgic trip through six decades of
Universal theme park history.
Among the highlights will be a 10-foot-tall scale replica of the original 45-foot-high Hollywood sign. The replica sign will be nestled into
Ha hillside next to the tram station, where it will stay for several years.
The 1989 Earthquake attraction that simulates an 8.3 magnitude temblor has undergone an extensive renovation to add updated technology and thematic aesthetics.
The 1976 Runaway Train attraction will return to the studio tour complete with warning bells and siren alarms.
A trio of terrifying studio props will include a growling Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur, a massive King Kong photo op backdrop and the theme park's original hanging “Jaws” shark.
A Doc Brown character will tinker with the DeLorean time machine car from the “Back to the Future” film franchise in Courthouse Square.
Even the retro Glamor Tram will play a starring role in the studio tour anniversary celebration with fans able to hop off the tram for a photo op with an original, fully restored 1964 vintage tram.
Universal is in the midst of converting its fleet of 21 diesel-hydraulic engines to electric trams.
Throughout the theme park, retro-themed food and drinks will be available at Hollywood & Dine, Mel's Diner and the Studio Scoops ice-cream parlor as part of the 60th anniversary event.
The City Snack Shop outdoor food cart will be transformed into a Glamor Tram serving Banana Breath Popcorn and other treats.