If you ask us, no trip to Universal Studios Hollywood is complete without the Studio Tour. It's the ride the whole park grew up around, and it's still the only attraction anywhere that takes you through a real, working movie studio backlot, past sets from Jaws, War of the Worlds and more. We've put together this guide to every set, scene and seat on the tram, so you know exactly what you're in for.
Quick takeaways:
- The Studio Tour is an approximately 60-minute tram ride through Universal's working backlot, included free with every ticket.
- It's been running since 1964 and has carried more than 200 million guests.
- Highlights include the War of the Worlds plane crash, the Psycho house, Jaws Lake, King Kong 360, Earthquake - The Big One, Courthouse Square and the Jupiter's Claim set from NOPE.
- King Kong 360 now runs in 2D as of March 2026, so you can leave the 3D glasses behind.
What exactly is the Studio Tour?
Picture this - a tram, a live guide, and sixty minutes weaving through the actual streets, buildings and sets used to film movies and TV shows today. That’s the Studio Tour in a nutshell! Most theme park rides are built purely for thrills. This one takes you through a working studio lot that’s still in use, which nothing else in the theme park world quite matches.
You’ll board at the Upper Lot, near the StarWay escalators, and settle in for a narrated journey with onboard screens playing film clips to match whatever set you’re passing (hosted by Jimmy Fallon). Trams run continuously from park opening until shortly before closing, whatever the weather’s doing outside.
And the best part? It’s included with every standard ticket, so there’s nothing extra to pay to ride it!
History of The World-Famous Studio Tour
The Studio Tour’s story starts back in 1915, when Universal founder Carl Laemmle first opened the studio gates to curious visitors for 25 cents (lunch box included!). The tram tour we’d recognise today launched on 15 July 1964, with the original red-and-white “Glamour Trams” ferrying guests around the lot.
More than six decades later, the tour has carried an estimated 200 million guests, and it’s the reason the rest of the park exists at all. The story goes that Universal built rides and shows to keep guests entertained between tram departures, and those attractions eventually grew into the theme park you’ll explore today.
What will I see on the tour?
Because this is a real, working studio, the exact route can shift slightly from day to day depending on filming schedule. Here’s what you can typically expect to see:
The War of the Worlds Plane Crash
One of the tour's most jaw-dropping sets: a genuine Boeing 747 that was taken apart, moved to the backlot and rebuilt for Steven Spielberg's 2005 film War of the Worlds.
It's a real story with a funny twist: because the plane still carried the logo of the real airline it once flew for, pilots spotting the wreckage from the air reportedly called in what they thought was an actual crash, and the plane had to be repainted. The wreckage and scattered debris are still there today, and it's every bit as striking up close as it looks on screen.
The Psycho House
Sitting near the plane crash set, the Bates Motel and the house above it have been part of the tour since its earliest days, and they haven't lost any of their eerie charm.
It's one of the few sets on the backlot with four full sides and a proper roof, rather than a one-sided facade, and it's been relocated and rebuilt more than once over the decades to keep it standing.
Amity Lake
Come face-to-face with the great white shark from Jaws as your tram pauses by the water at Amity Island. The scene was added to the tour in 1976, a year after the film's release, making it one of the longest-running set pieces on the whole backlot, and it's still one of the most photographed moments on the tour, so keep your camera ready!
King Kong 360
Created under the direction of King Kong director Peter Jackson, this scene surrounds your tram with Skull Island's dinosaurs and a giant Kong fighting to protect you.
It opened in 2010, replacing an earlier animatronic Kong scene lost in a 2008 backlot fire, and its scale was ambitious enough to later inspire Universal Orlando's own Skull Island: Reign of Kong ride. This scene switched from 3D to 2D in March 2026, so no glasses are required these days.
Earthquake - The Big One
Brace yourself for a simulated 8.3-magnitude earthquake in a recreated subway station, complete with flooding and fire, all achieved with practical effects rather than screens. The scene takes its inspiration from Universal's own 1974 disaster blockbuster Earthquake, starring Charlton Heston, one of the studio's biggest hits of the decade.
Courthouse Square
Best known as Hill Valley's clock tower from Back to the Future, this backlot block has doubled as dozens of towns and cities over the decades of filming.
Long before it became Hill Valley, the square was known as Mockingbird Square, having played Maycomb in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird, and it later stood in as Kingston Falls in Gremlins.
The Backlot Streets
New York Street, Colonial Street (home to Desperate Housewives' Wisteria Lane) and Six Points Texas make up the rest of the working backlot, standing in for locations all over the world depending on what's being filmed.
Old Mexico
Keep an eye out here for the tour's flash flood scene, where thousands of gallons of water come rushing past the tram in a matter of seconds, all achieved with practical effects rather than screens!
Little Europe
This cobbled corner of the backlot has stood in for cities across the continent since the earliest days of the studio, with classic sets used in films like Frankenstein and Dracula in the 1930s, right through to more recent productions like the hit NBC comedy The Good Place.
The current facades date back to 1967, rebuilt after a fire swept through the original sets that year, and their simple, adaptable design means they can be dressed up to represent almost anywhere in the world.
Picture Cars
Along the route, keep an eye out for a line-up of well-known vehicles used in film and television productions, including the flying Ford Anglia from the Harry Potter films and the mud-splattered jeeps from Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, a nice little treat for anyone who enjoys spotting familiar cars from the big screen!
Jupiter's Claim
The Gold Rush-themed set from Jordan Peele's NOPE was transported from its original filming location and rebuilt permanently on the backlot, and it's become a firm favourite on the tour.
What are the best seats on the Studio Tour tram?
Here’s a secret - there’s honestly no bad seat on the Studio Tour, but where you sit does change your view of each scene! Here’s where we’d suggest sitting for the best angle on the highlights:
Scene | Best seats | Why |
|---|---|---|
War of the Worlds | Car 3, left side | Best view of the plane wreckage and debris field |
King Kong 360 | Car 2, right side | Best view of Kong’s dramatic entrance |
King Kong 360 | Car 4, left side | Best view of the action on the opposite side |
Amity Lake | Car 2, right side | Best view as the shark emerges |
Earthquake - The Big One | Car 3, left side | Best view of the fire effects |
Earthquake - The Big One | Car 3, right side | Best view of the flooding |
Courthouse Square | Car 2 or 3, left side | Best view of the clock tower |
New York Street and backlot streets | Anywhere | Sets surround the tram on both sides |
Truthfully, wherever you end up sitting, you’re in for a treat. These are simply the seats that put you closest to the main event in each scene.
Tips to get the most from your visit
- No height requirement. Everyone’s welcome to ride, though a few scenes (Jaws, Earthquake, the Psycho house) might be a bit much for younger children.
- Rain or shine, the trams keep rolling. Don’t let the weather put you off!
- Set aside a full hour. It’s the longest single experience in the park, so it’s worth a bathroom stop beforehand.
- Keep your camera handy. Between Amity Lake, King Kong 360 and the plane crash set, there’s no shortage of photo moments.
- Accessibility. You can stay in a standard manual wheelchair for the ride. If you use an ECV, you’ll need to transfer to a wheelchair or the tram seating. A large-print script is available on request.
Your Studio Tour ticket options
We offer a full range of Universal Studios Hollywood tickets, all of which include the Studio Tour, so there’s an option for every kind of visit:
- Universal Studios Hollywood One Day Ticket - standard admission, including the Studio Tour.
- Universal Studios Hollywood Express - full-day admission plus one-time priority access to every ride, attraction and seated show, including the Studio Tour.
- Universal Studios Hollywood Buy a Day, Get a 2nd Day Free - two visits for the price of one day.
- Universal Studios Hollywood VIP Experience - a guided small-group trolley tour of the backlot with stops on foot, including access to a working soundstage and the prop warehouse, plus a full day's unlimited priority access to rides and shows.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Studio Tour included with Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets?
Yes, it’s included with every standard admission ticket at no extra cost. There’s no separate line-up to book or additional fee to ride it, so you can hop on as many times as you like during your visit as part of your day at the park.
How long is the Studio Tour?
The tour lasts around 60 minutes from start to finish, making it the longest single experience anywhere in the park. That includes the narrated journey through the backlot, all the major set pieces along the way, and the return to the Upper Lot, so it’s worth building a good chunk of time into your day to enjoy it properly.
What’s the best time of day to ride the Studio Tour?
Trams run continuously from park opening right through until shortly before closing, so there isn’t really a wrong time to ride. Some scenes look and feel a little different depending on the light, so if you have time to spare, riding once earlier in the day and once again later on is a lovely way to see the backlot in a different mood.
