Guests once again will be allowed to step off the Studio Tour trams mid-ride at Universal Studios Hollywood this summer, as the attraction celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Universal Studios Hollywood opened July 15, 1964 as the Universal Studios Tour, with red-and-white striped "Glamor Trams" taking visitors around the Universal City studio lot. In the tour's early days, guests could exit the tram at designated stops, to see demonstrations of movie, television, and commercial production.
To celebrate the anniversary, Universal is bringing back the Glamor Tram design for its Studio Tour trams. And Universal will allow guests to step off the tram mid-tour once again, to experience a series of photo ops celebrating the lot's history.
"The Studio Tour is a crown jewel in our theme park portfolio and a beloved attraction for millions of guests," Universal Studios Hollywood Executive Vice President and General Manager Scott Strobl said. "We are thrilled and honored to share our enthusiasm for its historic relevance with guests both new to the experience as well as those who have journeyed with us along the way."
The celebration officially kicks off April 26 and continues through August 11, though the Glamor Trams have been showing up at the park in recent days. During the anniversary celebration, video monitors on the trams will show clips of former Studio Tour attractions as they once appeared on the tour. (Who remembers the parting of the Red Sea? The collapsing bridge? The rock slide? The revolving tunnel? The fake Rice-a-Roni San Francisco cable car commercial that I starred in when I was six?)
One of the tour's former attractions will return in real life this summer, too, with the temporary cameo appearance of the Runaway Train. Other sights on the tour this summer will include an original time machine picture car from Back to the Future on Courthouse Square, where the movies was filmed, a dimensional Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur display used in the promotion of the Jurassic World movie, and the return of Earthquake — The Big One, which has been upgraded with new show technology.
But the big callback on the tour this anniversary season will be the stop. That's where guests will be able to pose for photos with an original, fully restored 1964 vintage Glamor Tram, a giant King Kong backdrop, and the theme park’s original hanging Jaws shark. Also at the stop will be an officially sanctioned scale replica of the famous Hollywood sign.
The 10-foot tall replica of the 45-foot tall original will stand adjacent to the tour's step-off moment, for fans to get an up-close photo with the Los Angeles icon.
"The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is thrilled that this incredible opportunity will enable guests to step off the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood and enjoy an up close look at a perfectly scaled replica of the Hollywood Sign," Hollywood Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Steve Nissen said. "It has been a dream of millions to be able to climb the hillside to the actual sign atop Mt. Lee, so this collaboration with Universal Studios Hollywood is the ideal way to inspire guests around the world to dream big."
Universal Studios Hollywood also will be celebrating its anniversary with special food and beverage selections, including new barbecue sandwiches at Hollywood & Dine, TV dinner-inspired Meatloaf Combo and Fried Chicken Combo meals at Mel's Diner, and ice cream novelties honoring park attractions at Studio Scoops. Anniversary merchandise will include a Glamor Tram popcorn bucket and other Glamor Tram-themed souvenirs.
For discounted tickets to the park, please visit our partner's Universal Studios Hollywood tickets page.
And where you get there, in honor of the anniversary, please... ask for Babs.
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This sounds awesome. The Tram tour at UH is near the top of my “Most Want to Ride” attractions, if only for the history and callbacks to beloved attractions of ‘yore
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"The fake Rice-a-Roni San Francisco cable car commercial that I starred in when I was six?"
You're just gonna slide that in there with zero explanation?!?