Bionic Buzz® covered the 60th Anniversary celebration of the world-famous Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, CA. Universal Studios Hollywood invites guests to take a nostalgic walk down memory lane as the destination celebrates the Studio Tour’s 60th milestone anniversary with a dedicated experiential program from now through August 11, 2024.

In 1964, Universal City Studios invited tourists to take a whirlwind adventure for a first-hand look at Hollywood moviemaking in action. Five times a day, for approximately just over two hours, Monday through Friday, iconic red and white Glamor Trams, with their ruffled awnings, would whisk eager tourists through its studio backlot to be a fly on the wall in the making of Universal movie and television productions.

Over the span of 60 years, Universal Studios Hollywood has cultivated the Studio Tour into a dynamic world-renowned experience visited by over 200 million guests worldwide. As part of the origins of Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Destinations & Experiences’ (UDX) global theme parks portfolio, the Studio Tour is stepping into the spotlight and inviting guests along for the ride as part of this notable celebration.

In addition to the return of several iconic red and white candy-striped Glamor Trams, the centerpiece of the Studio Tour 60th anniversary celebration will treat guests to the unique opportunity to step off the tram and onto a legendary movie set where an original, fully restored 1964 vintage Glamor Tram awaits. The area will provide additional memorable photo opportunities and social media posts, including a giant King Kong backdrop and the theme park’s original hanging Jaws shark.

As the Studio Tour navigates around the historic backlot, additional surprises from a time long gone will make a cameo appearance, including the temporary return of the 1976 Runaway Train as warning bells and sirens alarm from its stationary location. Moments of nostalgia will also be featured aboard the tram’s monitors showing clips of former Studio Tour attractions as they once appeared on the tour.

To commemorate the spirt of Hollywood’s glamorous past, Universal Studios Hollywood is partnering with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, responsible for promoting and enhancing the business, cultural and civic well-being of Hollywood, and the Hollywood Sign Trust, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, responsible for maintaining the Hollywood Sign and educating the world about its historical and cultural importance.

Originally installed as a giant billboard for a real estate development (Hollywoodland) in 1923, today, the Hollywood Sign is a universal metaphor for the place, industry, lifestyle and aspiration known as Hollywood. It stands as one of the world’s best-known monuments and was declared Los Angeles Cultural Historical Monument No. 111 in 1973.

Guests disembarking the tram to experience the original movie set on the studio backlot will now have the unique and exclusive opportunity to pose for the first time ever in close proximity to this officially sanctioned Hollywood Sign replica for interactive social media posts.

The Studio Tour is a world-class attraction that takes guests onto an authentic movie and television production lot, past state-of-the-art soundstages, through hyper-realistic outdoor sets and even past the studio’s corporate offices where, behind closed doors, exciting deals are being made. As guests queue up to board the Studio Tour and experience the magic and mystery of the studio backlot, they will be met with archival images and videos detailing its incredible history, along with an all-original augmented reality (AR) Studio Tour trivia challenge designed to test their knowledge of this iconic attraction through the years with the ability to share their results on social media.

An all-new dedicated Studio Tour 60th anniversary merchandise collection will invite guests to take home a piece of this historical celebration with such unique products as a 60th anniversary popcorn bucket shaped as an iconic Glamor Tram, plus an array of retro-themed souvenirs, including a Glamor Tram themed pillow, blanket, backpack, jacket, tops, tee shirts, hats, mugs, keychains, salt and pepper shakers, chocolates and candies.

More information is available at http://www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com

Video by Steve Sievers of Bionic Buzz.