A look at the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour on it's 50th Anniversary

Today is the 50th Anniversary of the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. Although if you were at the park today or following any of the parks online pages you wouldn't really know about it. 
They do have a nice little display down at the Universal Experience near Transformers that we showed in our April 22, 2014 update, but not much else than that. 



Today's update is going to take a look back at the last 50 years of the tour, well, realistically the last 10 years, or since we got out first digital camera. =)

The first of these photos is from somewhere around early 2003. 

Courthouse Square

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New York street, pre 2008 fire. 

Jurassic Park building, this is the site where the War of the World set is today

Great Outdoors house

World's largest blue screen

The tour is ever changing depending on filming going on and sometimes you can get clues as to what is filming or the studio is promoting. 

Because of filming, no two trips on the tour are ever the same

Everybody should know what this is from

One of the biggest losses during the 2008 fire was that of King Kong

I do miss the banana breath

Some things that are supposed to be temporary end up staying much longer than they probably should. 

On June 2, 2008 a fire broke out on the New York sets which sadly destroyed many of the facades and the fan-favorite King Kong. 

Due to the closure of New York Street, the park added some other tram stops which helped fill the gap

Always one of my favorite spots on the tour. The fountain has been missing for awhile now. 

A look at the re-construction of the New York sets 

One of the coolest Tram changes over the past few years has been it's use for the "Terror Tram" for Halloween Horror Nights, which gives guests the opportunity to walk through some of the sets including Bates Motel, Psycho House and War of the Worlds sets. 

Even the Grinch sets usually receive some cool lighting

Unfortunately due to the neighbors, the fire from the walk-through has been gone for a few years. 

A few years ago, Halloween Horror Nights featured the "Kong Express" which took visitors to the new King Kong and back to the lower lot. 

On June 2, 2011 the latest tram tour video made it's debut with new host Jimmy Fallon

Have a Tramtastic Day!! 

Let's take a look at what the tour looks like today. 

The new New York sets

CSI has been filming on the lot for more than a decade, so don't think you are really seeing Las Vegas

Flash Flood, still one of my favorites

The Fan-Favorite Jaws got a nice rehab earlier this year

Jurassic Park sets

King Kong "Miniature" and War of the World set, two things that have long been overdue for replacement

With the new addition of Fast and Furious: Supercharged opening in 2015 and great minor tweaks such as bringing the Collapsing Bridge back, the tram tour is heading into it's second 50 years stronger than ever. 

So what would you like to see on the future of the Universal Studios Tour? What franchises would you like to see represented? 

What are some of your favorite memories of the tour ... share them below!! 

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