Universal Studios Hollywood is both a movie studio and a theme park located in Universal City; an unincorporated community of Los Angeles, California. As far as Hollywood Studios go, it is the oldest and most famous movie studio still in operation. The park was originally created to offer tours through the sets and soundstages within the real Universal Studios. Now it is the first of many fully fledged Universal Studios Theme Parks located across the world. To enter the theme park, access can only be achieved by the Metro Red Line subway transit located at Universal City Station and by other Metro bus routes.

The official marketing headline for Universal Studios is “The Entertainment Capital of LA,” though it is often marketing as “The Coolest Place in LA,” during the summer months. The Universal Studios Hollywood mascot has long been Woody Woodpecker.

Outside of the theme park, on the Universal Studios back lot, is a new, all digital facility that houses the West Coast operations of NBC Universal. This new facility is now home to NBC News, Telemundo, Comcast Sportsnet, Bravo, and Hulu among many others. Universal City is home to numerous hotels, including the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Universal Hilton and Towers and the Universal CityWalk, which offers a collection of restaurants and souvenir shops.

The theme park is divided into an upper and a lower section. The lower lot is where you can visit many exhibits featuring movie and television artifacts, prop exhibits, and wardrobe exhibits. There are some popular rides that can also be found in this section of the park, including the Revenge of the Mummy ride, which is an indoor roller coaster set along a “dark” backdrop; Transformers: The Ride 3D, which is the parks’ newest attraction. This one takes its guests on a thrilling ride simulator through an intense robot battlefield.

The upper lot of Universal Studios is the primary “Entertainment Center,” housing many of the parks’ top tourist attractions, rides, food vendors, and live performances. The most popular attractions in this section include, the Simpson Ride, where guest are taken through a simulated Krustyland; Terminator 2: 3D, which features a special effects barrage on the senses; Water World – A Live Sea Spectacular – an exciting and entertaining acrobatics show; and Shrek 4-D, which is a family based film that everyone in the family will enjoy.