As a Southern California native, Universal Studios Hollywood has almost always been in my backyard. I have fond memories going to the park, meeting characters, and being scared of almost everything. Even though that may be the case, those memories will stick with me forever and I wouldn’t change it for the world. One of the main stays of the park throughout the years and one that has always been a favorite of mine is the World Famous Studio Tour.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Studio Tour, it is (technically) the oldest attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. Predating the park by about 50 years. Back when Universal Studios was ONLY a movie studio in 1915, founder Carl Laemmle opened Universal Studios in a two-day grand opening event with 10,000 attendees. Originally the admission fee was just five cents, which also included a boxed lunch. This form of the tour was discontinued in 1930 because, of what people at the time called, talkies. Then in the 1960’s, the then owners of the studio Music Corporation of America suggested a new tour at the studio would help increase profits. On July 15, 1964, the modern tour was established to include a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and later, staged events. This is what lead to Universal Studios Hollywood becoming a full fledged theme park.

Now this is obviously a very abbreviated version of the Studio Tour’s history. We highly suggest learning about the history of the park because it’s so unique and different. Very much reminds us of how Knott’s Berry Farm came to be…just with a movie studio!

Fast forward to 2022, the Studio Tour has seen many different attractions come and go. From the avalanche tunnel, Battlestar Galactica, the runaway train, the collapsing bridge, Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb and the beloved Fast and Furious: Extreme Close-up. Although the turnover for attractions on the Studio Tour might seem rather high, that’s actually not the case. We don’t often get many additions to the Studio Tour, in fact the last addition was Fast and Furious: Supercharged which opened in 2015!

So knowing now that we are getting another permanent fixture to add to the legacy, that is the Studio Tour, is extremely exciting. Today, (July 22, 2022) Universal Studios Hollywood is opening up the set of Jupiter’s Claim from Jordan Peele’s NOPE! Never in the Studio Tour’s history has a film and addition to the tour opened on the same day.

You’ll be entering Jupiter’s Claim, which is set in Southern California’s Santa Clarita Valley, and is a family-fun theme park and predicated on the white-washed history and aesthetics of the California Gold Rush. Owned and operated with evangelical pride by former child star Ricky “Jupe” Park, Jupiter’s Claim becomes a pivotal location as the characters seek to investigate mysterious, unexplained phenomena, leading them toward increasing danger and terrifying consequences.

We were some of the lucky few to get a close look at this new addition to the Studio Tour and go through what guests to the park will experience while riding the tram. While you can do what we did on the VIP Tour at USH, if you’re just part of General Admission, you’re unfortunately confined to the Tram.

This is the actual set from the film NOPE. When shooting wrapped, the set was meticulously taken apart and transported to the Backlot at Universal Studios to be recreated. To know that we were walking on the actual set of the film was incredibly exciting.

The details within the sets are extremely impressive. From the spooky looking “dolls” scattered around the area to the souvenirs in the windows of the shops. It really feels like every aspect was thought about. But don’t worry, the experience will not spoil the film. In fact, I found the details and experience to be a great tease for the film. It made me want to see the movie way more than I had felt prior.

Having experience this section of the Tram Tour now, I actually think that normal guests might get a little spooked! The sound design utilized is effective and will leave you on the edge of your seat. One aspect of this attraction is how relevant it is. Unlike other parks that may take years to capitalize on popular brands, you can now experience a ride and movie in the same day.

Overall, Jupiter’s Claim is a fun and cool new addition the the Studio Tour. This set really expands the variety of experiences offered on the Studio Tour and solidifies the tour as the MUST DO attraction while visiting Universal Studios Hollywood. We have to send a massive thank you to Universal Studios Hollywood for having us out for such a historic moment for the park and tour. It’s never lost on us how incredibly fortunate we are to have these types of opportunities, especially ones that include historic locations like the Studio Tour. While we may be nobodies in terms of those who’ve walked these sets. But to think we’ve been in the same place as people like Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, and now Jordan Peele; is amazing.

If you want to experience the World Famous Studio Tour and go through the world of NOPE at Universal Studios Hollywood, make sure you visit UniversalStudiosHollywood.com