Address: 
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, Calif.
Phone: (800) UNIVERSAL

Opened in July 1964 as a guided tour through the studio's Los Angeles backlot complex, Universal Studios Hollywood over the years added more special-effects laden experiences to the tour, such as Jaws and King Kong.

Located off U.S. 101 at Cahuenga Pass, Universal Studios Hollywood is just south of U.S. 134, and a few minutes north of Los Angeles, California. The park lies several exits north of Hollywood.

Most of Universal Studios Hollywood visitors are locals, so avoid weekends and school vacations to get the shortest waits. The park is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Get there before it opens as the main crowd comes in around 10am. The park opens at 9am, come around 8:30 and gates will open to a certain point at 8:45am. USH has free coffee and small snacks for the inconvenience, if it is raining and in such weather be aware that shows may be canceled or relocated.

There are often discounts offered during summer months, usually $10 or so off with a marked can of Coca-Cola. You may save your time, as Universal also offers print at home tickets via its website. Universal Studios Hollywood has Ticket Machines, but they accept only credit cards. And if you're a college student, inquire your student services if they have discount tickets, take advantage being a student.

The majority of Universal's attractions is shows, so first you should is to check the daily show schedule. Come there early, preferably just before the park opens, to visit as many attractions out of the way.

The park is split into an upper and lower lot, with a huge series of escalators separating them. And you probably will have no desire to be hopping back and forth between the lots. Usually the lower lot opens an hour or so later than the park, so you may use that first hour to visit Back to the Future, Shrek 4-D, Terminator 2:3-D, and the Studio Tour four of the most popular of the upper lot attractions. First of all, go on the Studio Tour, and then you may continue to the lower lot. Ride Revenge of the Mummy, followed by the Jurassic Park River Adventure. End the lower lot by visiting the Special Effects Stages and Backdraft.

Save the best for last. Visit Terminator 3D, continue to Animal Planet, Fear Factor, and Back to the Future and after that, go ahead to Shrek 4D and at last end up with a showing of the WaterWorld stunt show, which is far, far more entertaining than the film.

There's not a lot for the preschool set at USH. The older children will like the Nickelodeon-themed water "sprayground" (bring a spare set of clothes), but little ones won't have much to do here. Just wait till the kids are older and have developed some curiosity about movies before visiting.

With no reservations available within USH, the park does sell a VIP Studio Pass which allows you to skip lines at most attractions. The pass also gives you a personal tour on the backlot. There are mainly fast food within the theme park, but CityWalk is where the nightlife come to play. It is located next to USH. It has over 20 restaurants and fastfood places with everything from bowling to movies, from LA Dodger dogs to Jamba Juice. Citywalk also boasts fine dining as Tony Romas, Hard Rock Cafe, and Saddle Ranch Chop House.