Universal Studios is a famous film capital, lauded by the company as being both "The Entertainment Capital of LA" and the "Coolest Place in LA". It boasts both a film making capacity and a theme park. Originally, the theme park to Universal Studios was used in order to provide paying customers with tours of the sound stages and sets.

Many replicas of the Universal Studios chain have cropped up across the world. There are studios in Orlando, Japan, and themes parks are currently being constructed in Pacific Rim countries such as Singapore, Dubai and South Korea to cater to the Eastern world's fascination with Hollywood. As such, Universal Studios is truly a global brand.

The tour of Universal Studios is almost as famous as the studio itself, as from the beginning Universal Studios has offered touring facilities. In 1962 however, as a result of financial problems that hit the film industry on the whole, the tour was all but shut down. In 1964 the modest attraction was re-opened however, and has expanded ever since.

There are many attractions in the Universal Studios theme park. The park is split into an Upper and a Lower Lot. Attractions include Waterworld A Live Sea War Spectacular, Furious: Extreme Close Up, Universal's House of Horros, Shrek 4-D, Fear Factor Live! and, in Spring 2008, the long-awaited Simpsons Ride.

Current plans for the Simpsons Ride include a simulator ride similar to the one the Simpsons Ride replaced in the Back to the Future ride. It will supposedly feature a virtual-reality trip through Krustyland, the theme park made famous by the cantankerous clown of the famous TV series, The Simpsons. It will feature giant 80 foot screens and a virtual reality tour of the theme park, noted in the series for its low-budget and its reckless disregard for safety features. It is hoped that the Simpsons ride itself will not suffer from the same construction problems. The ride will feature at the Florida and Hollywood resorts.

Universal Studios Hollywood is the largest of the Universal Studios theme parks. It is known for featuring cartoon representations of many of the famous Universal Studios characters, such as Groucho Marx, Marilyn Monroe and Woody Woodpecker. Woody Woodpecker also features as Universal Studios mascot and theme park logo.

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