Photo of the Universal Studios backlot

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The Universal Studios backlot. I was in LA when it was off-season, so it was really quiet at Universal Studios. I didn't have to queue for anything and I had an opportunity to go on most rides several times. This photo shows the backlot, a working film studio with lots of different sets. The slightly pointed building just right of centre with a clock in it is the courthouse from Back to the Future. We couldn't go through that set at the time I was there because something was being filmed there, but I was excited to see the two big 'Lyon Estates' entry stones by a dirt track, looking a bit like Marty's estate under construction in 1955. The studio tour included a flash flood scene, where water cascaded down a hill towards you, and an earthquake simulation with a subway train crash. Sadly, much of the backlot was destroyed by fire in 2008, so many of the sets no longer exist in their original form. Films continue to be made there, though, and I understand the tour evolves as new sets are added to it.

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