18 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Universal Theme Parks

By Simon Gallagher / April 20, 2016

9. It Used To Cost 25c To Enter

When Carl Laemmle opened Universal City on March 14th, 1915, he invited the general public to enter for an admission fee of a quarter including a chicken-based meal. You could also buy eggs and chicken, since it was still part of a farm. That all ended with the advent of sound when the tours were discontinued.

Leammle opened the studio in 1915 with a huge grand opening, which was attended by guests as famous as Thomas Edison and Buffalo Bill Cody. To impress them, however, he made the mistake of staging a flash flood simulation, which went wrong and flooded parts of the lot.

That wouldn't be the last time the studio would be damaged: since opening, the Hollywood park has been damaged by 9 fires.