Sunday, April 1, 2007

The petting zoo.

Sometime in the early 1970's Universal Studios offered not only a tour of the lot but a petting zoo.
This zoo was located just in front of where the TERMINATOR 3-d film is shown today. The petting zoo offered a lovely cliffside view of the San Fernando valley and a couple of giant Galapagos turtles for sticky little brats to sit on. It was a horrible place full of sad animals. Almost as bad as that lion they used to keep drugged at Magic Mountain. For a few bucks you could sit right next to this sickly lion and get your picture snapped. The poor thing was so high it couldn't stand up.

Where did those animals go and when did these petting zoos shut down?

If I remember correctly the lion at Magic mountain mauled a child sometime around 1978 and had to be killed.
I have no idea when the universal petting zoo closed. I also recall a simple playground near the petting zoo as well.

Does anyone remember this?

3 comments:

Luke said...

As long as we're identifying old universal things- Where exactly was this, and when did it go away?

Gavin Elster said...

I know exactly where this is. First this must have been 1975 to 1977. This was on the lower area. After you got on the tram you went thru a fake avalance and some other crappy facades. You then were hearded off the tram. Then you were hearded thru either Luciel Ball's "dressing room" or Edith Head's "costume bungalow" then into the special effects stage that had a mock up of jamie Sommers home and Ironside's office.
This was the loading area where you loaded on the tram. This KODAK kiosk is the tip off because KODAK sponsored the special effects stage. They may indeed still be the sponsor. I remember the slat wood awning.

Gavin Elster said...

See the tour guide standing on the planter? Thats the big tip off to where this picture was taken. The six million dollar man was in production when this picture was taken.