But for this book, he wanted to tell the story of the origins of what has become a theme park empire that rivals Disney, Universal Studios, and the man who was key in creating that empire.

In the early 1960s, according to Stephen M. Silverman’s book “The Amusement Park,” Universal began welcoming Gray Line Tours onto the studio lot for their Hollywood history jaunts.

Grinchmas runs from Nov. 29, 2024 - Jan. 6, 2025 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Here's how to buy tickets, what to expect and more.

Walt Disney Co. even tried to replicate the Universal Studios tour on Disney’s Hollywood Studios park near Orlando, starting in 1989. But the attraction did not generate an enthusiastic fan ...