Courthouse Square (Universal backlot)

The place

Courthouse Square is a permanent set on the backlot of Universal Studios, located in Universal City, California, reproducing an archetypal small-town American square organized around the facade of a courthouse that serves as its centerpiece. This courthouse facade was built in 1948. Composed of a set of facades, the set is renowned for its versatility: a simple change of signage, storefronts, and urban furniture is enough to make it appear as an entirely different location, which has led it to appear in hundreds of productions. It is bordered to the south by "New York Street," another street set on the backlot. The fires that ravaged the backlot in 1990 and then in 2008 destroyed these neighboring sets but spared the courthouse; the square reopened on June 18, 2009. It remains one of the most iconic outdoor sets on the Universal backlot.