Best of Universal Studios Hollywood costume and prop archive exhibits - Part 2...

Welcome to part two of the retrospective of costume and prop exhibits from Universal Studios Hollywood's now defunct NBC Universal Experience archive attraction. If you enjoyed Part one which featured some of my favourite finds from April 2009 to April 2012, then you'll also love these movie and TV treasures that were on display from February 2013 to January 2015.

Back to the Future Trilogy movie costume and props

on display in January 2015

A friend pointed out to me that aside from visitor figures and space considerations, that maybe the forthcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures factored into the theme park's decision to close the exhibit, as they didn't feel like they could compete anymore.

Whatever the reasons, let's take a trip back through time starting with Michael J. Fox's 'Marty McFly' Western costume from Back to the Future III, plus screen-used props from the rest of the classic Trilogy.

Love Actually movie costumes on display in January 2015

One of the things I enjoyed most about visiting the archive attraction was that about three times a year they changed what was on display, not everything, but enough to make the visit worthwhile.

2003's Love Actually is one of my all-time favourite feel-good movies so it was a real treat seeing Bill Nighy's 'Billy Mack' suit and one of his festive 'Video Vixens' outfits on display, and that's what made the exhibit space special, seeing costumes and props from films and TV shows that you loved, both in modern times and from the past.

Animatronic baby Triceratops from Jurassic Park 3 on display in April 2014

You also got to see one-of-a-kind props, like this baby Triceratops animatronic from 2001's Jurassic Park III.

If you're a fan of the dinosaur-themed action films, be sure to check out all these Jurassic Park movie costumes, props and models that have been exhibited these past six years at the L.A. theme park.

Cylons from TV series Caprica and the Battlestar Galactica

theme park attraction on display in April 2014

Another highlight of a visit last April were these fantastic Cylons from the worlds of Battlestar Galactica on display. The robot endoskeleton on the left is from the 2009 spin-off prequel series Caprica, whilst the classic Centurion design is from the theme park's old studios tour attraction.

If you're a fan of the sci-fi shows, be sure to also check out more original costumes and props from Battlestar Galactica and from Caprica.

Stop-motion figures from The Boxtrolls on display in April 2014

The NBC Universal Experience not only showcased live-action movies and shows, but also their animation offering, even promoting upcoming stop-motion feature films like The Boxtrolls and celebrating released movies like ParaNorman.

Léa Seydoux's royal costume from Robin Hood
on display in January 2014

Often there were some really stunning wardrobe pieces on display, like this regal ensemble from Ridley Scott's 2010 Robin Hood movie.

If you want to see more fantastic costume designs by Janty Yates, then you can click through to these Robin Hood film costumes to see outfits worn by Cate Blanchett and Russell Crowe.

Nathan Fillion's Mal Reynolds costume from Serenity
on display in January 2014

I'm a huge nerd, so I always enjoy seeing science fiction and comic book costumes and props up close, like this 'Mal Reynolds' costume from 2005's Serenity movie worn by Nathan Fillion.

Bridesmaids movie costumes on display in January 2014

I don't go to see that many comedies at the cinema, but one that really made me laugh out loud was 2011's Bridesmaids, so it was cool to see these costumes from the movie worn by Melissa McCarthy and Maya Rudolph.

Costume worn by Tom Cruise in Oblivion on display in July 2013

It wasn't always easy to photograph the costumes and props behind that reflective glass, but it was still so cool to see the detail of the pieces up close in person, like Tom Cruise's futuristic suit from Oblivion.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army egg prop on display in May 2013

Another highlight from the past few years has to be this amazing giant egg from the second installment in the comic book fantasy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army from 2008. Where else would you see a prop like this on display, unless you worked in the industry?

If you're a fan of the demonic hero, be sure to enjoy more costumes, props and models from Hellboy II on display at Universal Studios, both here and in Orlando, Florida.

Kristen Stewart's coronation gown from Snow White and the Huntsman

on display in May 2013

Often there were some spectacular gowns from the movies on display, like Kristen Stewart's embroidered coronation dress designed by Colleen Atwood from 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman.

Oscar-winning costumes worn by Keira Knightley and Ruth Wilson

from Anna Karenina on display in May 2013

And speaking of Oscar-winning designers, these Academy Award-winning designs by Jacqueline Durran from the 2012 Anna Karenina adaptation were real showstoppers.

If you like these magnificent 19th century Russian high society gowns, take a look at more movie costumes from Anna Karenina worn by Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Oscar-nominated costumes from Les Misérables
on display in May 2013

Over several months, the exhibit also had a fantastic selection of Paco Delgado's Oscar-nominated Les Misérables movie costumes, like this 'Fantine' costume from the big screen musical worn by Anne Hathaway, plus more original outfits worn by Hugh Jackman, Eddie Redmayne and Amanda Seyfried.

DeLorean Time Machine from Back to the Future Trilogy

on display in May 2013

In May 2013 and ever since, the exhibition space showcased the restored iconic DeLorean car from the Back to the Future Trilogy and every time I visited I could hear people gasp when they saw it and rush to take photos of it and with the time machine.

Fans of the classic Trilogy should also check out all these other fantastic costumes and props from Back to the Future that have been brought out from the studio vaults to grace this archive attraction.

Original Fast and Furious film franchise costumes

on display in February 2013

The Fast and Furious films are one of Universal's most successful franchises and there were always plenty of cars, costumes and props from the action movies on display at the park over the last few years.

Will & Grace TV costumes on display in February 2013

And finally, here are costumes worn by 'Rosario Salazar' (Shelley Morrison) and Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) from one of my all-time favourite sitcoms (alongside Frasier, Friends and The Big Bang Theory, that is), Will & Grace.

So as you can see, over the years I've had the opportunity to see loads of brilliant memorabilia from TV and cinematic history, many from my favourite shows and films, so I'm going to miss the NBC Universal Experience.

Let's hope the theme park builds a bigger and even better archive display space in the future to showcase all these wonderful treasures, and if they don't, at least I had the pleasure of seeing all that I have.

Best of Universal Studios Hollywood costume and prop archive exhibits - Part 1...

The other day to my dismay I found out that the NBC Universal Experience archive exhibit at Universal Studios Hollywood would be closing on September 1, 2015. The costume, props and memorabilia museum attraction has been open since 2008 and I first visited the ever-changing exhibition in April 2009 and have returned frequently since, so I'm sad to see the space close.

Universal Studios Hollywood costume and prop archive exhibits

As a tribute to the attraction, here's a selection of fantastic treasures from the big and small screen, from genres spanning sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, period dramas, musicals, romance and more, that captured my imagination and offered a peak behind-the-scenes of Hollywoodland over the past six years.

Mamma Mia: The Movie costumes on display in April 2012

First up are fab ABBA-esque costumes from the movie version of Mamma Mia the musical. These glittering costumes from the film's fun closing credits were worn by Julie Walters and Stellan Skarsgard.

If you're a fan of the film and like these outfits, be sure to also check out these other costumes and props from Mamma Mia: The Movie that I've spied on my travels.

Columbo signature costume worn by Peter Falk on display in April 2012

One of the things I truly loved about the theme park feature was that you got to glimpse a little piece of TV or film history, like seeing Peter Falk's iconic costume he wore in the Columbo television detective series.

Jim Carrey's The Grinch Santa suit on display in April 2012

Around the Holidays I always get requests for photo references for Jim Carrey's Grinch from the 2000 live-action Ron Howard movie, and because of the Universal Studios exhibits I've been able to provide them.

Draco maquette from Dragonheart on display in November 2011

Back in November 2011 it was cool to see this maquette of the dragon 'Draco' from 1996's Dragonheart fantasy adventure.

Animatronic Max dog from The Grinch on display in March 2011

And here's another fab item from The Grinch, an animatronic puppet of the dog 'Max'.

If you're a fan of the movie, be sure to enjoy all these other props, prosthetics and models from How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Enik the Altrusian prosthetic head from Land of the Lost

on display in March 2011

The TV series Land of the Lost got a big screen remake starring Will Ferrell in 2009, and I loved seeing this alien-looking prosthetic makeup head for 'Enik the Altrusian' from the film.

Hayden Panettiere's cheerleader costume and painting from TV's Heroes

on display in March 2011

Being a huge comic book fan I loved the Heroes TV show (the compelling first season, at least), so it was cool to see one of Isaac Mendez's eclipse paintings and the show's iconic cheerleader uniform worn by Hayden Panettiere on display,

Cloak worn by Yvonne de Carlo as Lily in The Munsters

on display in March 2011

And then talk about TV history and this cloak worn by Yvonne de Carlo as the vampiric 'Lily' in the original 1960s Munsters series was a real delight to see in person, look at the drapery detail in this piece.

TV's Buck Rogers costume and props on display in January 2011

And as I kid I absolutely loved Buck Rogers and the robot 'Twiki', so being this jacket and these props from the show was a real treat.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor movie costumes

on display in January 2011 

Over the years I've been able to see an array of costumes and props from The Mummy film franchise, but these outfits from the third installment, 2008's Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, were some of the most elaborate.

Someone who worked in the archives once told me that they had so many amazing costumes they were never able to show because they came from less successful movies and TV shows, even though the costume designs were works of art.

If you're a fan of the films, be sure to check out all these other original costumes, vehicles and props from The Mummy movies on display.

Tiffany animatronic from Seed of Chucky on display in June 2010

There was always something for everyone on display, from horror to romance, costumes to animatronic puppets, like this 'Tiffany' doll from 2004's Seed of Chucky.

Back to the Future II hoverboard prop on display in June 2010

Fans of the Back to the Future Trilogy would have loved seeing all these hoverboard props from the second film and more besides.

Animatronic werewolf from The Wolfman on display in June 2010

And one of my personal favorites, was this gory animatronic werewolf creation for The Wolfman 2010 movie remake, which I believe may not have been used on screen in the end in favor of CGI special effects, but it was still a pretty cool life-size puppet to see in person.

Be sure to take a look at these other costumes and makeup prosthetics from The Wolfman that featured in the exhibit attraction over the years.

Classic and reboot Battlestar Galactica costumes on display in June 2010

Another science fiction favourite of mine from my youth and from recent times is Battlestar Galactica, so I was so excited to see these costumes from the classic 70s show and the 2004 rebooted series.

If you're a fan too, you should also check out these other Battlestar Galactica costumes and props, plus more treasures from the spin-off prequel series Caprica.

Original Milk movie costumes and props on display in February 2010

In February 2010 I got to see more original film costumes and props from the Oscar-winning biopic from 2008, Milk, about the life of murdered San Francisco gay activist Harvey Milk.

Animatronic baby from Children of Men on display in July 2009

And back on my second ever visit to the exhibit I saw the most lifelike baby animatronic from 2006's Children of Men (which seriously puts the fake baby in American Sniper to shame). This prop behind protective glass really made me do a double take.

Original stop-motion animation ghost puppets from Coraline

on display in April 2009

On my first visit to the attraction I loved seeing these ghostly stop-motion animation puppets from the 2009 movie Coraline, alongside a whole host of other character figures and sets from Coraline.

Communicator prop from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 

and Tom Hanks Apollo 13 NASA costume on display in April 2009  

Plus a real treat from the archives was E.T.'s cobbled together communicator device from Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic family movie, plus Tom Hanks NASA flight-suit from 1995's Apollo 13.

Original Gladiator movie costumes on display in April 2009

And finally for this installment, Janty Yates Oscar-winning costume designs from Ridley Scott's 2000 Roman Empire epic Gladiator were also on display for all to see.

Plus be sure to also check out more original Gladiator movie costumes that have graced these display cabinets in recent times.

I'm sure visitor figures contributed to the attraction's demise, space is at a premium at Universal Studios Hollywood, but does the theme park really need another rollercoaster or simulator ride, when it already had something truly unique that celebrated the studios history.

Be sure to stay tuned for more hidden cinematic and televisual treasures in the spotlight, now that the vaults have been closed and all the items returned to the archives to collect dust (at least I won't need to buy an annual pass anymore).

Plus search the Universal Studios Hollywood tab for even more amazing wardrobe pieces, models, maquettes, animatronics, props and memorabilia that I've managed to capture and share.

Fortune Teller Booth prop from Warehouse 13 on display...

When I first glimpsed this Fortune Teller Booth from Syfy's Warehouse 13 on display at Universal Studio Hollywood's archive exhibit, I immediately thought of the 'Zoltar' booth from Tom Hanks 1998 movie Big. Alas this is not that booth, but this 'Sallah - The Soothsaying Sultan' fortune-telling arcade machine certainly evokes that magical movie prop and was featured in the season three Warehouse 13 episode, 'Insatiable'.

Original Fortune Teller Booth prop from Warehouse 13

If you like this fun prop and you're a fan of the television series which ran for five seasons from 2009 to 2014, be sure to check out all these other original Warehouse 13 costumes and props on display.

Plus be sure to take a look at the cool costumes and props on display on my most recent visit to the NBC Universal Experience museum attraction at the theme park.

Warehouse 13 TV poster

Uma Thurman's dress from TV's Smash on display...

The Broadway musical-themed drama Smash ran for two seasons on NBC from 2012 to 2013, and in the freshman season Uma Thurman was brought in to add some star power to proceedings, playing the film star 'Rebecca Duvall', replacing the other hopefuls vying for the titular role in the Marilyn Monroe musical.

Gold dress worn by Uma Thurman as Rebecca Duvall in Smash

She wore this spectacular gold gown portraying the iconic Hollywood actress in the TV show, which was designed by Molly Maginnis and was photographed on display at Universal Studios Hollywood on May 8, 2015.

If you're wondering about cheerleader outfits beside her, they are original costumes from Bring It On and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Plus if you're a fan of the show, be sure to check out Megan Hilty's Ivy Lynn dress from Smash's second season too and if you're a fan of the actress, you can also take a closer look at Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy movie costume from Batman & Robin.

Smash season 2 billboard