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Photo: Coolcaesar at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Formerly the MGM studios, the two-hour guided tour leads through stages that have seen the filming of such productions as the Wizard of Oz, Men in Black, and Spider-Man. Visitors may also see the homes of the game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Tours are offered M-F at 9:30AM, 10:30AM, 1:30PM and 2:30PM. Reservations are recommended, and the tour is only available for visitors age twelve years and older. Do not expect to see the historic MGM backlot though, as it was sold to property developers in the 1970s and demolished to make way for suburban housing.
Sony Pictures Studios is an American, Japanese-owned, television and film studio complex located in Culver City, California, at 10202 West Washington Boulevard and bounded by Culver Boulevard (south), Washington Boulevard (north), Overland Avenue (west) and Madison Avenue (east). Founded in 1912, the facility is currently owned by Sony Pictures and houses the division's film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures, and Screen Gems. The complex was the original home of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1924 to 1986 and Lorimar-Telepictures from 1986 to 1988.
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R. M. Fisher designed "Wading Pool" (2000), the plaza fountain, which celebrates Sony's history of filmmaking and references the set of "Lost Horizon."
From the sidewalk, you can see Terry Allen's sculpture "Golden Time", a humorous comment on work after overtime. Michael Hayden's sculpture uses cutting edge materials (holographs) producing a rainbow spectrum on the sidewalk and surrounding areas of the Game Show Building. Hayden collaborated with Game Show Building architect, Steven Ehrlich, AIA, who won a National AIA Design Award for the project.
An archives and resource center preserves local history, and aims to serve everyone from young children to senior citizens.
This annual festival is held at the end of the summer and generally lasts from Friday through Sunday. The festival features a beer & wine garden, carnival rides, petting zoo, food trucks, a farmers' market, 100 booths selling artisan wares, and live music.
From the sidewalk, you can see sculptural gates and fencing, created by artist John Okulick, using the colors of "My First Sony" (red, yellow, blue). Also, Margaret Nielsen designed a mural maquette .
The Culver City Municipal Pool, affectionately known as "The Plunge", is a heated, Olympic-sized swimming pool that was first opened in 1949. It is open to the public (resident and non-resident) for recreation swimming, lap swimming, water aerobics, swimming lessons, and diving (1-m and 3-m springboards). Lockers and showers are available on-site. Schedules vary, so call or check the web site before visiting to ensure that the pool is available for your desired activity.