Courthouse Square

A large town square named after the imposing Courthouse building most famously seen in Back to the Future (1985-1990). The square has been seen in hundreds of Universal films (and those of other studios). In common with many other standing sets, simple changes like the arrangement of street furniture and signage can make the set appear to be a completely different location.
Prior to Back to the Future, the area was known as Mockingbird Square, after it’s appearance in To Kill a Mockingbird.
It was until recently the home of the CBS TV drama Ghost Whisperer.

Although the devastating fires in 1990 and 2008 destroyed the New York Street area, the Courthouse itself was spared, and looked even more magnificent amid the ashes.

Courthouse Square reopened after the fire on June 18 2009 with the USC Marching Band and costumed actors. See Life Magazine Photos of the reopening event and the video footage below.

To the south of Courthouse Square is New York Street.

The Courthouse Square location in Back to the Future

Courthouse Square Grand Reopening

June 18, 2009 – the first Studio Tour tram experiences the newly restored Courthouse Square after the 2008 fire.

Courthouse Square On Screen

Seen on Screen: Universal Studios Hollywood [Courthouse]

Title	Released	Director	IMDB
An Act of Murder [Feature Film]	1948	Michael Gordon
The courthouse at Courthouse Square was built for this movie. Sets that were to be moved to Colonial Street in 1950 also appeared.
Ma and Pa Kettle [Feature Film]	1949	Charles Lamont
Stage 24, Courthouse Square
It Came from Outer Space [Feature Film]	1953	Jack Arnold
Courthouse Square, Stage 12 (sequences were shot here with painted backgrounds)
Tarantula [Feature Film]	1955	Jack Arnold
Courthouse Square
Inherit the Wind [Feature Film]	1960	Stanley Kramer
Courthouse Square
To Kill A Mockingbird [Feature Film]	1962	Robert Mulligan
Courthouse Square, Stage 29, Stage 30 [courthouse interior], Stage 32. The courthouse interior built on Stage 30 was a painstakingly accurate reproduction of the courthouse at Monroeville, Alabama.
The whole street featured in the movie was built on the backlot, adjacent to the New York Street sets. The Boo Radley house was designed by Henry Bumstead and built at Universal, while all other houses were moved to the backlot from Chaves Ravine, where developers were clearing the land for the Dodgers Stadium. The houses were bought for $1 each from developers. The Boo Radley house remains on Elm Street to this day.
Bye Bye Birdie [Feature Film]	1963	George Sidney
Courthouse Square (Conrad Birdie sang good-bye to his fans)
Village of the Giants [Feature Film]	1965	Bert I. Gordon
Courthouse Square
The Reluctant Astronaut [Feature Film]	1967	Edward Montagne
Courthouse Square (Kiddieland Scenes), Stage 30
National Lampoon's Delta House [TV Series]	1979
Colonial Street (The Delta House set is still there to this day. The Harvey house was also featured, as the Omega House.) New York Street and Courthouse Square featured in the title sequence.
Simon and Simon [TV Series]	1981-1989	Philip DeGuere
Colonial Street, Courthouse Square, New York Street, Elm Street (as Industrial Street), Old Mexico, Six Points Texas, all on the Universal Studios backlot. Stage 25
Knight Rider [TV Series]	1982 - 1986	Glen A. Larson
Along with soundstages, the backlot was used extensively including Colonial Street, Courthouse Square, Denver Street, Boragora and Six Points Texas. Stage 28 appeared in Season 4 Fright Knight episode. Stage 01 was also used.
Psycho II [Feature Film]	1983	Richard Franklin
Black Lagoon (dumping of the body), Courthouse Square (as Fairvale), Psycho House on the Universal backlot.
Still the Beaver [TV Series]	1983-1989
Colonial Street (the Cleaver house), Courthouse Square (Mayfield town square)
Gremlins [Feature Film]	1984	Joe Dante
Courthouse Square featured heavily as the town square of Kingston Falls. Colonial Street is also featured.
Back to the Future [Feature Film]	1985	Robert Zemeckis
Courthouse Square featured as Hill Valley. Stage 12 (Interior Doc's house).
Sneakers [Feature Film]	1992	Phil Alden Robinson
Courthouse Square
Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman [TV Series]	1993-1998	Beth Sullivan
Courthouse Square, New York Street
Weird Science [TV Series]	1994-1997
Courthouse Square, Singapore Lake, Black Lagoon
Three Wishes [Feature Film]	1995	Martha Coolidge
Courthouse Square
Escape from L.A. [Feature Film]	1996	John Carpenter
Courthouse Square (as defunct theme park), Singapore Lake
Jingle All The Way [Feature Film]	1996	Brian Levant
Courthouse Square and New York Street (as Minneapolis)
The Nutty Professor [Feature Film]	1996	Tom Shadyac
Courthouse Square, Stage 23, Stage 25
Amistad [Feature Film]	1997	Steven Spielberg
Courthouse Square
Batman & Robin [Feature Film]	1997	Joel Schumacher
Courthouse Square and New York Street on the backlot.
Why Dont You Get A Job: The Offspring [Music Video]	1999	McG
Extensive shooting around the backlot - Colonial Street, Courthouse Square, New York Street
Bruce Almighty [Feature Film]	2003	Tom Shadyac
Brownstone Street, Courthouse Square, Falls Lake, New York Street on the backlot and Stage 01, Stage 19, Stage 29, Stage 41.
The Cat In The Hat [Feature Film]	2003	Bo Welch
Courthouse Square, Stage 23, Stage 27, Stage 28 [interior of the Walden house], Stage 29, Stage 31
Scream Play [TV Series]	2004	David Basinski
Courthouse Square
Nintendo DS [Commercial]	2005
The Collapsing Bridge featured (not collapsing at all) in a UK Nintendo DS advert, December 2005 (the advert also used Courthouse Square and Brownstone Street)
Ghost Whisperer [TV Series]	2005-2010	John Gray
Based on Courthouse Square, this series also filmed in the Chicken Ranch, on Colonial Street, on Elm Street, in the Underwater Tank and on Stage 05, Stage 06, Stage 18, Stage 19, Stage 20 at Universal.
The Edge of Glory: Lady Gaga [Music Video]	2011	Lady Gaga and Haus of Gaga
Filmed on a Brownstone set just off New York Street on the Metropolitan Sets backlot and a tenement fire escape behind the gas station on Courthouse Square at Universal Studios Hollywood.
The Little Rascals Save the Day [Feature Film]	2013	Alex Zamm
New York Street and Courthouse Square filming in October 2012
Colonial Street
Saving Mr. Banks / Saving Mr Banks [Feature Film]	2014	John Lee Hancock
Backlot sets Six Points Texas and Courthouse Square are featured in two short sequences.