History

Charlie Chaplin built the Hollywood studio in 1917 as his personal production lot, turning a former orange grove into a storybook-style campus with stages, cottages, and backlots. It’s where he made many of his most iconic films—The Kid, Modern Times, City Lights, and The Great Dictator—helping define early Hollywood cinema.

Over the years, the property evolved into a TV and music hub—used by CBS and later A&M Records—before becoming home to The Jim Henson Company in 2000. Today, the studio remains a working production lot and historic landmark, blending over a century of film, television, and music legacy in the heart of Hollywood.