London is a pretty incredible city with a seemingly endless list of incredibly iconic attractions. People travel from all corners of the globe to experience the architecture that is internationally recognised, feel the culture that is pervasive throughout the city and enjoy the buzz of such an awesome place.
One of the city’s biggest icons has to be Madame Tussauds. You can find a Tussauds waxworks museum on pretty much every continent, spanning the entire globe- they even have one in Australia! But the original was found in London.
This unique museum of curiosities is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city, drawing millions of visitors every year. One of the key factors is the intriguing nature of the displays- life-like waxwork depictions of celebrities, historical figures and well known faces populate this curious emporium.
It’s a great way to spend the day with the kids, so make sure you book a room in one of the best family hotels London offers; The Montcalm London City At The Brewery Hotel. Make your stay as comfortable as possible and visit one of the strangest and most fun attractions on offer in the city.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about the original Madame Tussauds waxwork museum.
Born Marie Grosholtz in 1761, Marie’s mother was actually the housekeeper to a well known wax sculptor by the name of Philippe Curtius.
Curtius took a shine to Marie and at a very early age she was showing incredible signs of being a very skilled sculptor herself. Incredibly at the age of 6, Curtius took Marie with him when he moved to Paris and promised to train her in the art of wax works.
By 17 she was creating her own life size models and adding them to Curtius’ collection of 300 or so wax figures.
Marie was then made art tutor to the sister of King Louis XVI, at the Palace of Versailles no less. Unfortunately, during the french revolution, Marie was imprisoned with the rest of the Versailles household and sentenced to death- although a powerful friend managed to clear her name.
She spent the rest of the revolution sculpting the prominent figures that were executed, and upon the death of Philippe Curtuis, her old mentor, she learnt she had inherited his entire collection.
This was the formation of Madame Tussauds as we know it- as Marie travelled the UK displaying her collection, she met Francios Tussaud.
They married in 1795 and Marie set up shop in small holdings on Baker Street in London. The original name of her museum was the ‘Chamber of Horrors’ and depicted the incredibly life-like beheaded figures of the French Revolution.
Marie Tussaud died in her sleep in 1850, and left her collection to her grandson. Sadly many of the original wax sculptures were damaged in a fire in the 1920s, and the collection was moved from the expensive Baker Street to a new building just down the road.
From here, Madame Tussauds has grown into an international phenomenon and millions of people all over the world spend their days in these incredible museums.
Getting to Madame Tussauds actually could not be easier!
The museum is located immediately next to Baker Street Station, so can be accessed on the Jubilee Line, the Metropolitan Line, the Bakerloo Line, the Hammersmith and City Line and the Circle Line- that’s a whole lot of coverage.
From your luxury Montcalm Club double room in the Montcalm at the Brewery all you have to do is hop on the Metropolitan Line at the Barbican Station and ride until you reach Baker Street.
There are a lot of ticket types on offer, some aimed at family usage so take a look on the website before you head out there- there are discounted tickets if purchased online.
-Standard Ticket purchased online starts at £33.50.
-You can also purchase a Family Ticket that costs £31 per person and covers up to three children and two adults.
Madame Tussauds offers multi-attraction tickets that allow you to buy a ticket for the museum and another of London’s incredible attractions- for example you can buy an entry ticket to Madame Tussauds with a London Eye ticket included for £50 with a saving of around £20.
The waxworks opens daily from 10am and closes at 3pm Monday through Friday. During the weekends you’ll be able to access the museum at 10am still, but the last entry will be at 4pm.
If you can only make it to the last entry times of 3pm or 4pm, don’t worry- you still get a set amount of time to explore everything in the building, and you won’t be rushed.
There is plenty to see and do in the museum, including extra exhibitions, 4D movies and special themes.
Here is a quick rundown of what you can expect to find, and the absolute best bits!
The Hall of Heroes is dedicated to Marvel’s wonderful comic book creations. Meet Captain America, the Black Panther, the Incredible Hulk, Spiderman and many more in this incredible action packed display.
Step into the Star Wars universe and be transported lightyears away. Get up close and personal with your favourite robots, explore the flight deck of the Millenium Falcon and meet some of your favourite characters from the movies.
Madame Tussauds London has actually made the most wax models of the late Queen Elizabeth II of any monarch, the first of which was created when she was just two years old.
Join the royal family for tea in this incredible collection.
So there you have it- everything you need to know before you visit one of London’s most unique and popular attractions.
Madame Tussauds is a great way to spend the day, and lets you get up close and personal with some of your favourite public figures.
And at the end of a long day of mingling with the rich and famous, you can return to your hotel and enjoy the stunning Montcalm restaurant– what a way to relax!
When it comes to areas of impeccable historical significance in London, Moorgate secures a top…
The centre of history and culture in London, Baker Street in Marylebone is where you…
Wondering how do you tip in London? Let’s delve into tipping etiquette in London and…
With the summer season just around the corner, London is ready to shine bright on…
London is a city that inspires you with its stunning architectural wonders, world-renowned cultural attractions,…
Being the world’s first National Park City, you can imagine how beautiful London is in…