Madame Tussauds has a very touching history of creation. It all started back in 1761 in France. After the death of her husband, the mother of this amazing woman was forced to move from Strasbourg to Berlin in search of work. She found her in the home of the physician Philip Curtius. The man had a very unusual hobby - the creation of wax figures. Mademoiselle liked this occupation so much that she decided to learn all its secrets and devote her life to this particular art form.
The first works of the young sculpture were displayed in London in 1835 (in the north of Westminster). That's when the old museum was founded! After 49 years, he moved to a building on Marylebone Road, in the heart of the city. A few years later, almost nothing remained of the collection of figures; it was destroyed by fire. Madame Tussauds had to start over and reconstruct all the dolls. After the owner of the wax "empire" passed away, the sculptor's heirs took over its development. They have developed new technologies to prolong the "youth" of their statues.
Where is Madame Tussauds located?
The main showroom is located in England, in the most prestigious area of London - Marylebone. But he also has branches in major US cities:
- Los Angeles;
- New York;
- Las Vegas;
- San Francisco;
- Orlando.
In Asia, representative offices are located in Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Bangkok. Europe is also lucky - tourists can observe masterpiece sculptures in Barcelona, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vienna. Madame Tussauds became so popular that her work went far overseas to Australia. Unfortunately, they have not yet reached the CIS countries for 2017.
The exact address of Madame Tussaud's main museum is Marylebone Road London NW1 5LR. It is located in the building of the former planetarium. Nearby is Regent's Park, nearby is the subway station "Baker Street". It is convenient to get to the object by train or buses 82, 139, 274.
What can you see inside?
The exposition numbers over 1000 figures all over the world. In different branches of the museum, sculptures took their place:
At the entrance to the central department of Madame Tussauds, guests are greeted by its owner in modest attire "in person." During a tour of the exhibition halls, you can say hello to the members of the legendary Beatles, take a picture with Michael Jackson, shake hands with Charlie Chaplin, and exchange glances with Audrey Hepburn. For history buffs, there are two rooms reserved specifically for Napoleon himself and his wife! The museum did not forget about those who devoted their lives to science and cultural activities. Among them:
Naturally, members of the British royal family took pride of place in the London branch of Madame Tussauds. They seem to have come to life, it seems that Kate Middleton has just stepped off the pages of the magazine, tenderly holding the hand of her husband, Prince William. And to the right of them is majestically the mistress of Buckingham Palace, the great Elizabeth II. She is accompanied by the strict Sir Harry. And where without Lady Diana!
It just could not help but appear in the museum of Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling, Riana, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, the scandalous couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, confidently sitting on the sofa.
Political figures are of no less interest:
The Berlin branch exhibited figures of Winston Churchill, Angela Merkel, Otto von Bismarck. Children will be delighted with the figures of Spider-Man, Superman, Wolverine, and movie lovers will be able to pose against the background of Jack Sparrow and the heroes of Bond.
Who are the Russians represented in the museum?
There are not many Russians in Madame Tussaud's museums. It is worth going to Amsterdam to see comrades Gorbachev and Lenin, the first, by the way, found his place also in New York, near Reagan. The sculpture of one of the Russian presidents, Boris Yeltsin, is in the London branch. Of the contemporary political figures of the Russian Federation, the masters of the museum decided to recreate only Vladimir Putin, whose statue adorns the exhibition halls in Great Britain and Thailand. These are the sculptures exhibited in different branches of the institution!
Horror Room: A Brief Description
This is what the museum is famous for in the first place. The entrance here is available only to people with healthy hearts and nerves, children and pregnant women do not belong here. Madame Tussauds was inspired to create this mystical corner by her teacher's study of horrors. The situation here is extremely gloomy, here at every step deceivers, traitors, thieves and even serial killers are pursuing. One of the most popular is Jack the Ripper, who committed brutal murders on the streets of London at the end of the 19th century and remained uncaught.
Scenes of torture and executions that took place in the Middle Ages are very accurately recreated in the room of fear. The real guillotines that were used during the years of the Great French Revolution give them reality. All this chilling horror is complemented by the sounds of bones crunching under a hammer, cries for help, cries of prisoners. In general, before you go here, it is worth thinking a hundred times.
What makes this place so impressive?
The sculptures exhibited in Madame Tussaud's museums are real masterpieces. They are so similar to their originals that you will not notice a fake in the photo. This effect allows the masters to achieve exact observance of all proportions of the body, height and body complexion. Absolutely everything is taken into account - the color and length of the hair, the shape of the eyes, the shape of the nose, lips and eyebrows, individual facial features. Many of the mannequins even wear the same clothes as the real stars.
Particularly inquisitive visitors can see with their own eyes how famous dolls are made. At the exhibition, you can look at the tools that the craftsmen need in their work, at the future elements of celebrity clones and accessories that will be used in the process. By the way, many of them are given away by the stars themselves.
Helpful information
An interesting fact is that in Madame Tussauds it is allowed to be photographed with sculptures without any permission. You can touch them, shake hands with them, hug them and even kiss them. You can take at least a photo of all the exhibits! It will take at least an hour to inspect the collection. To be among this stellar beau monde, you need to pay 25 euros for a child and 30 for an adult to the cashier.
Little trick! The price of tickets, subject to purchase on the official website of the museum, is approximately 25% lower.
We recommend that you look at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The time of day also affects the cost of the ticket; in the evening, after 17:00, it is somewhat cheaper. You also need to consider the opening hours of the museum. From Monday to Friday, its doors are open from 10 am to 5:30 pm, and on weekends from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Excursions are extended by half an hour on holidays and by an hour during the tourist season, which lasts from mid-July to September.
It should be borne in mind that there are a lot of people who want to get to a famous place, so you will have to stand in line for at least an hour. This can be avoided by purchasing a VIP ticket, which costs about 30% more than usual. For those who are going to purchase it online, it is not necessary to print the document, it is enough to present it at the entrance in electronic form. Do not forget to bring your ID with you!
Madame Tussauds is not just a collection of wax figures, but a whole separate world with its inhabitants. In no other place can you meet so many stars at the same time! No matter how interesting the story about him is, all this is definitely worth seeing with your own eyes.
