Madame Tussauds London: Difference between revisions
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'''Madame Tussauds London''' is a major tourist attraction located in [[Central London]]. It is famous for recreating famous people, or celebrities, in [[wax]]. It is the original Madame Tussauds attraction. Situated on Marylebone Road since 1884, it currently has 12 different zones, including a taxi ride called Sprit of London. It was set up by [[wax figure|wax]] [[sculptor]] [[Marie Tussaud]]. It is operated by [[Merlin |
'''Madame Tussauds London''' is a major tourist attraction located in [[Central London]]. It is famous for recreating famous people, or celebrities, in [[wax]]. It is the original Madame Tussauds attraction. Situated on Marylebone Road since 1884, it currently has 12 different zones, including a taxi ride called Sprit of London. It was set up by [[wax figure|wax]] [[sculptor]] [[Marie Tussaud]]. It is operated by [[Merlin Entertaiment]]. |
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[[Image:MT LONDON 2 RGB.jpg|thumb|Madame Tussauds London Logo]] |
[[Image:MT LONDON 2 RGB.jpg|thumb|Madame Tussauds London Logo]] |
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'''[[Barack Obama]]''' - January 2009<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4245431/Barack-Obama-waxwork-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html</ref> |
'''[[Barack Obama]]''' - January 2009<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4245431/Barack-Obama-waxwork-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html</ref> |
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'''[[Tinker Bell]]''' - November 2008<ref>http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/news/article_1442449.php/Tinker_Bell_immortalized_at_Madame_Tussauds</ref> |
'''[[Tinker Bell]]''' - November 2008<ref>http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/news/article_1442449.php/Tinker_Bell_immortalized_at_Madame_Tussauds</ref> |
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'''[[Daniel Craig]] and [[Judi Dench]]''' - October 2008<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1077849/Tussauds-unveils-new-James-Bond-waxwork--hes-wearing-THOSE-swimming-shorts.html</ref> |
'''[[Daniel Craig]] and [[Judi Dench]]''' - October 2008<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1077849/Tussauds-unveils-new-James-Bond-waxwork--hes-wearing-THOSE-swimming-shorts.html</ref> |
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'''[[Zac Efron]]''' - October 2008<ref>http://www.popcrunch.com/zac-efron-wax-figure-pictures-madame-tussauds-london/</ref> |
'''[[Zac Efron]]''' - October 2008<ref>http://www.popcrunch.com/zac-efron-wax-figure-pictures-madame-tussauds-london/</ref> |
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'''[[Amy Winehouse]]''' - August 2008<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2447364/Amy-Winehouse-waxwork-to-be-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html</ref> |
'''[[Amy Winehouse]]''' - August 2008<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2447364/Amy-Winehouse-waxwork-to-be-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html</ref> |
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'''[[Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall]]''' - April 2008<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1564203/Camilla-and-Diana-meet-in-Madame-Tussauds.html</ref> |
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'''[[Jim Carrey]]''' - March 2008<ref>http://www.dailystab.com/jim-carrey-waxwork-unveiled-at-madame-tussauds/</ref> |
'''[[Jim Carrey]]''' - March 2008<ref>http://www.dailystab.com/jim-carrey-waxwork-unveiled-at-madame-tussauds/</ref> |
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'''[[Salman Khan]]''' - January 2008<ref>http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=ac5beb5b-fe5f-4634-8114-bda3ce468c95&ParentID=e0506138-9b14-40bf-8658-5fd6a78a1aee&MatchID1=4922&TeamID1=4&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1244&PrimaryID=4922&Headline=Salman+Khan+unveils+wax+figure+at+Madame+Tussauds</ref> |
'''[[Salman Khan]]''' - January 2008<ref>http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=ac5beb5b-fe5f-4634-8114-bda3ce468c95&ParentID=e0506138-9b14-40bf-8658-5fd6a78a1aee&MatchID1=4922&TeamID1=4&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1244&PrimaryID=4922&Headline=Salman+Khan+unveils+wax+figure+at+Madame+Tussauds</ref> |
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Revision as of 22:02, 4 February 2009
Madame Tussauds London is a major tourist attraction located in Central London. It is famous for recreating famous people, or celebrities, in wax. It is the original Madame Tussauds attraction. Situated on Marylebone Road since 1884, it currently has 12 different zones, including a taxi ride called Sprit of London. It was set up by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. It is operated by Merlin Entertaiment.
Madame Tussauds London is a one-way attraction, entered from three different entrances (advanced tickets, groups or non-ticket holders). There is one exit leading on to Allsop Place.
Location
The attraction is on the corner of Allsop Place and Marylebone Road. The nearest underground station is Baker Street, which is on the Jubilee, Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith and City lines. It's distinctive green dome, which used to house the London Planetarium, makes it easily recognisable.
History of Location
Following a successful tour of the UK, Madame Tussauds established a permanent base for her exhibition in London as the Baker Street Bazaar in 1835 - visitors paid ‘sixpence’ for the chance to meet the biggest names of the day. The attraction moved to its present site in Marylebone Road in 1884.
Entering the Attraction
There are 3 main entrances to Madame Tussauds.
Entrance 1 is for people who do not have a ticket. These are generally called on-the-day tickets. Those with discount vouchers use this entrance. In peak times, it can take 3 hours to enter the attraction through this entrance.
Entrances 2, 3 and 4 are for ticket holders, and is the 'Priority Access' entrance. This is because it takes much less time to enter through this entrance, typically 30 minutes in peak times. Wheelchair users and people with pushchairs use this entrance.
Entrance 5 is for Groups of more than 10 people.
Tickets Available
There are several entrance tickets available for Madame Tussauds London:
| Ticket Name | Description | Price | Entrance Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-the-Day [1] | Normal ticket if you turn up at the attraction. | £25 for an adult, £21 for a child and £85 for a family of 4 | 1 |
| Priority Access [2] | Normal online ticket from the Madame Tussauds website, which is 10% lower than the on-the-day price. Tickets are timed so that you must enter on a certain date and a certain half-hour time slot | £22.50 for an adult, £18.50 for a child, £72 for a family of 4 | 2, 3, 4 |
| After 5pm Ticket [3] | Online ticket, which is half the on-the-day price ticket if visiting after 5pm. | £12.50 | 2, 3, 4 |
| Flexi Ticket [4] | Online ticket from the Madame Tussauds website, which carry no restrictions on time or date of visit, although visits must occur within 7 days of validity. | £27.50 for an adult and £23.50 for a child | 2, 3, 4 |
| VIP Ticket [5] | Online ticket from the Madame Tussauds website, which carry no restrictions on time or date of visit, includes a guidebook and wax hand. Valid for one year. | £40.00 for an adult and £30.00 for a child. | 2, 3, 4 |
| Group Ticket [6] | For Groups of ten or more | 10% discount, plus a further 10% if booking online through the official Madame Tussauds website. | 5 |
Madame Tussauds is part of the Merlin Entertainments Group which also own the London Eye and the London Dungeon. As a result discounts are available if visiting two or more of these attractions. In 2008, Merlin Entertaiments acquired the London Aquarium but so far this tourist attraction is not included in the packages.
| Attractions | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| London Eye[7] | Ticket to Madame Tussauds and the London Eye. | £32.54 if booking online in advance for adults or £34.26 if bought on-the-day. |
| London Dungeons [8] | Ticket to Madame Tussauds and the London Dungeon | £32.54 if booking online in advance for adults or £34.26 if bought on-the-day. |
| London Eye and London Dungeons [9] | Ticket to Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and the London Dungeon | £46.49 if booking online in advance for adults or £48.94 if bought on-the-day. |
Opening Times
Off-peak opening times are generally 9:30am to 5:30pm. Off-peak periods are weekdays and non UK school holidays.
Peak opening times are 9am to 6pm. Peak opening times are weekends, UK school holidays, bank holidays and the whole of the Summer period (July through August).
In 2008, the opening times in the Summer period were 9am to 7pm.
Occassionally the attraction shuts early if there is a corporate event happening.
Zones within the Attraction
A-List Party Formally Blush, this is the first room on the tour. Included in this room is the Big Brother experience, plus figures such as Samuel L Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Leo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman and David and Victoria Beckham. It is designed to feel list you have stepped into a celebrity party, with wax figures dotted around the room.
High School Musical Launched in 2008, this room has a figure of [Zac Efron]] as the character of Troy Bolton from the High School Musical franchise. The room is set like a basketball court and a locker room. It is interactive in that if you successfully shoot a basket a crowd will cheer. In addition the lockers have 'belongings' of other characters of the movie.
Premiere Night (Movie Room)
This zone houses four Bollywood figures as well as celebrities from Hollywood, including Steven Spielberg, Jim Carrey and Audrey Hepburn. It also has several fictional characters: Shrek which has a squeezable stomach, Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk which had to be airlifted into the attraction [10] due to its size and the smallest wax figure ever made [11], Tinker Bell.
Sports
The Sports zone has several interactive elements. Putt a golf ball with Tiger Woods, stand on boxing scales next to Mohammed Ali and see what 'weight' you would qualify for in boxing, take a penalty on to a virtual reality screen and ride a bike next to Lance Armstrong.
Royals
In the Royals there is an opportunity to stand next to the Queen and Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camila, Prince William and Prince Harry. There are also older Royals, such as King 8th.
Culture
Music
World Leaders
Chamber of Horrors and Scream
Behind the Secenes and History of Madame Tussauds
Spirit of London ride
James Bond
Andy Warhol
Gift Shop and Cafe
Latest Figures
Barack Obama - January 2009[12]
Tinker Bell - November 2008[13]
Daniel Craig and Judi Dench - October 2008[14]
Amy Winehouse - August 2008[16]
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - April 2008[17]
Jim Carrey - March 2008[18]
Salman Khan - January 2008[19]
Figures/Attractions Announced
Lewis Hamilton. In January it was announced that Lewis Hamilton will be made wearing an exact replica of the Vodaphone McLaren race suit and will be holding a replica Lewis Hamilton race helmet. [20]
Indian Figure. In December 2008, it was announced that Madame Tussauds would be making another "Indian Superstar" in April 2009. A teaser trailer is on their website.
Best of British
Education Trips for UK Schools
Madame Tussauds has educational products for schools studying Key Stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Art and Design and Leisure and Tourism.
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Events
Maintaning the Figures onsite
In the back office areas of Madame Tussauds there is an extensive studio where a team of sculptors maintain and fix the wax figures. The Sculptors write a weekly blog, giving insights and background to the work they carry out. The main studio is in Acton, West London.
- Sculptor's Blog - Official website
About Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds has branches in 8 major cities (Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York, Las Vegas and Washington DC). A 9th attraction in Hollywood is planned for 2009.
Madame Tussauds is part of the Merlin Entertainments Group, which also own London Eye, Dungeons, SEALIFE Centres and LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, as well as theme parks including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park in the UK, and Gardaland in Italy.
External links
- Madame Tussauds - Official website
- Merlin Entertainments - Official website
Notes
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/OnTheDayTickets/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/PriorityAccessTickets/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/SpecialOffers/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/FlexiTickets/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/VIPTickets/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/GroupTickets/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/TicketOptions/LondonEyePackage/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/TicketOptions/LondonDungeonPackage/Default.aspx
- ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/TicketOptions/EyeAndDungeonPackage/Default.aspx
- ^ citation needed
- ^ http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/news/article_1442449.php/Tinker_Bell_immortalized_at_Madame_Tussauds
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4245431/Barack-Obama-waxwork-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html
- ^ http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/news/article_1442449.php/Tinker_Bell_immortalized_at_Madame_Tussauds
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1077849/Tussauds-unveils-new-James-Bond-waxwork--hes-wearing-THOSE-swimming-shorts.html
- ^ http://www.popcrunch.com/zac-efron-wax-figure-pictures-madame-tussauds-london/
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2447364/Amy-Winehouse-waxwork-to-be-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1564203/Camilla-and-Diana-meet-in-Madame-Tussauds.html
- ^ http://www.dailystab.com/jim-carrey-waxwork-unveiled-at-madame-tussauds/
- ^ http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=NLetter&id=ac5beb5b-fe5f-4634-8114-bda3ce468c95&ParentID=e0506138-9b14-40bf-8658-5fd6a78a1aee&MatchID1=4922&TeamID1=4&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1244&PrimaryID=4922&Headline=Salman+Khan+unveils+wax+figure+at+Madame+Tussauds
- ^ http://www.lewishamilton.com/news/2009/01/Madame-Tussauds