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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 Entertaiment]].
'''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 Entertaiments]].


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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 Entertaiment]] acquired the [[London Aquarium]]<ref>http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/en/press/merlin_buys_london_aquarium.aspx</ref> but so far this tourist attraction is not included in the packages.
Madame Tussauds is part of the [[Merlin Entertainments]] 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]]<ref>http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/en/press/merlin_buys_london_aquarium.aspx</ref> but so far this tourist attraction is not included in the packages.


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== About Madame Tussauds ==
== 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]] 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.
[[Madame Tussauds]] is part of the [[Merlin Entertainment]], 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==
==External links==

Revision as of 22:37, 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 Entertaiments.

File:MT LONDON 2 RGB.jpg
Madame Tussauds London Logo

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.

Green dome of Madame Tussauds


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

File:Entrance map1.jpg
Different Entrances to Madame Tussauds depending on the ticket

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 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[7] but so far this tourist attraction is not included in the packages.

Attractions Description Price
London Eye[8] 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 Dungeon [9] 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 Dungeon [10] 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 [11] due to its size and the smallest wax figure ever made [12], 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

A mixture of cultural icons fill this area, including Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Pablo Picasso and Charles Darwin.

Music

A mixture of music stars from across the decades appear in an area with a music stage complete with glitter balls. Music icons include Kylie Minogue, Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones, Bob marley, Justin Timberlake and Freddie Mercury. The Beatles in this area appear on the albulm cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

World Leaders

The World Leaders area of the attraction contains political and spiritual leaders of the World - past and present. The new figure of Barack Obama dominates this area as he is standing in a mock-up of the Oval Office which has a replica of the Resolute desk. Other leaders in this area include Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Nicolas Sarkozy, Ronald Reagan, Tony Blair, martin Luther King and Gandhi. The World leaders area is also noted for its inclusion of controversial figures, including Adolf Hitler, Sadam Hussein and Robert Mugabe. Mother Theresa is one of the very few icons to ask not to be made, saying "her work was moe important, not the person"[13]. Another notable omission from this area is current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown - the company has not been made into a wax figure due to his low popularity and not being elected into the position of Prime Minister having assumed the position after the retirement of Tony Blair[14]


Chamber of Horrors and Scream


Behind the Secenes and History of Madame Tussauds


Spirit of London ride

The Spirit of London is a sit-down ride in which visitors sit in London taxis and are taken on a journey through the history of London. The ride starts in Tudor times and ends in the 1980s, through Shakespeare, the Great Fire of London, the Industrial Revolution and the Swinging Sixties. The ride has commentary in a few languages and a photo is taken near the end of the ride which can be purchased when disembarked.

James Bond

Andy Warhol

Gift Shop and Cafe


Latest Figures

Barack Obama - January 2009[15]

Tinker Bell - November 2008[16]

Daniel Craig and Judi Dench - October 2008[17]

Zac Efron - October 2008[18]

Amy Winehouse - August 2008[19]

Nicolas Sarkozy - June 2008[20]

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - April 2008[21]

Jim Carrey - March 2008[22]

Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz - February 2008 [23]

Salman Khan - January 2008[24]


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. [25]

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.


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 Entertainment, 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.

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/OnTheDayTickets/Default.aspx
  2. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/PriorityAccessTickets/Default.aspx
  3. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/SpecialOffers/Default.aspx
  4. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/FlexiTickets/Default.aspx
  5. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/Tickets/VIPTickets/Default.aspx
  6. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/GroupTickets/Default.aspx
  7. ^ http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/en/press/merlin_buys_london_aquarium.aspx
  8. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/TicketOptions/LondonEyePackage/Default.aspx
  9. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/TicketOptions/LondonDungeonPackage/Default.aspx
  10. ^ http://www.madametussauds.com/London/BuyTickets/TicketOptions/EyeAndDungeonPackage/Default.aspx
  11. ^ citation needed
  12. ^ http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/news/article_1442449.php/Tinker_Bell_immortalized_at_Madame_Tussauds
  13. ^ http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/073197/dest31.html
  14. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/1581227/Madame-Tussauds-snubs-Gordon-Brown.html
  15. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4245431/Barack-Obama-waxwork-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html
  16. ^ http://www.monstersandcritics.com/dvd/news/article_1442449.php/Tinker_Bell_immortalized_at_Madame_Tussauds
  17. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1077849/Tussauds-unveils-new-James-Bond-waxwork--hes-wearing-THOSE-swimming-shorts.html
  18. ^ http://www.popcrunch.com/zac-efron-wax-figure-pictures-madame-tussauds-london/
  19. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2447364/Amy-Winehouse-waxwork-to-be-unveiled-at-Madame-Tussauds.html
  20. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20080606112510489C625353&click_id=29&set_id=1
  21. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1564203/Camilla-and-Diana-meet-in-Madame-Tussauds.html
  22. ^ http://www.dailystab.com/jim-carrey-waxwork-unveiled-at-madame-tussauds/
  23. ^ http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-1611
  24. ^ 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
  25. ^ http://www.lewishamilton.com/news/2009/01/Madame-Tussauds
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