Essential Guide to Madame Tussauds London

Essential Guide to Madame Tussauds London

Enter Madame Tussauds and prepare for a strangely magical experience loved by people of every age. The waxwork figures look so real it’s genuinely hard to believe they’re not alive and kicking. The settings are fantastic, adding lots of atmosphere to your journey, and everyone’s favourite famous people are represented there.

Tussaud’s curious legacy is definitely a bit creepy… but in a good way! If you’ve ever wanted to get up close to David Beckham or Kate Middleton, now’s your chance. Maybe you want to see wax models of all your favourite Star Wars characters, as real as can be, or explore the weird world of fictional Marvel superheroes. Madame Tussauds offers all this and lots more, home to the most incredible, lifelike wax models of the famous, infamous and notorious.

Madame Tussauds is about a lot more than wax models, though. Today it’s a hotbed of fun and entertainment, marvellous for children and adults of every age and packed with stars from the movies, the music world, theatre and even the royal family. It’s a bit like being on Broadway for the best red-carpet event EVER!

If you want to place Tussauds at the heart of your visit there are some really nice cheap hotels near Madame Tussauds London. Your nearest easyHotels are easyHotel Victoria, South Kensington and Paddington. 

Facts about Madame Tussauds

• Madame Tussaud, originally called Marie Grosholtz, was born in either 1760 or 1761
• Madame Tussaud’s mum worked as a housekeeper for a Dr. Philippe Curtius, who made wax models to illustrate anatomy. She learned her trade from him, although she must have had a great natural talent for the work in the first place
• Marie Tussaud had her first wax exhibition in London during 1835. She charged sixpence admission
• Tussaud actually met many of the leading artists, philosophers, and politicians that she sculpted during her career
• In 1836, following 27 years of touring with her waxworks, Madame Tussaud was 75 years old. She decided to establish a permanent wax museum and the rest – as they say – is history
• There are Madame Tussauds attractions around the world in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Berlin, Blackpool, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, New York, Shanghai, Washington and Vienna
• Because wax naturally shrinks, each waxwork is about 2% bigger than the actual living human it’s inspired by
• Mother Theresa said no – she didn’t want to be immortalised in wax
• In 1940 tragedy struck in the shape of a German bomb, which destroyed 350 precious moulds of famous people’s heads
• In 2010 Ozzy Osbourne posed as himself at the waxworks, and scared a lot of people who thought he was a waxwork
• 2008 saw a German man rip the head off a waxwork of Hitler. He hated the fact that the dictator had become a tourist attraction, and very few people blamed him
• Every wax figure costs around £300,000 to make and takes several weeks to finish
• By 2006 it was estimated that more than 200 million people had visited the museum – we wonder how many it is now!

Essential information

How much are Madame Tussauds tickets?

Madame Tussauds ticket price is £46.50 on the day for adults aged 15 plus, £37 online. For a child aged 3-14 it costs £37.50 on the day and £30.50 online. Family tickets cost £162 on the day and £116 online, a huge saving that also means you don’t have to queue. Important note: If you’re visiting later in the day, make sure you allow at least an hour and a half to get round all your favourite waxwork celebs.

Because there’s a special lift for wheelchair users, Tussauds is accessible to all. It houses more than 300 figures in a total of 15 interactive zones.

What to see at Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds moves with the times. Today there’s an exhibit dedicated to the international YouTube stars Zoe and Alfie, and one of Donald Trump standing alongside fellow political figures such as Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Barack Obama, Thatcher, Churchill, Reagan, Blair and more.

There’s a brilliant Sherlock Holmes experience and an area called Fashion Week, where you can walk the catwalk if you like. And a VIP party to see, complete with glittering stars like Morgan Freeman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt. And you’ll love the cool Sports Area filled with statues of some of the world’s best sporting heroes.

Why not go on a date with the Royal Family and get up close and intimate with Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and other members of the family? Or enjoy the Culture exhibit starring luminaries like Shakespeare, Einstein, Hawking, Picasso and Darwin?

The Chamber of Horrors is huge fun – watch out for the non-wax, real-life actors whose job it is to give you a scare! The Spirit of London exhibit zooms you through the capital’s history in a black cab, and Marvel’s superheroes in 4D offers famous superheroes joining forces to fight against evil – children particularly love this interactive movie.

That all being said, be sure to check their website as new exhibitions will often appear.

Opening hours

Madame Tussauds opening hours London are as follows: Open from 9-4 Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and open 9-5 most Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.

Restaurants Near Madame Tussauds

Good restaurants near Madame Tussauds London include Bill’s Baker Street restaurant at 119-121 Baker Street, perfect for contemporary European cuisine, and the Tiger and Pig in Brixton Village, great for Taiwanese food. Victory mansion at 18 Stoke Newington High Street serves tacos to die for, and your nearest Nando’s, a family favourite, is at 113 Baker Street. Last but not least why not give Il Blandford’s a go, located at 65 Chiltern Street and popular for fab Italian food.

How to get to Madame Tussauds

How to get to Madame Tussauds London? It’s very central and very easy to reach.

Walking – Pick a central starting point, use your A-Z or London walking app and find your own way there under your own steam. Every London street offers something to see, every street is different, and walking also happens to be excellent exercise!

Underground – The Baker Street underground station sees you just a couple of minutes from the attraction, serving the Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines.

Bus – Lots of buses drop you off near Tussaud’s, including the 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 82, 113, 139, 189, 205, 274 and 453.

Train – Marylebone mainline rail station is just a 10-minute walk away, and you can also catch an underground Bakerloo Line train from there.