What to see at the London Wax Museum: opening hours, prices and tips

Photo by Karen Roe. One of London's must-see attractions is definitely the Wax Museum, also known as Madame Tussaud's, an iconic, distinctive and fun museum in which to marvel and let your imagination run wild when it comes to souvenir photos.

You may have already heard of it and been intrigued, but what awaits you inside? Find out with us! Here is all the information you need to visit the Wax Museum in London: what to see, tips, prices and how to get there.

What to see and how to visit Madame Tussaud London

It is apurely recreational place that leaves room for you to organise your visit independently and allows you to freely photograph the waxes, each with its own descriptive plaque.

Upon entering, one arrives in a large room that houses the most famous film stars and from there one continues along a route that passes through various thematic areas such as music, fashion, sport, politics, royalty, historical characters and even fictional ones such as Marvel and Star Wars.The route, between one VIP and another, includes various zones, including:

• the terrifying'Alien Escape' zone;

• the interesting'Sherlock Holm Experience', which, however, carries an extra charge of £5.00 (€5.83);

• the museum bar with the Queen's tea room;

• the'Behind the Scene' area illustrating the making of wax statues;

• the 3D cinema which offers short themed shows, always different;

• the'Spirit of London', a miniature train made up of typical London black taxis on which to enjoy a journey through London's history among the various events that have marked the city. In this area, the waxes are in motion!

An interesting feature of Madame Tussaud's is its continuous evolution, as some characters are replaced depending on various events (e.g. the release of new films or music albums of particular importance), while others, the unfailing ones, are maintained over time.

The characters of the London Wax Museum

The wax museum houses so many characters that to list them all would be impossible!
As already mentioned, they range from royalty to fictional characters, here are some celebrities you will meet at the London Wax Museum:

• Madame Tussaud: the creator of the first collection after which the museum is named

• The Royals: from the very first Queen of England to the current royal family

• Music: The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Rihanna, Elvis Presley, Freddy Mercury, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, Bob Marley, One Direction, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Adele

• Cinema: ET the Extraterrestrial, Leonardo di Caprio, Charlie Chaplin, Johnny Depp, Audrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson, Kim Kardashian, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Victoria Beckham

• Sportsmen: Mohamed Ali, Ronaldo, David Beckham

• Historical figures: Shakespeare, Albert Einstein, Van Gogh, Picasso

• Politicians: Trump, Obama, Mandela, Johnson, Dalai Lama

• Marvel: Spiderman, Hulk, Captain America, Ironman, Wolverine

• Star Wars: Chewbacca, Ian Solo, Master Yoda, Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, Palpatine, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul

Opening hours and prices

If you have chosen to visit Madame Tussauds in London you need to be aware in advance of a few things to take into consideration including: the high average cost of the ticket; the queues at the entrance and cashier's desk; and the heavy footfall inside.

Luckily the museum opens at 10:00 am (9:00 am at weekends) covering a fairly wide time slot so visitors can get to the entrance well in advance and enjoy their visit. There are reductions and free admissions according to age and concessions for groups and families.
Here is detailed information on opening hours and prices:

• Openinghours: Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. / Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Best time to avoid queues: although it is always very busy, the time of day with slightly fewer visitors is between 10:00 and 11:00

• Ticket price: price varies according to period, starting at £25.00 / €29.17 online and £35.00 / €40.84 at the museum box office, with additional options such as family entry, priority and combination with other attractions

• Reductions: £5.00 / €5.83 less than the cost for children between 3 and 15 years old

• Gratuity: children under 3 and London Pass holders do not pay admission

Online tickets and guided tours

Useful tips for visiting the attraction

1. Getup early- ideally reach the entrance by 9:30am

2. Buythe city card: if you are interested in visiting other museums or attractions in the city, you can buy the London Pass card which includes entry to Madame Tussauds, many other entrances and all transport so you can save money on tickets

3. Priority ticket: buy a priority ticket to avoid the endless queues

4. Online ticket: buy your ticket online and you'll get straight in line for entry rather than having to go through the cashier first - book online

5. Minimumtime: we recommend a minimum of 2 hours for your visit. Ideally you should be able to spend 2½ hours

Where is it located and how to get there

• Onfoot: the museum is located in London's Zone 1, but still withinwalking distance of other central attractions. If you are already in the vicinity, you can also get there on foot by walking along Marylebone Road - get directions

• By bus: the bus is only convenient for short journeys and the reference stop is Baker Street Station Stop, right in front of the museum entrance, which can be reached with lines 18, 27, 205 and 453

• By underground: the nearest station is Baker Street Station, a 2-minute walk away, from which the Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Hammersmith&City, Jubilee and Circle underground lines run, allowing you to arrive from any part of the city

History and interesting facts: what to know in brief

Why is the wax museum named Madame Tussaud's? This lady, who was born Marie Grosholtz and became Tussaud following her marriage to François Tussaud, was a woman who worked with and modelled wax.

She began to create real works of art that she took with her on her travels to disseminate this technique until, once married, she settled in London in the same building where the museum is today, where her collection was kept after her death, giving rise in 1958 to the very first wax museum inaugurated by the Duke of Edinburgh.

In the following years it was decided to continue creating waxes in step with the times and society by reconstructing famous faces of all kinds. Since then, Madame Tussaud's has become a chain owned by Merlin Enrtainments (the same company that owns Gardaland and Legoland) and today has many locations besides London: Amsterdam, Berlin, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, New York, Shanghai, Washington, Vienna, Sydney, Blackpool, Orlando and Hollywood. Each location houses an ever-present Madame Tussaud's waxwork with an attached plaque explaining its history!