There are few attractions that divide opinion quite like Madame Tussauds London. On one hand, it’s one of London’s most popular attractions, famous for its lifelike waxwork celebrities. On the other, it can be pricey and is usually crowded. Many Londoners dismiss it as a tourist trap.
So, is a visit to Madame Tussauds London actually worth it?
Having recently revisited the popular attraction (the last time I visited I was in my early teens!) this review details exactly what you can expect from the Madame Tussauds wax museum including the story behind the wax, what you’re ticket includes and whether it deserves a place on your London itinerary.
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What is Madame Tussauds?
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Before I get started it’s possible that there may be some of you who don’t know what Madame Tussauds is.
Located next to Baker Street London underground station, a short walk from Marylebone Road, Madame Tussauds has been a major London tourist attraction since it first opened in 1835.
The walk-through attraction is home to over 150 lifelike celebrity figures made out of wax. These include everyone from the boy band One Direction and King Charles to The Beatles and The Incredible Hulk.
If that sounds a little odd, then you’re right!
This is one of London’s more curious museums but there’s no denying that a lot of skill goes into making the waxwork figures. Over 800 hours goes into creating each personality, a process that involves – among many steps – inserting individual strands of real human hair into the wax heads and painting the skin with layers of oil paint to mimic real skin tones.
The result is often figures so lifelike that you think they are a real person. Well, not the famous figures but I did have to do a double-take when I saw a photographer taking pictures of Harry Styles. She looked incredibly lifelike but it turned out she was another one of Madame Tussauds’ waxwork figures!
Who was Madame Tussaud?
It’s easy to think of Madame Tussauds London as a modern invention – they have an entire section dedicated to Marvel figures and Star Wars after all – but Anna Maria “Marie” Tussaud was a real person.
Raised in Switzerland and later Paris, she learned the art of wax modelling under the tutelage of doctor-turned-artist Philippe Curtius.
She created her first wax sculpture, one of the French writer and philosopher, Voltaire in 1777. When the French Revolution started in 1789, Tussaud was imprisoned for being a royal sympathiser. After her release, she began making death masks and whole body casts of the revolution’s most famous victims including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
When her mentor Curtius died in 1794, he left his entire wax collection to Marie. She moved to Britain in 1802 and spent decades touring her waxworks around the country before opening a permanent exhibition in London in 1835.
Visiting Madame Tussauds London today
I already mentioned that I was young when I first visited Madame Tussauds and while I don’t remember much about it – other than having my photo taken with a waxwork figure of the Russian revolutionary Lenin of all people – the Madame Tussauds of today is very different from the one that I walked around in the early 1990s.
Today, the walk-through attraction is set over three levels and with 10 themed zones, some with interactive displays.
Awards Party
The first area that you arrive in is the Madame Tussauds Awards, a section dedicated to film stars.
Among the waxwork figures on display are The Rock, Timothée Chalamet, Idris Elba and Gillian Anderson and there are lots of visitors queuing up to have their photos taken with the waxwork celebrities.
That’s one thing that you should be prepared for at Madame Tussauds London, there are always a lot of people, particularly if you are visiting during peak periods such as the school holidays.
The Fashion Runway
We then moved onto the area dedicated to fashion with lifelike wax figures including Cara Delevingne, Edward Enninful, RuPaul and Rhianna dressed to impressed. Posh and Becks – otherwise known as David and Victoria Beckham – are also featured, although David’s waxwork figure is a little less impressive than the others.
Baker Street Studios
From here the exhibit winds its way to Baker Street Studios, one of my favourite sections.
This corner of the attraction is dedicated to stars of the small (and big) screen with Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who standing next to the TARDIS, Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes standing outside her detective agency and all six James Bond actors.
Paddington Bear also makes an appearance and you can have a professional photograph taken with the loveable bear, although you will have to pay for this.
That’s another thing you should be aware of at Madame Tussauds, there is a regular push for you to spend money whether that’s through professional photos or activities such as Wax Hand experience, where you can have your own hand modelled using wax. It’s a fun idea but it’s also not cheap.
Culture Capital & The Royal Palace
Heading downstairs, past a very realistic Winston Churchill, we arrived at an eclectic collection of British culture and personalities.
In addition to the London Mayor Sadiq Khan, British icon David Attenborough and former England goalie Mary Earps, there’s the chance to have your photo taken outside a replica of No. 10 Downing Street and with a corgi enjoying afternoon tea. We spied Barack Obama standing next to the balcony at Buckingham Palace (where you can stand and wave at the crowds), the Royal Family and the figure of Henry VIII.
The Impossible Festival
Next is the Impossible Festival, a colourful, Glastonbury-inspired section dedicated to music featuring everyone from David Bowie and Due Lipa to Elton John and Taylor Swift.
The Chamber of Horrors
Given the origins of Madame Tussauds, it’s not surprising to learn that there’s been a Chamber of Horrors at the attraction for over 200 years.
This part of the attraction is recommended for older kids (over 16s) and there are staff on hand directing an alternative route if you are visiting with young children or you decide not to see it.
If you are unsure, I visited with my 11-year-old and it was fine – obviously this is entirely dependent on you and your child and it’s up to you to decide whether or not this section dedicated to real life crimes is suitable. What I will say is that while the figures are spooky (and a little scary) there are no real life actors like those in the London Dungeon ready to jump out and make you scream!
Among the criminals depicted are East End gangsters The Kray Twins, John Haigh, otherwise known as the Acid Bath Murderer, and Dr Crippen, who was hanged in 1910 for the murder of his wife.
The Spirit of London Ride
The Spirit of London taxi ride is undoubtedly the best part of Madame Tussauds – or at least it was my favourite part of our visit.
Launched in 1993, the ride journeys through 400 years of London’s history and includes major moments such the Great Plague, the Great Fire of London, World War II and the Swinging Sixties. Although the black taxi cab-themed ride is only five minutes long, it’s great fun – it’s also a chance to sit down and have a bit of a rest.
Marvel Hall of Heroes
If you or your children are Marvel fans then you will love this next section. If, like us, you are not so keen on Marvel movies then you will probably find it less exciting!
Opened in 2010, the Marvel section features an enormous Hulk as well as Captain America, Black Panther and Captain Marvel.
There’s also an immersive Marvel Universe 4D cinema experience that includes special effects such as wind and water (this is included in the standard ticket). Given that we are not Marvel mad we did not wait to watch this but by all accounts it’s good.
Star Wars
The final zone is dedicated to the world of Star Wars where you can ride the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca (one of a handful of interactive experiences throughout the museum), have your photo taken with a Stormtrooper and see Princess Leia held captive by Jabba the Hutt.
Inevitably, the visit ends with a trip through the gift shop!
Madame Tussauds London review – is it worth it?
Madame Tussauds London is a lot of fun. Admittedly, it’s a little strange wandering around looking at wax models of historical icons and celebrities but there’s no denying that it’s very well done.
You’re also free to explore at your own pace and I never felt it was too crowded, although admittedly I did not mind if I didn’t get a photo with every resident celebrity so was happy to move along while other families queued for pictures.
If you are short on time during your visit to London then I wouldn’t say that it’s a must-see but if you are visiting for longer, or looking for something fun to do with kids on a rainy day then it’s well worth adding a trip to Madame Tussauds London to your itinerary.
One thing to note if you are visiting with children, you cannot take a pushchair or buggy around the museum but there is a cloakroom where you can store it at no additional cost. Madame Tussauds offers a baby carrier if you are visiting with small babies.
Madame Tussauds London Tickets
Madame Tussauds is part of Merlin attractions and there are various options for your tickets.
If you only want to visit Madame Tussauds then I highly recommend booking your ticket online as you will save a lot of money. An adult ticket bought online is £27 whereas you will pay £39 if you buy a ticket in person on the day of your visit. You can buy tickets here.
Like many attractions, you will need to book a time slot for your visit. Don’t be surprised when you arrive at the wax museum to see long queues outside the entrance. I’ll be honest, my heart sank when I saw the number of people waiting but the queues are very well managed with lines for dedicated time slots and we did not have to wait long at all.
If you would rather skip the lines altogether, then there’s the option to buy Flexi Fast Track Tickets for £37/adult.
If you think that you will visit some other Merlin attractions while in London then opt for a multi-attraction ticket. Tickets to both Madame Tussauds and the London Eye cost from £49 per adult, which equals £24.50 per attraction and is a very good saving.
There are various multi-attraction ticket options available including one that allows you access to the London Eye, SeaLife London Aquarium, The London Dungeon and Shrek’s Adventure in addition to Madame Tussauds.
