MADAME TUSSAUDS ULTIMATE GUIDE
Mon - Fri: 9:30AM to 5:30PM
Sat - Sun: 9:00AM to 6:00PM
Time Needed: 3 hours
Price: £36
Often referred to as “London’s favourite tourist attraction”, Madame Tussauds in London has been visited by around 500 million people since it first opened, and attracts over 2.5 million visitors every year. For many, this is an essential stop in London, perfectly complementing the journey of free tours and museum explorations throughout the city.
Madame Tussauds in London (which is one of a chain of wax museums located all over the world) features more than 400 life-like replicas of some of the most recognizable faces in the world, ranging from legends and superstars, historical icons and geniuses, and even religious figures and murderers.
The museum was founded and named after the famed wax sculptor Marie Tussaud, who was born in Strasbourg, France in 1761. During her lifetime Tussaud made a name for herself by sculpting realistic, life-like wax figures of famous people like Lord Nelson, Winston Churchill and Sir Walter Scott.
The first exhibition of Madame Tussauds in London opened in 1835 on Baker Street, but was later moved to its present location on Marylebone Road in 1894.
Madame Tussauds Highlights
Do you want to take a selfie with Adele or Barack Obama? Or maybe even lock lips with Prince Harry or a member of One Direction? Well, luckily, Madame Tussauds is the only place in London which allows you to do so.
All of the waxwork figures in Madame Tussauds London are separated into different categories, so you can strike a pose with The Beatles, Justin Bieber or Marilyn Monroe in the Hollywood section, before moving on to seeing Wills and Kate or Queen Elizabeth II up close and personal in the Royal Family section.
There’s also an entire section dedicated to religious leaders and political icons like Pope John Paul and Nelson Mandela, and other sections dedicated to movies and comic books like Spiderman, Shrek and James Bond.
If you have the guts to venture down into the Chamber of Horrors (one of the most popular exhibitions at London’s Madame Tussauds), you will see the likes of Guy Fawkes, Vlad the Impaler, Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, the head of Stalin, and even the death masks of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette,
But Madame Tussauds in London isn’t just a celebrity wax figure museum. The attraction also offers taxi rides through London’s historic tales (called “The Spirit of London”), a Marvel Super Heroes 4D mini-movie experience for children, and even a full bar for adults to enjoy!
Special Tips
If you are a Star Wars or Marvel fan, it may be a good idea to purchase a Standard Ticket online beforehand to get into both the Star Wars Experience and the Marvel Super Heroes 4D Experience.
If you plan on visiting another London tourist attraction, you can buy the “multi-attraction ticket” (costing from £50 for adults), and visit other popular tourist attractions in London for up to 30 days after visiting Madame Tussauds. The ticket allows you to combine your visits to up to four different attractions in London, some of which include the London Eye, the London Dungeon, the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, and Shrek's Adventure.
There's also the option of purchasing a Merlin Annual Pass (£169 for adults or £129 for each member of your family) which is valid for 12 months, and can be used at 32 of the most popular tourist attractions in London.
Getting There
Address: Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5LR, United Kingdom.
By Tube: If you are arriving by tube, Baker Street tube station is a minute's walk from the Museum.
By Train: If you are travelling by train, Marylebone station is a 10 minute walk from the Museum.
By Bus: If you are travelling by bus, you can get to Madame Tussauds via routes 13, 18, 27, 30, 30, 74, 82, 82, 113, 139, 189, 205, 274 and 453.
By Express: If you are travelling by express, there is a stop on Marylebone Road.
By Car: If you are travelling by car, the museum can be reached via the A40 to Marylebone Road, which connects to Euston Road.
Visiting Madame Tussauds
Recommended visiting time for Madame Tussauds is around two to three hours, depending on when and what time you visit. If you visit during the peak tourist season or on a weekend, be aware that the museum can get incredibly busy and add extra time to your visit.
If you don’t buy a priority ticket online beforehand, then try to arrive extra early before the museum opens (9:30 a.m. on weekdays; 9 a.m. on weekends) as sometimes queues can last as long as two hours!
Also be aware that there are seven different entry doors to the museum which may cause confusion.
If you already have a ticket and/or promotional voucher, you can head directly to Door 1, or if you booked your ticket online and have a reserved time, Door 3. Door 5 is specifically for VIP Stage Door tickets holders and for visitors who require disabled access, while Door 7 is for groups of more than 15 people.
Ticket Costs
- Adults: from £36 (online)
- Children (4-15): from £32.50 (online)
It is highly recommended that you pre-book your tickets online beforehand, as you can save a ton of money on ticket prices and get faster entry into the museum as well.
There’s also a variety of different ticket options if you want to avoid the long queues both inside and outside of Madame Tussauds:
- The Fast Track Ticket (costing from £55) allows you to avoid any long queues to any attraction in the museum, and also gain entry into the Star Wars Experience exhibition.
- The Ultimate VIP (available online for £60) includes fast track entry, an unlimited digital photo package, a ride on the Spirit of London, a visit the Chamber of Horrors and the Marvel Universe 4D cinema.
- The Family tickets (available online for £35 per person) are valid for up to 5 people nad are only available from Monday to Thursday.
If you want to discover the best attractions and museums in the city, you might be interested in the free tours in London departing daily.