Madame Tussauds London Review
Madame Tussauds
London
Reviewed by Patricia Shaw
We visited Madame Tussauds in London on Saturday 14 February 2015. It was a great start to the half term holiday for our children aged 6 and 10. Situated on Marylebone Road it is easily accessible by bus or tube (the nearest station being Baker Street). We arrived at St Pancras and decided to walk as we had plenty of time before our booked slot of 11.30.
On arrival there were plenty of people already there queuing at the various doors. The queues seemed to move quite fast but you need to make sure that you pick the right one as it depends if you have tickets, have booked online or wish to exchange vouchers. There were plenty of helpful members of staff to guide people in the right direction.
A security check of our bags and we were through the doors, up the steps, and into the lift. As the lift doors opened we were greeted by flashes from the paparazzi cameras and a tannoy announcement welcoming us to the “Red Carpet Party”. As we entered the room all I could see was a sea of people and it took a few moments to spot the waxworks. “Guests” to the party included Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit-Nene, the very popular Emma Watson, Helen Mirren and Patrick Stuart amongst many others. There were plenty of opportunities to have our photos taken with our favourite stars; all we needed was a little patience. On leaving the party we had our first chance to buy snacks, drinks, a guidebook (£6 each or 2 for £10) before going on to view One Direction.
By the next room the crowds had started to disperse and we enjoyed looking at various film stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Johnny Depp, Audrey Hepburn, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator, Robin Williams, Judi Dench and of course the children’s favourite – Shrek and Gingy.
At this point of the tour you have the opportunity to create your own wax hand – a fitting memento of your visit and it was fascinating to see the process in action.
There is a clear path to take you through the different exhibits and queuing systems in place for photos with the more popular figures. The different categories in the next section included sports stars, the Royal Family, historical figures, music celebrities, world leaders and religious figures as well as a very interesting talk on Madame Tussaud herself and the rather morbid beginnings of the museum.
The chamber of horrors, is avoidable for those who wish to do so, however my six year old boy was rather desperate to go in. It is rather gruesome and he soon lost his bravado so we had to rush through it. In the middle of the chamber of horrors is The Scream experience: you walk through a very dark maze of corridors where actors lurk ready to jump out and scare you. It is not for the fainthearted and those who are under 12, pregnant, with heart conditions etc… are strongly advised not to enter. I went through on my own and was extremely relieved to reach the end. We have a morbid fascination with death and murder and the final section of the chamber of horrors is dedicated to a number of infamous murderers including Dr Crippin, as well as a hanging scene, and the original death masks that Madame Tussaud was forced to make of Marie Antoinette, Robespierre and Louis XVI in return for her life during the French Revolution.
We made our way back up the stairs to a very interesting exhibition on the processes of making the wax models before heading to our taxi ride “The Spirit of London”. This was a very welcome sit down that takes you on a quick historical tour of London through the sights and smells of the ages. It moved fairly fast and there was a commentary, although it was a little hard to hear.
The final stop of the visit was the cinema where we watched the Marvel Superheroes battle to save London from Dr Doom in this 4D film experience that the kids absolutely loved.
Before leaving we wandered through the gift shop where you can find the usual souvenirs as well as some more intriguing personalised photo gifts.
The museum is well signed and has plenty of facilities. The toilets and baby change were clean and there were numerous kiosks selling snacks and drinks, all of which were priced as expected for a London tourist attraction. You are able to buy photos of yourself with some of the exhibits, but you can equally take your own photos.
All in all we spent just under 3 hours and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. I would recommend it for families with older children, as younger children can be easily bored if they don’t recognise the celebrities on show. We would love to go back at some point in the future. Who would we most like to see them create next? My daughter would love to see Jacqueline Wilson and my son suggested Harry Potter.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost £25.80 (child), £20 (adult) and £111.60 (family – 2 adults, 2 children or 1 adult, 3 children). These are on the door prices, save money by booking online at least 1 day in advance. For more information, latest ticket prices or to make a booking visit www.madametussauds.com/London.
Madame Tussauds, Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LR
