Madame Tussauds New York

New York, New York: In the heart of the theater district lies a unique attraction. Madame Tussauds is a museum dedicated to wax creations of prominent figures and celebrities. Here guests can mingle and interact with the figures of past and current fame, coming within inches of the lifelike replicas.

The legend of Madame Tussauds goes back to the late 1700’s when Marie Tussaud was growing up in Switzerland. Her mother was a housekeeper to a physician that practiced wax modeling. The doctor taught Tussaud the art and in 1777 she created her first figure.

Her love of wax modeling continued and she became famous during the French Revolution. By 1794, she spent her time traveling Europe to show off her collection of figures. She opened her first permanent museum in London in 1835.

The New York branch of the museum chain opened in 2000. It is located in the New 42nd Street area of Times Square in the commercial area of the Times Square Hilton.

The museum has over 200 life like models on display in twelve different displays. As you ride the elevator up to the exhibits you will encounter the following rooms and figures:

• Opening Night Party: It’s a red carpet party featuring the likes of Robin Williams, Tony Bennett, Ozzie Osborne, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg, Donald Trump, Jennifer Lopez and more.
• Music Studio: Enter the studio and let the music move you featuring Usher, Beyonce, Notorious B.I.G. and more.
• Scream: Scare zone feature wax characters mixed with live actors for the ultimate scare.
• Rachael Ray’s Kitchen: A replica of the TV chef’s kitchen.
• The Gallery: A collection of some of the most powerful people in world history including George Washington, Ronald Reagan, John F Kennedy, George Bush, Barack Obama, Napoleon, the Pope, Gandhi and many more.
• VIP Club: A night in the VIP of a nightclub featuring Madonna, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan then Jonas brothers and more.
• Pop Culture: A look at the figures that helped shape pop culture through the years including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, the Spice Girls, The Beetles and more.
• American Idol Experience: See if you have what it takes to be the next American Idol as you perform in from of Simon, Randy and Paula.
• Behind the Scenes: Take a look behind the scenes at Madame Tussaud and how a figure us made.
• Cinema 4D: See the future of entertainment as you watch a brief film that takes it up a notch, mixing special effects with 3D technology for a one of a kind performance.
• Sports Zone: Challenge the sporting world as you enter the interactive zone featuring sports stars from all sports. Features the likes of Derek Jeter, David Wright, Muhammad Ali, Eli Manning, Tiger Woods and more.
• Superheroes: The heroes from the big screen come to life. Visit with Superman, the Incredible Hulk and more.

The realistic look of the figures combined with the interactive approach of the museum makes it feel and look like you are hanging out with the stars.

For photos of the museum, visit my Madame Tussaud New York photo gallery.