Madame Tussauds New York

Marie Tussaud (originally Marie Grosholtz) was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1761. After her father’s death, she and her mother moved in with a doctor named Philippe Curtius, who founded a waxwork modeling company in Paris and trained Marie in the art of making waxworks. From 1780 until the beginning of the French Revolution Marie made wax portraits of celebrities including Benjamin Franklin and Voltaire, but as someone who’d worked for the royal family, she was arrested during the Reign of Terror and was only saved from execution when she agreed to make death masks of those who had been guillotined. She went to London in 1802 to show some of her pieces but ended up stuck in England because the Napoleonic Wars had broken out and the journey back to France became impossible. Instead, she and her son toured Britain, eventually settling in London and founding the original Madame Tussauds waxwork museum. After her death in 1850, her son carried on her work and the museum stayed under the management of her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren until the 1930s. Madame Tussauds New York opened in the year 2000 and was the 2nd location in the US. Today there are 23 locations worldwide, each with their own local collections of waxworks.

On your visit to Madame Tussauds New York, you’ll be introduced to over 100 figures over the 7 floors of the attraction. Themed rooms include A-List Party, the Sports Zone, the British Royal Family, World Leaders, Music, Television, Film, and Culture, plus a brand-new exhibit dedicated to Broadway musicals was opened in 2019! Plus there’s a Fashion area and experience (where you’ll get to walk the catwalk for Anna Wintour), Kong Island (where you’ll meet an 5.5 m (18 ft) tall animatronic version of Kong, and a section dedicated to Marvel movies (featuring a new model of Captain Marvel!). There’s also a Marvel 4D experience and a very special 7D experience.

The Marvel 4D experience is an optional area of the attraction and features a 3D film with additional special effects including wind, water, and smells! The Mission: Undead 7D experience is an interactive adventure where you’ll be tasked with defeating zombies with laser guns. Both experiences are included in the Gold and Platinum ticket packages, and the Marvel 4D experience is also included in the Silver ticket package.

Absolutely! Some of the exhibits are specifically designed for photography and cameras, camera phones, and selfie sticks are all welcome. If you want to take photographs or film for commercial reasons, you can contact the Madame Tussauds New York staff for more information. Museum staff are also on-hand to take photographs, though official photographs carry an extra charge.

It generally takes about 1 to 2 hours to see everything at Madame Tussauds New York, though you can stay as long as you like once you’re inside. If you’re intending to take part in the extra add-on experiences then you’ll need to take that into account as well.

The vast majority of exhibits are suitable for children, and they might especially enjoy the areas dedicated to Marvel superheroes. Be aware that Mission: Undead might not be suitable for younger children since it features realistic zombies. You can bring strollers into all areas of the attraction.