Madame Tussauds Hollywood - Where the stars live forever!
Now at its ninth location around the world, Merlin Entertainment continued the 200-year tradition of showcasing the world’s notable stars when it opened Madame Tussauds Hollywood wax museum in August of 2009. The $55 million attraction is Merlin Entertainment’s largest and most ambitious project to date.
Located next to the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, this wax museum has taken the art of wax reproduction to a new level. You’ll get a chance to walk the red carpet with the stars, pose with them for pictures and even give an awards speech with Oscar®-winner Halle Berry.
The wide variety of movie stars, directors, film characters, pop idols and sports figures – more than 100 – are enhanced with clothing from the actual people or with accoutrements specifically designed as precise replicas. Famed sports legend Tony Hawk, for example, wouldn’t be the same without his signature skateboard! And yet there’s still room for classic celebrity greats such as Marlon Brando, Bette Davis and Cary Grant.
The attraction features three floors and 18 themed zones and the building was specifically designed for this particular museum. Among the most popular zones: Red Carpet Arrivals, featuring the likenesses of Johnny Depp and Nicole Kidman; A-List Party, which includes replicas of Elton John, George Clooney, Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Julia Roberts; Crime, highlighting the notables Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro; and Modern Classics, starring Tom Hanks, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, and most recently, immortalizing William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk – on a mockup of the bridge of the NCC-1701 (that’s the Federation Starship Enterprise, for you non-Trekkies).
HelloLosAngeles visitor tips: It’s best to buy tickets on the museum’s web site – they’re discounted and they give you priority over walk-up visitors. As with many other popular attractions, get to the museum early to encounter the least number of your fellow tourists. And don’t expect the museum to be open on the day the Oscars are announced – it’s the one day of the year they’re closed!
Posted by Jim Brown
