Madame Tussaud's

These days, Madame Tussauds is not so much a wax museum as an enclosed amusement park; a weird, moving, sometimes terrifying (to children) collage of exhibitions, panoramas, and animatronic trickery. It's the successor to the original Madame Tussauds exhibition founded by the lady herself in the early 19th century, following her escape from revolutionary France. There she had studied the art of wax-modeling, and brought with her death masks made from the guillotined heads of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, which formed the basis of the collection. It grew over the decades as models of the noted figures of the day were added, and became hugely popular. The concept behind the exhibition remains largely the same today, with waxworks of the current crop of famous people displayed in a series of tableaux -- with names like "A-List Party," "Sports Zone," and "Music Megastars" -- albeit now "enhanced" with modern lighting, sound, and motion effects.

Highlights include the long-established "Chamber of Horrors," a kind of underground dungeon filled with waxwork torture victims, where costumed actors will try to scare you in the live action section, "Scream," and the "The Spirit of London," a musical history ride with audio-animatronic figures of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I.

Madame Tussauds is not for everybody. Its appeal will depend largely on how excited you are at the prospect of having your photo taken next to likenesses of President Obama, David Beckham, and Lady Gaga. And you'll need to be quite excited, as you'll be paying in excess of £20 for a ticket, and may have to wait in line for some considerable time.

Insider's tip: It pays to be prepared. Tickets booked online are 10% cheaper than those on the door. They're also priority access, allowing you to choose a specific time slot, and thus avoid the long lines.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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