Well this was our first time as a family in the nations capital. Usually when I’m in London I have a tour guide (or in other words a friend from London) who can point the way and tell me which station to go to and which train to get on to get where we need to be. Not this time. This was a family trip to make use of our Merlin Annual Passes, so we had to work it out for ourselves. And the first stop on our tour of London: Madame Tussauds.
Madame Tussauds Prices
Amongst many other things like Sea Life Centres, Dungeons and such, Madame Tussauds London is included with a Merlin Pass, so technically free for us to enter (still have to book a timeslot though). For regular paying guests online tickets start at £29 for adults, £26 for children (under 2’s free) or if you show up and pay on the day, they start from £39!
You can also book multi attraction tickets to save a little extra too! Multi Attraction ticket holders also get 10% off photos packages and the gift shop too. Merlin passholders get 10-20 depending on the level of pass you have.
Getting There and Getting In
We successfully navigated our way down to Baker Street and joined the queue outside for our 1pm entry timeslot. After passing though the metal detectors and bag check you’re inside. Up the stairs, get in the flashy lift and you’re on the red carpet to meet your first batch of celebs.
Walk the Red Carpet
It’s Oscar season at Madame Tussauds! You’re greeted by a photo op with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as you get in, before rubbing shoulders with some of the Hollywood Elite including Nicole Kidman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benedict Cumberbatch, Helen Mirren and Eddie Redmayne to name but a few.
Into Fashion next where you can experience the glitz and glamour with the likes of Cara Delevigne, Kendal Jenner, the Beckhams, RuPaul and Rihanna.
Into The Movies
Film and TV was stop number 3. Starting with some British icons like the most recent Dr Who Ncuti Gatwa and his Tardis, Millie Bobbie Brown as Enola Holmes plus all of the James Bond actors from Connery to Craig. And lest we forget Paddington Bear.
On the international side was Arnie’s T-500 from Terminator, Steven Spielberg and a brilliant photo op of E.T. and the bike.
In this room you could also experience making a wax model of your own hand. An up-charged attraction that takes about 15 minutes, you could dip your hand in wax and get a model of your own hand to take home. Prices ranged from £20 to £35 depending on if you wanted to add a light or some of the other options.
Sporting Icons & More
Pop Culture and Sports Personalities were next, which was introduced by a busking Ed Sheeran on the way in. For sports, Anthony Joshua and Lewis Hamilton were in attendance, along with footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Kilyan M’bappe. There was also a Mary Earps model which was so lifelike I was convinced she was going to move.
David Attenborough, 10 Downing St, Harry and Meghan and a Greggs Sausage Roll we’re all in this section. Yes, you read that right: a Greggs sausage roll has a waxwork at Madame Tussauds!
Waxwork Royalty
In the Royal area, you could meet The Queen and Prince Phillip, walk onto the royal balcony at Buckingham palace, or have one of the pro photos taken with King Charles, Prince William, Camilla and Kate. Other VIPs in the royal room where Dame Judy Dench, Sir Mo Farah in trademark mobot pose, King Henry VIII and Barack Obama.
Music Royalty
Over into the music area to see Little Mix, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Beyonce and Taylor Swift alongside rock royalty like Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, David Bowie and the Beatles in Abbey Road regalia, plus a classic 70s Elton John at the piano.
The Chamber of Horrors
Down in the chamber of horrors you’ll find some of the UK’s most heinous serial killers. Starting with The Krays, John Haigh – the Acid Bath Killer, Denis Nielsen, Ruth Ellis – the last woman to be hanged in the UK and Jack the Ripper. There’s a guillotine with some severed heads too!
The horror area is dark and eerie with some loud noises and flashing lights, so if spooky isn’t your thing or there are kids present, you can skip by this section.
Spirit of London
Next up is a dark ride. I wasn’t expecting any rides at Madame Tussauds, but there you go. Spirit of London is a fun little jaunt in a 2 seater black cab cart that takes you through the history of London: The great fire, the plague, rebuilding London, 70s London & more. A fun adventure through some great scenes.
Marvel Heroes and Villains
The next stop on the waxwork tour is the world of Marvel. But first, snacks. Here you’ll find a stall selling sweet treats like ice cream and waffles, bags of popcorn and a chocolate fountain too. You could also find a few Marvel related souvenirs to purchase.
The assembled heroes included Spiderman, Nick Fury, Captain America, Black Panther, Iron Man, Rocket and Groot, Captain Marvel and a MASSIVE Hulk model that spanned 2 floors.
Marvel 4D Experience
Next up, if you chose to partake, was the Marvel 4D show. Grab some 3D glasses and enter the theatre for a superhero battle taking place within Madame Tussauds. With some spray effects, blasts of air and flashing lights and things jabbing you in the back to immerse you in this Avengers cartoon story. It was fun and the kids loved it. The show took about 10 minutes and is definitely worth seeing, especially if you’re fans of superheroes.
Episode VII – Return of the Waxwork
The final stop on the Madame Tussauds adventure was to a galaxy far, far away. Yep, there were some Star Wars models. Starting with the epic ‘Duel of the Fates’ battle between Qui-Gon Jin, Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul from Episode I, Evil Anakin on Mustafar. You could sit for a photo with Han Solo in Mos Eisley Cantina or with Chewie in the cockpit of the Falcon.
Stormtroopers, R2-D2 and C3PO, Rey and BB8, Jabba the Hutt with Leia in the gold bikini, the Bespin Vader scene, Yoda on Dagobah, and the Mandalorian and Grogu in his hoverpram. Grogu moved too. He was soooo cuuuuuuuute! The Star Wars section was great, and finished with a really good model of Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano.
Madame Tussauds Gift Shop
A trip though hyperspace and we were back at the gift shop. Here you could pick up Madame Tussauds souvenirs, general London paraphernalia, merchandise featuring some of the musical icons, plus toys, Lego, games, plushes, t-shirts and much more. Prices weren’t outrageous either.
Is Madame Tussauds Worth Visiting?
In a word, yes. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Madame Tussauds London. The first few areas weren’t fun for our kids as they didn’t really know many of the celebrities, aside from The Rock, but there was still plenty they recognised later on with the Royals, the movies, The Beatles, the Marvel and Star Wars characters. The addition of the Marvel 4D show was great too and the ‘Spirit of London’ ride was an added bonus.
Its not the sort of place you’d need to come back to regularly, but definitely somewhere you’d come back to in a few years to see what’s changed. But, if you’ve never been before, we’d highly recommend!
Need more info? Visit the Madame Tussauds London Website.
