Madame Tussauds London Review: Think it’s just waxworks of celebs? Think again!

In summary

Madame Tussauds is wax museum founded in London in 1835 by the French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. Located on Marylebone Road, and a two minute walk from Baker Street tube station, it's recognisable by its iconic green dome.

The last time I stepped foot inside Madame Tussauds was at least 15 years ago. I had vague memories of mooching about with my sister who was visiting from Ireland, and taking a few snaps. It was a perfectly pleasurable, touristy thing to do. But, I wasn't in any rush to go back. It felt like something you do once and tick off your list of London attractions to visit. However, while driving past recently, my nine-year-old son, Odhran, pointed out the window with excitement and asked 'what's that place?'. Posters outside Madame Tussauds for the Marvel 4D experience had caught his eye, and my six-year-old son, Reuben seemed equally as intrigued. Weeks later, we were walking past the attraction and I was surprised by the size of the queue outside, and wondered if I'd been too quick to write it off as a bit of a 'has-been' destination? Back home, we went on the website and I saw that Madame Tussauds had a lot more to offer than what I remembered. And when Odhran spotted that it housed a Star Wars section he declared 'we have to go there!'

When do we visit?

We visited on a Saturday at the end of September and arrived at 1.15pm. The queue was so much smaller than what we'd seen walking past during the summer school holidays. It can get busy. So, if possible it's probably best to try and avoid school holiday dates or to book (you have to booked a time entry slot) a slot for either first thing or later in the afternoon. Usual opening times are 10am to 3pm, seven days a week. But 3pm is just the last entry slot you can book - the attraction stays open for about 90 minutes after the last admission time. Hours may also vary during school holiday dates, such as this coming October half-term when it opens at 9am and the last admission slot is 4.45-5pm. So be sure to check the website in advance.

What is there to see and do?

It's made up of Interactive Zones, including - Awards Party, The Fashion Runway, Baker Street Studios, Culture Capital, The Royal Palace, Impossible Festival, Marvel Hall of Heroes and Star Wars. But there are also Experiences, including Marvel Universe 4D, Chamber of Horrors, Spirit of London Ride and The 1835 Champagne Bar Experience (This is a bookable VIP experience).

Odhran enjoyed stepping up for an award presented by 'Dwayne Johnson', joining pop sensations 'Dua Lipa', 'Taylor Swift' and 'Harry Styles'. He also loved mingling with stars of The Avengers movies such as 'Benedict Cumberbatch' (Dr Strange) and Star Wars legend 'John Boyega'.

Odhran instructed me not to take a picture of him next to anyone who was dead, such as 'Winston Churchill', as he wanted to use the pictures to prank his friends into believing he'd met some these celebrities in real life, but he was willing to make an exception for 'Shakespeare'. Reuben was more into rubbing shoulders with the sports stars 'Ronaldo' and 'Mo Salah'. Both Odhran and Reuben were keen to hop on a bike and ride with ET, and Odhran leapt into the director's chair next to Steven Spielberg.

I loved comparing my height to different celebrities and couldn't resist a fight with Anthony Joshua.

The Spirit of London Ride was really enjoyable. We hopped into a carriage designed like one of London's iconic black cabs, and journeyed through the capital's history. Alongside waxworks of some important historical characters, The Spirit of London Ride is another part of the attraction that adds a little education to the fun, as it brings together some of the key events from the London's long history, including the Plague and the Great Fire.

Crime fans won't want to miss out on one of the oldest parts of Madame Tussauds - the Chamber of Horrors. This section is based on some of the most infamous real crimes of the past 150 years - expect Jack the Ripper and other serial killers such as Dennis Nilsen and John Haigh. It features details of serious crimes, violence and murder, and includes real artefacts from crime scenes. The recommended age for this part of the attraction is 16+. So, we gave it a miss. But if you're visiting with older kids, it certainly sounds like a part of the attraction not to be missed.

The Marvel Hall of Heroes was a highlight for the boys. There are some interactive elements to this section, and the boys loved having their picture taken favourite characters including Spiderman, The Hulk and Nick Fury. This was followed by Marvel 4D, which is a show that lasts about 10 minutes. We all really enjoyed this experience - there were little sprays of air and water, and massage-like 'punches' to the back to make you feel a part of the action on screen, and some of the 4D effects are enough to make you flinch.

Another huge highlight for the boys was the Star Wars section. After the Marvel 4D experience, we hung back to allow the clamour of people to take pictures at the first part of this experience. This meant that as they all moved on ahead, we could follow at our own pace and have plenty of time and space to take all the photos we wanted before the next group of visitors entered after their screening of the Marvel 4D show.

The boys loved flying the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca, perching next to Master Yoda and Jabba the Hutt, getting caught up in lightsaber duels, posing with C-3PO and R2-D2, and re-enacting movie scenes with Darth Vader. We definitely got some printable photos for their bedroom here!

What about food and drink/facilities

There are vending machines and little kiosks (all cashless) throughout the attraction for drinks and snacks if you arrive hungry or fancy a sweet treat. You can get thinks like fruit covered in melted chocolate. Outside the Marvel 4D experience there's a kiosk for the full cinema experience. Here you can purchase things like nachos, slushies and popcorn. For an example of prices - you can get two slushies for £10, or £6.50 each. Or two tubs of popcorn for £8, or £5 each.

How long will you spend there?

We spent two hours there, but we missed out Chamber of Horrors as Reuben, 6, decided it might be too scary for him, and the boys were keen to dash ahead to the Star Wars zone! So if you do want to experience this, you'll probably want to give yourself a bit longer. We found two hours gave us plenty of time to explore the attraction without feeling rushed. The Marvel Universe 4D show runs around every 10 minutes so you don't need to worry about missing out on this or having to be at a certain part of the attraction at a specific time. It's a self-guided tour and you just leisurely follow the route around, entering through one door and exiting through another.

How much does it cost?

A standard adult ticket costs £29 when booked online in advance, compared to on the day tickets at £42. Fast track tickets (beat the queues and get into the attraction faster) cost £44 when booked in advance, compared to £57 on the day. Child tickets are £3 cheaper, and under 2's go free. Star Wars, Marvel Hall of Heroes, Marvel 4D cinema and Spirit of London are all included in the standard ticket price. Carers and care takers accompanying wheelchair users get free admission. But if you're looking to visit a couple of London attractions, such as SEA LIFE or the London Eye, then it's definitely worth making a saving by booking one of the multi-attraction tickets on Madame Tussauds' website. Find out more about tickets and pricing here

What's new to the attraction

Madame Tussauds recently unveiled a brand-new Rihanna figure to the Fashion Runway Zone of the attraction. The figure is inspired by the star's fierce and striking red-carpet look at The British Fashion Awards. Fans of Rihanna's bold style can stand in the presence of the mega icon, dress in one of her most memorable and striking outfits to date.

Jo Kinsey, studio manager at Madame Tussauds London says: 'Rihanna is a powerhouse in beauty, fashion and music, truly shining like a Diamond. Her look at the 2019 British Fashion Awards made such a statement that we just had to replicate that unforgettable moment! Rihanna holds a special place in everyone's hearts and now our visitors have the chance to experience her in All of the Lights! We're thrilled to give fans an unforgettable moment with the ultimate boss.'

What to know before visiting Madame Tussauds

Take a Break's verdict

For a fan of a particular celeb, or some insta fun pictures, this is certainly a winner of a venue with plenty of current well-known offerings along with some great blasts from the past. And the timed entry slots stop it getting too congested. But the celeb walkthrough sections are the least interesting of the offerings, in our opinion. The Spirit of London Ride, Star Wars and Marvel section, along with the 4D cinema are what elevated this attraction from a fun time, to a really fun one in our eyes. We rate Madame Tussaud's 4/5 stars.