Meet the biggest stars at Madame Tussauds

Marie Tussaud was born in Strasbourg in 1761. Following the death of her father, her mother worked as a housekeeper for Philippe Curtius, a doctor who became an artist-sculptor and trained Marie in wax sculpture. She began making her own figures in 1777, including those of Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin. She was sentenced to the guillotine during the French Revolution because of her relations with the nobility, but was pardoned for her talents. She was commissioned to make the death masks of murdered revolutionaries and those who had been beheaded.

In 1802, she left for the United Kingdom to present her collection throughout the country. In 1835 she settled permanently in London and opened her museum, one of the main attractions of which is the Chamber of Horrors, featuring the victims of the French Revolution and their murderers. Madame Tussaud died in 1850 at the age of 88.

Her descendants have since taken up the torch and developed the concept around the world, opening museums in New York, Shanghai and Amsterdam. Today, there are 23 Madame Tussauds museums in 13 different countries.

The Chamber of Horrors still exists at Madame Tussauds, featuring some of London' s most infamous criminals such as Jack the Ripper and the Krays brothers, twin gangsters. It offers visitors a good dose of thrills and chills - but not for the faint-hearted!

But today, the museum is best known for housing wax statues of the greatest British and international celebrities, starting with Madame Tussaud herself, who created a self-portrait in 1842, which is still on display at the museum entrance. The museum is also home to some of the world's biggest music stars, including the Beatles, Beyoncé, One Direction and David Bowie.

The great thing about Madame Tussauds is that you can also have your photo taken with the wax statues, so it's easy to make your friends think you've bumped into Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga or Ed Sheeran during your stay in London. Royal family figures are also a big hit with visitors.

After all, who hasn't dreamed of striking a pose with the King of England or Princes William and Harry? More recently, heroes and scenes from films have also found their way into the museum, so you can immerse yourself in the world of Star Wars,Alien or the heroes of Marvel.

Madame Tussauds is one of London's historic museums and a must-see on any trip to the British capital. Allow three hours to visit so you have time to see all the statues and take photos with replicas of England's biggest celebrities.

🚌 How do I get to Madame Tussauds?

Madame Tussauds is located in the Marylebone district, a two-minute walk from Baker Street tube station which is served by the Bakerloo (brown), Circle (yellow), Jubilee (grey), Metropolitan (purple) and Hammersmith & City (pink) lines, making it easily accessible from central London.

Buses 2, 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 113, 139, 189, 205, 274 and 453 also stop nearby.

⏰ Madame Tussauds opening times

Madame Tussauds is open every day. However, times may vary depending on the day or season, visit the official Madame Tussauds diary to find out more.

👛 Prices at Madame Tussauds

• Full price: £37
• Under 16s: £33.5
• Under 3s: free

👉 Ticket deals or combined tickets with other must-see London attractions are also available. To find out all the prices and book your ticket online, go directly to the official Madame Tussauds website.