Singapore has joined the list of cities who can boast having a Madame Tussauds wax museum of their own. There are 20 of them in the world, and 7 are in Asia! Considering the fact that I live in the smallest country in Asia, it’s funny how I’ve been to 3 of them, 1 twice, but none of those were located in Asia. Here’s the list of cities that have a Madame Tussauds, can you guess which 3 I went to before?
1) Amsterdam
2) Bangkok
3) Beijing
4) Berlin
5) Blackpool
6) Hollywood
7) Hong Kong
8) Las Vegas
9) London
10) New York
11) Orlando
12) Prague
13) San Francisco
14) Shanghai
15) Singapore
16) Sydney
17) Tokyo
18) Washington D.C.
19) Wien
20) Wuhan
Well, the guess, and wait, is over.
The first Madam Tussauds I visited was the one in Hollywood. It was in 2009, the year I went on my solo trip to USA. Los Angeles was my first stop, next was Las Vegas, then New York. But I went to New York again in 2012 and visited the Madame Tussauds there for a second time. My friends hadn’t been to a Madame Tussauds before so I went with them.
I went to 3 Madame Tussauds museums on my own and 1 with friends. Take it from someone who knows. Trust me and go with friends. Taking selfies with a DSLR is practically out of the question. Unless you have super long and steady hands. The wax museum uses mostly spotlights and lighting is pretty crappy for photography. You have to have steady hands.
Alternatively, you could bring your iPhone, a tripod, or a point and shoot camera. But really, you want to see the whole wax figure right!? And you can’t do that with selfies. Also, the museum will likely not be empty enough for you to set up your tripod and take a selfie with it. I mean, what if someone knocks down or walks into your camera!
Anyway, goofing around with friends and a wax figure is so much more fun that staring at or taking photographs of life sized figures all alone. See for yourself.
2009 (Going Solo)
I had to ask other tourists to help me take these few precious photos. Note my composed pose. But when I went with my friends, we all dared to be dramatic and were entirely uninhibited!
2012 (With Friends)
I mean look at the difference.
2009 vs 2012
Daring to pose like Selma Hayek.
I didn’t want to keep asking people to take a photo of me with Robin Williams so I took a selfie of me holding hands with him. But 3 years later, I finally managed to get the pose I wanted the way I imagined it.
Going with my friends means we all could take turns to sit in the director’s chair. And in 2009, I didn’t even take a photo of Robert Pattinson! But in 2012, as you can see, he’s mine!
In 2009, Wayne Gretzky had no competition on the ice. It was just him. In 2012, Yun Yun was not letting him off easy and went the extra mile to stop that puck!
These bands ended up having an extra band member or two. Can you spot the newcomers? As you can see, I had tons more fun going with my friends.
But that said, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go on your own. And in retrospect, I totally should have gone to Madame Tussauds London. You see, just like New York City, I was in London twice! Dang!
What’s the big deal about the Madame Tussauds in London? Well, the first permanent Madame Tussauds was in London. only then it was known as the Baker Street Bazaar. It’s no longer at the same spot but still, I feel I should have gone because while there are similar wax figures featured in every museum in the world, there are always a few unique to each branch.
Hollywood
In Madame Tussauds Hollywood, many of the wax figures are based on the movie character instead of the actors themselves.
Las Vegas
In Sin City, there are some wax figures like Hugh Hefner and his Playboy Bunny that are probably not seen elsewhere.
New York
In New York City, how could you not have a Rockette wax figure right? And so far I’m not seen Paris Hilton or the Firefighters in other Madame Tussauds museums.
Admission tickets are quite pricey now, but did you know that once upon a time, visitors to the museum only had to pay sixpence to enter? A ticket at Madame Tussauds Singapore will cost you $35 if you buy it onsite, and $32 online. Ouch! So is it worth it to go to each of the Madame Tussuads? Yes, I think so.
In Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong joins world leaders like Barack Obama and royalty like Queen Elizabeth II. Local football legend Fandi Ahmad stands alongside other football stars like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. Stephanie Sun shares the stage with other talented performers like Michael Jackson and Jay Chou. Mr Phua Chu Kang and the late Huang Wenyong have also been transformed into wax figures, frozen in time.
Also, Singapore’s Madame Tussauds is the first to feature a boat ride! I haven’t tried it myself but it sounds like miniature land meets wax museum meets Disney’s It’s A Small World boat ride. I have also realised that the wax figures are slightly different in each branch.
Of course certain characters or personalities are in the exact same pose wearing the same clothes and hairstyles like dear Miss Lucy.
But it’s not just about the wax figures. The setting in which the figure is placed also helps create a different mood and you get to see a whole new perspective. Just a simple wardrobe change or set change can transform a wax figure’s look and concept.
Different Looks & Sets For Different Cities
At my first visit to a Madame Tussauds, I was really fascinated by how the artists behind these wax figures transformed a living being into a wax figure. So I spent a lot of time at the Behind The Scenes section of the museum and learnt a lot about how these people were transformed from a living breathing human being into the wax figures millions of people pay good money to see at Madame Tussauds museums around the world.
Ultimately, I had fun visiting the Madame Tussauds museums and I think it’s alright to hit up all the different branches. Just don’t do it in one holiday like I did. That’s overkill. And go with friends who dare to be outrageous with you.
What do you think?
Have you been to a Madame Tussauds museum before? What are your thoughts about museums like Madame Tussauds? Which one did you go to? Which city do you think has the best Madame Tussauds musuem? Which wax figure would you most love to take a photograph with? Share with us your favourite photograph taken with a Madame Tussauds wax figure.
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I have never gone to a wax museum before. I’ve been to cities that have them, but didn’t understand the appeal. NOW I do! Pictures!! Duh! I’ll have to consider stopping in one next time.
=) I totally understand. Before I ever stepped foot into a Madame Tussauds, I didn’t really get the whole wax museum thing. But after the trip to the one in New York with my friends, I just want to keep going to see what other fun poses we can do together. Have fun and send me some photos when you finally visit one.
I have been to a Wax Museum. It is located in Lonavala in Maharashtra, India. Do check out this link and the slideshow -http://bestplacesofinterest.com/blog/2015/01/22/a-trip-to-lonavla/.