Madame Tussauds London history starts with a woman who learned wax modelling in Paris and ends with one of the most visited attractions in the city. I wrote this page from Wikipedia and Wikidata, and I give dates and numbers exactly as those sources do. The timeline comes first, then the story by period, then 13 facts with their sources. If you already know you want to go, my page on Madame Tussauds London tickets compares every option I found, from plain entry to a five-attraction pass.
Madame Tussauds London History Timeline
Year
What happened
1761
Marie Grosholtz is born in Strasbourg
1777
She makes her first wax sculpture, of Voltaire
1794
She inherits Philippe Curtius’s wax collection after his death
1795
She marries François Tussaud
1831
She leases the upper floor of the Baker Street Bazaar
1835
The London museum is operating; the infobox gives 22 May 1835
1836
Baker Street becomes her first permanent home
1843
The Chamber of Horrors appears in her advertising
1850
Marie Tussaud dies in London on 16 April
1884
The new galleries on Marylebone Road open on 14 July
1925
A fire damages most of the older models
1941
Bombing in the Blitz damages the older models again
1993
The dark ride The Spirit of London opens
2006
The London Planetarium is incorporated into the west wing
Madame Tussauds London History Before London: Paris and the Revolution
Marie Grosholtz was born in Strasbourg in 1761. Wikipedia says she made her first wax sculpture, of Voltaire, in 1777, while working with Philippe Curtius, whose wax collection she inherited after his death in 1794. She married François Tussaud in 1795. Wikipedia also records that she was imprisoned for three months during the French Revolution. That background explains why the museum has always mixed fame and crime: the earliest waxworks were portraits of the people everybody was talking about.
From Baker Street to Marylebone Road
The London story is a story of two addresses. From 1831 Marie Tussaud leased the upper floor of the Baker Street Bazaar, and by 1835 the museum was operating there. Wikipedia’s infobox gives 22 May 1835 as the established date and Wikidata gives the year 1835 as the opening. In 1836 Baker Street became her first permanent home. Her advertising used the name Chamber of Horrors as early as 1843, per Wikipedia, which is the part of the museum many visitors still ask about.
Marie Tussaud died in her sleep in London on 16 April 1850. In 1883 her grandson Joseph Randall commissioned a new building at the current Marylebone Road site, and the new galleries opened on 14 July 1884. If you are standing on Marylebone Road today, you are at the address the museum has had for well over a century. My Madame Tussauds London opening hours guide covers the entrance and the practical side of the visit.
Fire, War and Rebuilding
Wikipedia says the gallery originally held about 400 figures. A fire in 1925 and bombing during the Blitz in 1941 severely damaged most of the older models. The casts survived, which is why historical figures could be remade, and it is the reason the history of the collection is one of copying and renewal, not of unbroken originals. The oldest figure on display today is The Sleeping Beauty, modelled after Madame du Barry. Wikipedia says the du Barry work is by Curtius and dates from 1765.
Modern Madame Tussauds London History
The dark ride The Spirit of London opened in 1993, and the London Planetarium was incorporated into the west wing in 2006, per Wikipedia. The article also gives a sense of scale: the museum had 2.79 million visitors in 1997, more than the Tower of London. On ownership, Wikipedia says the freehold of the London site was sold to Fubon Life in 2015 and that Merlin continues to operate it under a lease. Other branches followed the London original: the first overseas one opened in Amsterdam in 1970.
Why the Madame Tussauds London History Matters on a Visit
Knowing the Madame Tussauds London history changes what you notice inside. The figures are not museum originals that sat undisturbed for two centuries. Because the casts survived the 1925 fire and the 1941 bombing, the staff could remake the old waxworks, so a historical figure you see today is a remake from a surviving cast. The one exception worth looking for is the oldest work, The Sleeping Beauty, which Wikipedia dates to 1765 and credits to Curtius.
The second thing to notice is how much the museum has changed its mind about what it is. It began as a collection of portraits of famous and infamous people, grew a Chamber of Horrors in the 1840s, added a dark ride in 1993 and a Planetarium in 2006. The Wikipedia article also lists a Rock Circus that opened in 1989 at the London Pavilion, which shows how the company kept trying new formats around the same core idea.
The third thing is practical. A museum with this history has been through several owners. Wikipedia says the business was sold in February 1889 to a group led by Edwin Josiah Poyser, and that a sale and leaseback of the London site and three other Merlin properties in 2007 totalled 622 million pounds, on 35-year renewable leases. I mention these only so you know why different pages online give different dates and owners: the company, the building and the brand each have their own timeline.
What I Could Not Confirm About Madame Tussauds London History
Some of the questions people ask about Madame Tussauds London history do not have a clean answer in the sources I used. Wikipedia gives conflicting dates for the company itself: the article says the business was incorporated as a private limited company in 1889 and also says Madame Tussauds became a limited company in 1926. I do not pick one. The museum also does not publish a single official count of figures for the London site in the sources I checked, so I only give the about 400 figures that Wikipedia says the original gallery held. If a date matters for a school project or a quiz, check it against the museum itself.
13 Madame Tussauds London Facts With Sources
Marie Tussaud was born Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg in 1761 (Wikipedia).
Her first wax sculpture, of Voltaire, dates from 1777 (Wikipedia).
She inherited Philippe Curtius’s wax collection after his death in 1794 (Wikipedia).
She was imprisoned for three months during the French Revolution (Wikipedia).
The London museum opened in 1835 (Wikidata), and Wikipedia’s infobox gives 22 May 1835 (Wikipedia).
Baker Street became her first permanent home in 1836 (Wikipedia).
The Chamber of Horrors appeared in her advertising as early as 1843 (Wikipedia).
The Marylebone Road galleries opened on 14 July 1884 (Wikipedia).
The gallery originally held about 400 figures (Wikipedia).
The oldest figure on display is The Sleeping Beauty, with the du Barry work dated 1765 (Wikipedia).
The Spirit of London opened in 1993 and the Planetarium joined the west wing in 2006 (Wikipedia).
The museum had 2.79 million visitors in 1997 (Wikipedia).
See the Madame Tussauds London History in Person
After the history, the plain entry ticket is the option I would start with. It is $36 on GetYourGuide, rated 4.6 from 24,366 reviews, and the listing gives about 2.5 hours for a visit.
Madame Tussauds London - MEG
Madame Tussauds London
★4.6 (24,366 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The most-reviewed option: $36, 4.6 from 24,366 reviews, about 2.5 hours.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entry to Madame Tussauds London
✓ Royal Balcony experience
✓ Star Wars experience
✓ Spirit of London ride
✓ Marvel Universe 4D Movie
✓ Chamber of Horrors
Meeting point: Present your voucher at door 2 at Madame Tussauds on Marylebone Road next to Baker St. Tube Station. Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5LR, UK
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“very cool place I recommend it for the whole family to have fun!!!” – GetYourGuide review
If you want to skip the entrance queue, Fast Track entry is $49 with 4.5 stars from 278 reviews.
Madame Tussauds London - MEG
Madame Tussauds Fast Track Entry
★4.5 (278 reviews)
2.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: Fast Track entry at $49, 4.5 from 278 reviews, for busy days.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entry into London's Madame Tussauds with Fast Track Entry
Not included / not suitable
✕ Other drinks or food
✕ Glass of Champagne, beer or soft drink only included when the Champagne Bar option is selected
Meeting point: Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5LR, UK
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Due to my wife's mobility issues, we were able to bypass the long line waiting for tickets. We also had the Champagne bar as part of the entry.” – GetYourGuide review
What is the oldest wax figure at Madame Tussauds?+
Wikipedia names The Sleeping Beauty, modelled after Madame du Barry, as the oldest figure on display. It says the du Barry work is by Philippe Curtius, Marie Tussaud's teacher, and dates from 1765.
When did Madame Tussauds open in London?+
Wikipedia says the museum was operating by 1835 and gives 22 May 1835 as the established date in its infobox. Wikidata also gives 1835. The first site was the Baker Street Bazaar, and the galleries moved to the current Marylebone Road site on 14 July 1884.
Who was Marie Tussaud?+
She was born Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg in 1761 and made her first wax sculpture, of Voltaire, in 1777. She inherited the wax collection of Philippe Curtius in 1794, married François Tussaud in 1795 and died in London on 16 April 1850, per Wikipedia.
Did the Blitz destroy Madame Tussauds?+
Not entirely. Wikipedia says a fire in 1925 and bombing during the Blitz in 1941 severely damaged most of the older models, but the casts survived, so the historical waxworks could be remade.
Is Madame Tussauds London still on its original site?+
No. The first permanent home was upstairs in the Baker Street Bazaar, from 1836. The museum has been on Marylebone Road since the new galleries opened on 14 July 1884.
