By: Emily Bunn × Vaughn Lowery × Armon Hayes
Have you ever dreamed of taking seat in the Oval Office, starring on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, or joining the Ghostbusters crew? With Madame Tussauds, what may have seemed impossible is now in fingertips reach. The wax museum hosts five floors of interactive, celebrity wax figures. Positioning the heart of New York City in Times Square, guests of Madame Tussauds wax museum are surrounded by star-struck fun. 360 Magazine visited the wax museum and had a VIP experience with by our favorite figures.
There are several different zones for interactive experiences at Madame Tussauds. In “Walk the Catwalk” guests will be coached by model Alessandra Ambrosio to embrace their best catwalk. Guests can even get their catwalk video recorded to share their strut online. Practices your poses with Heidi Klum and perfect your smize with Tyra Banks. What better place to practice your model moves than In the Fashion Capital of the World?
New York is also known, of course, for the city’s spectacular Broadway productions. Guests can become a part of the interactive, behind-the-scenes journey of exploring the most iconic Broadway shows. Whether you want to follow in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s footsteps and compose Broadway music scores, style the cast’s wardrobe, or act and sing your heart out, you can play your part at Madame Tussauds’ New York Broadway experience. Don’t miss your curtain call on this exciting opportunity.
If you’re looking for a more action-packed experience, be sure to visit Madam Tussaud’s Marvel exhibit! Save the world and rescue humanity alongside your favorite superheroes including The Hulk, The Hulk Buster, Captain America, Thor, Nick Fury, Iron Man, and Spiderman. This interactive Marvel experience lets guests develop their Spidey-senses and get closer to their favorite heroes than ever before.
After you’re done assuming your role as Captain America in the Marvel zone, get ready to use your powers in the Faceoff with King Kong zone. Featuring the largest animatronic in New York City, Madame Tussauds-in collaboration with Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers-invites guests to battle King Kong. Guests will begin their daring adventure on the infamous Skull Island, in which they must evade jungle creatures and unearth iconic artifacts from the film. Along their voyage, guests will be accompanied by a new, wax figure of Captain James Conrad before battling the beast. The eighteen-foot tall, multi-sensory animatronic head of King Kong is sure to leave guests in awe and terror. Hear King Kong’s roar and unearth the secrets of skull island with this ferocious exhibition.
If you’re looking for more thrilling spooks, check out Madame Tussaud’s Ghostbusters zone. In honor of the return of the loved franchise, the museum has built a specialty experience inspired by the 2016 film. Escapade along the eerie, underground NY subway tracks and explore the dark basement of a haunted mansion while keeping your eyes peeled for ghosts and goblins galore. Beware of several spooks along the way as you bust ghosts and meet stars such as Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Melisa McCarthy, and Kristen Wiig. Fans of the franchise can even take a spin on the Ecto-2.
Another star-studded zone Madame Tussauds offers is MTNY Studios exhibit. Whether you’ve dreamed of being a celebrity on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, forecasting breaking news alongside Michael Strahan, or reporting on the weather with Al Roker, you can be the TV star you’ve always wanted to be.
Finally, the last zone Madame Tussaud offers is the Oval Office experience. Get up close and personal with influential leaders of the past and present, like Barack Obama and George Washington. Instead of reading about history in a textbook, experience making history in-person alongside your favorite politicos.
Besides the museum’s seven interactive zones, there are also two riveting experiences: the Marvel 4D Film, and the Coney Island Carnival Carnage 7D Game.
With Marvel’s 4D experience, guests can feel a part of the movie with 3D film technologies including experiential sensory effects. Viewers are put in the middle of the action when viewing this incredible 4D film. Feel the wind and water, and even smells the same scents at the same time as your favorite heroes in the movie.
Guests are invited to face their greatest nightmares in the Coney Island Carnival Carnage Game. This 7D, multi-sensory experience invites guests to shoot lasers at enemies, ride carnival attractions, and spin the Wheel of Misfortune–all while running from killer clowns. This adrenaline-packed nightmare promises a rich gaming experience that may keep you awake at night–that is, if you can escape.
All of Madame Tussauds’ zones and experiences allow guests to get up more close and personal with their favorite Hollywood celebrities and figures than ever before. Madame Tussauds is available for group visits, school visits, corporate events, and even birthday parties. We went on a Friday afternoon, and had a blast exploring the five stories of experiential fun. The figures we found most lifelike were Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. All three figures of Michael Jackson impressed us, and we loved seeing his evolution through time. Our favorite zone was Ghostbusters– the subway set mirrored NYC’s own actual subways, which felt both surreal and cinematic. Those interested in visiting Madame Tussauds can visit this website for ticket purchase and further details. The wax museum is currently operating at reduced capacity and is following all COVID-19 protocols.
