Madame Tussauds San Francisco | |
---|---|
Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco | |
Status | Closed as of August 4, 2024 |
Opening date | June 26, 2014 |
Closing date | August 3, 2024 |
Ride statistics | |
Attraction type | Wax Museum |
Website |
Madame Tussauds San Francisco was a wax museum located in Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco in California. The attraction opened on June 26, 2014 and became the 17th Madame Tussauds museum to open worldwide. Madame Tussauds San Francisco closed on August 3, 2024 after 10 years in operation. The attraction featured wax figures of famous figures from movies, music, politics, popular culture and sport. It also celebrated “The Spirit of San Francisco” with wax figures of local artists, musicians and activists from the city's past.
In 2013, Merlin Entertainments signed a lease with the Wax Museum at Fishermans Wharf to transform the venue into both the Madame Tussauds wax attraction and the San Francisco Dungeon. The Wax Museum had operated for 50 years and had over 270 wax figures. The San Francisco Dungeon later closed during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and did not reopen. [1] Merlin Entertainments closed Madame Tussauds San Francisco on August 3, 2024, ending a 60 year history of wax museums in Fisherman's Wharf. The majority of the wax figures from the San Francisco location were distributed to the 23 other Madame Tussauds locations globally.
A wax museum or waxworks usually consists of a collection of wax sculptures representing famous people from history and contemporary personalities exhibited in lifelike poses, wearing real clothes.
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum founded in London in 1835 by the French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud. One of the early main attractions was the Chamber of Horrors, which appeared in advertising in 1843.
Anna Maria "Marie" Tussaud, commonly known as Madame Tussaud, was a French artist known for her wax sculptures and Madame Tussauds, the wax museum she founded in London.
The Tussauds Group was an entertainment company which is now a part of Merlin Entertainments. It was based in Poole, Dorset from where it managed a portfolio of brands and over 50 attractions that included the Madame Tussauds waxworks, Legoland Theme Parks, Legoland Discovery Centres, Sea Life Centres, PortAventura Park in Spain, Gardaland in Italy, Heide Park Resort in Germany, The Dungeons, The London Eye, The Blackpool Tower attractions, The Orlando Eye, Warwick Castle, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures.
Fisherman's Wharf is a neighborhood and popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California, United States. It roughly encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue east to Pier 35 or Kearny Street. The F Market streetcar runs through the area, the Powell / Hyde cable car line runs to Aquatic Park, at the edge of Fisherman's Wharf, and the Powell / Mason cable car line runs a few blocks away.
Louis Joseph Kenny Tussaud (1869–1938) was a great-grandson of Marie Tussaud, creator of the Madame Tussauds wax museums. He worked at Madame Tussauds museum as a wax figure sculptor but left when his brother John Theodore Tussaud became chief artist and manager of the museum after a limited company was formed in 1888 and sold in 1889. The main shareholder was Edwin Josiah Poyser.
Merlin Entertainments Limited is a British entertainment company based at Poole in Dorset, England, which operates a number of theme parks and other tourist attractions. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until November 2019, when it was acquired by a consortium that includes Kirkbi A/S.
Sea Life is a chain of commercial sea life-themed aquarium attractions. As of April 2017 there are 53 Sea Life attractions around the world. The chain is owned by the British company, Merlin Entertainments.
The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, was an attraction with over 270 wax figures. Originator Thomas Fong opened the museum in 1963 after seeing the wax figures at the Seattle World's Fair and it was run by the Fong Family until its closure in 2013. It has attracted over 400,000 visitors a year.
The World of the Unexplained were two museums, opened in 1972 by Ripley's Believe It or Not!, one at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and one in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, originally called the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.
Madame Tussauds Hollywood is a wax museum and tourist attraction located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It is the ninth location for the Tussauds franchise, which was set up by sculptor Marie Tussaud, and is located just west of the TCL Chinese Theatre. Madame Tussauds is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments.
Madame Tussauds New York is a tourist attraction located on 42nd Street in the Times Square neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Madame Tussauds was founded by the wax sculptor, Marie Tussaud, and is now operated by the United Kingdom-based entertainment company, Merlin Entertainments. The Madame Tussauds New York location opened on November 15, 2000.
Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. was a wax museum located in Washington D.C., the capital city of the United States. The attraction opened in October 2007 and became the 12th Madame Tussauds venue worldwide, and featured wax sculptures of famous figures from politics, culture, sports, music and television. In comparison to other Madame Tussauds venues, the venue features more waxworks of political figures, with sculptures of all 45 U.S. presidents displayed.
The San Francisco Dungeon was a tourist attraction that recreated historical events using 360° sets, special effects, and live actors. Visitors walked through the Dungeon, and were guided through each show by professional actors. The attraction also contained a dark boat ride.
Madame Tussauds Sydney is a wax museum located in Darling Harbour in Sydney, Australia and is situated on the Aquarium Wharf. Madame Tussauds is part of Merlin Entertainments which owns and operates attractions globally.
Madame Tussauds Blackpool is a wax museum located in Blackpool, United Kingdom. The attraction opened in 2011, replacing the previous Louis Tussauds waxworks. It features over 80 wax figures of celebrities, film and television characters, athletes and musicians. As of April 2024, Alison Hammond is the latest waxwork figure to be added to the museum's collection.
Madame Tussauds India is a wax museum and tourist attraction It is the twenty-second location for the Tussauds, which was set up by French sculptor Marie Tussaud. Madame Tussauds is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments. Now it has been shifted to Noida in July 2022.
Madame Tussauds Vienna is a wax museum and tourist attraction located at the famous amusement park Wiener Prater in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Marie Tussaud and is the eleventh location for the Tussauds franchise. It officially opened on 1 April 2011 by the former Austrian president Heinz Fischer. So far, it features more than 90 figures on three floors. Madame Tussauds is now owned and operated by the United Kingdom-based entertainment company Merlin Entertainments.
Madame Tussauds Istanbul is a wax museum and tourist attraction located on İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul. It is the twenty first location for the Tussauds, which was set up by sculptor Marie Tussaud. Madame Tussauds is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments.
Madame Tussauds Dubai, situated on Bluewaters Island in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the inaugural branch of this museum in the Middle East. It exhibits over 60 life-like wax figures of musicians, actors, athletes, and world leaders. The museum opened in 2021.