We had a pretty decent idea of what to expect from the Tussauds in London. That said, I'd finally started to suspect that there might be more to this experience than previously imagined. The fact that this is the original Madame Tussauds probably didn't hurt.
Given my initial expectations, i thought the £35 ticket price a bit steep (Jen assures me this was about the same price as the tickets were in D.C., which given the difference in experience, is mind-boggling). The damn thing just keeps going. And going. And going. It's absolutely enormous.
First were the famous folks we'd expected to see.
I thought that would pretty much be it. Nope. Just the beginning. Next was a ride (thank goodness; the feet were beginning to ache) called the Spirit of London. No photos allowed, but I decided to cheat a bit this time.
And more: the Sherlock Holmes Experience. This was an extremely cheesy-but-fun mystery with live actors helping you solve a mystery while being led through different rooms depicting a crime scene, coroner's lab, London docks, train ride, and finally Dartmoor, all replete with sounds, fog, and other environmental goodies.
No photography in this one either and the constant presence of Tussauds employees made cheating a nonstarter.
But wait, there's more!
After Holmes came a 4-D (4-D apparently being code for a rumble pack in your chair seat and some water misters pointed at your face in addition to 3-D glasses) Marvel Superheroes show. It was a bit weird and out of place here, and wasn't terribly interesting. The Hulk statue was pretty awesome, though.
Not done yet! Next was an exhibit of Star Wars characters and scenes. I won't lie, this one was freaking awesome.
One thing I'm very curious about is whether there is a Tussauds museum that's devoted to some of the older waxworks, a more detailed history of the place, etc. This one, much like the Tussauds in D.C., had a bit of information and display material, but nothing extensive. I think that would be a very interesting exhibit in it's own right.
