Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the story of Madame Tussauds in London.
On this page
A modeller, an exhibition and a museum
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
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1761
Marie Grosholtz is born
The future Marie Tussaud is born in Strasbourg.
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1777
A first figure
She makes her first wax figure, of the writer Voltaire.
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1794
A collection inherited
She inherits Philippe Curtius’s collection of wax models.
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1802
London
She shows her work at the Lyceum Theatre in London, then tours Great Britain and Ireland.
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1835
Baker Street
The exhibition settles on Baker Street.
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1843
Chamber of Horrors
Marie Tussaud advertises the Chamber of Horrors.
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16 April 1850
Her death
Marie Tussaud dies in London.
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14 July 1884
Marylebone Road
New galleries open on Marylebone Road.
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1925
Fire
A fire damages many of the older figures.
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1958
The Planetarium
The London Planetarium opens next door.
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1993
Spirit of London
The Spirit of London ride opens.
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2006
One attraction
The Planetarium building becomes part of Madame Tussauds.
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2007
Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments takes over running Madame Tussauds.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.
