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apollonaut. Built by People Who've Been

Journal / History

History, people & heritage

A wax modeller’s name.
A home on the Strip.

The story of Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, from Marie Tussaud’s first wax figure in 1777 to the chain’s first American museum, at the Venetian.

The Venetian’s red-brick Campanile and hotel towers seen from across the Strip on a sunny day
The Venetian’s Campanile, near the entrance to Madame Tussauds.

Marie Tussaud

Marie Tussaud was born in Strasbourg in 1761 and made her first wax figure, of Voltaire, in 1777. Her exhibition settled in Baker Street, London, by 1835, and moved to Marylebone Road in 1884.

The patterned stone front and arcades of the Venetian’s copy of the Doge’s Palace
Gondolas on the turquoise outdoor canal in front of the Venetian’s copy of the Doge’s Palace and the Rialto Bridge

The first in America

Madame Tussauds opened its first museum in the United States in Las Vegas in 1999, the year the Venetian opened on the Strip.

A Venetian setting

The Venetian stands on the site of the Sands, which closed in 1996. Its front recalls Venice, with a copy of the Campanile of St Mark’s, the Rialto Bridge and the Doge’s Palace beside an outdoor canal.

A gondola on the outdoor canal below the Venetian’s copy of the Rialto Bridge

Continue exploring

The patterned stone front and arcades of the Venetian’s copy of the Doge’s PalaceMarie Tussaud and the art of waxFrom Strasbourg to the Strip.The Venetian’s red-brick Campanile and hotel towers seen from across the Strip on a sunny dayWhat to see at the museumThemed areas and a 4D film.Plan your visit

The Apollonaut collection

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