The Candler of 1914
The theatre on the site opened on 8 May 1914 as the Candler. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb, it had about 1,200 seats and later took the name of the Harris Theatre.
A street remade
In the 1990s the block of 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues was redeveloped. Work on an entertainment and retail complex on the sites of the Empire, Harris and Liberty theatres began in August 1997, and the Harris was demolished in 1997–1998.
The museum opens
Madame Tussauds New York opened in November 2000. The Harris Theatre’s 42nd Street facade was kept, and it has fronted the museum ever since.



