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Tussaud. Photo byTobias Niepe.

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is a popular wax figure museum that often welcomes guests from all over the world. Located within the city center of Amsterdam, it’s easy to spot the venue even from afar. Its large signage and a pair of wax figures outside the building are very visible.

Long queues often wind around the corner of the historic structure that houses the museum, while others choose to marvel at it while resting on the benches of Dam Square.

As one of Amsterdam’s most popular tourist attractions, Madame Tussauds is always busy. Once inside, you鈥檒l be pleasantly surprised with the meticulous wax figures of some of the world鈥檚 biggest names including Adele, Barack Obama, and King Willem-Alexander with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

1. It Was Founded In 1970 By A Native of France

Founded in 1970 by  Madame Marie Tussauds a native of Strasbourg France,  the first Madame Tussauds establishment was outside UK. Originally situated along the shopping streets of Kalverstraat, the museum later moved to the upper floors of the Peek & Cloppenburg retail store that faces Dam Square. The building itself dates back to 1917 and is a popular stop for tourists and locals.

2. It Displays Wax Museums of Popular Artists And Is Divided Into 7 Sections

It displays mainly wax museums of popular artists, prominent political leaders, and royal personalities. In a bid to attract more visitors, interactive attractions were later added in 2012. You’ll also find thematic displays and seasonal specials within the museum, so there’s always something different to see on each visit.

The museum has 7 sections across 6 floors. It鈥檚 fitted with 2 large lifts, allowing easier access for parents with strollers and guests with wheelchairs. Most visitors would spend around 75 minutes at the establishment, making it an ideal stop for a one-day trip to Amsterdam.

3. It Offers The Best Spot For Pictures And Videos

For fans of artists like Taylor Swift and Beyonce, the music section of the museum would be your top pick for pictures and videos.

The establishment also houses an art section featuring art pieces from Salvador Dali and Mondriaan.

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam offers one of the best spots for a picture with Amsterdam Central Station as a backdrop. A large, round window can be found on the highest floor of the museum.

In summer, you鈥檒l be able to capture the streets of Damrak and the iconic de Bijenkorf building in a single frame. As days are shorter in autumn and winter, you may be able to capture the sunset from this window before the museum closes for the day.

4. Marie Tussauds Learned Wax Modeling At A Very Young Age

Madame Tussauds Herself. Photo by  

Marie Tussauds, whose birth name was Marie Grosholtz, was born in 1761 in Strasbourg in France. When she was a little girl, her mother worked as a housekeeper for a wax sculptor named Philippe Curtius. This is where she developed an interest in wax sculpting when she was just 6 years old.

Phillipe recognized her talent from a young age. He took the little Marie with him to 麻豆APP to become his apprentice in the art of wax modeling. When she was just 15 years old she completed her first wax sculpture, that of French Philsopher Voltaire.

4. Marie Tussaud Inherited Entire Wax Collections From Her Mentor And Named It After Her Husband

When her old mentor, Philippe Curtius, died in 1794, Marie Tussaud inherited his entire collection of wax sculptures. This allowed her to create an exhibition, and after her marriage to Francois Tussaud, she called it 鈥淢adame Tussauds.鈥�

The most important moment came when she received an invitation from magician Paul Philidor. He invited her to come with her show to the Lyceum Theatre in London. Unable to return to France due to the Napoleonic Wars, she stayed in the UK and traveled around with her exhibition in Great Britain And Ireland.

So if you wonder why the French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud started her museum in London, these events explain it.

6. There’s No Apostrophe In Madame Tussauds

A common mistake by many people is adding an apostrophe into Madame Tussaud’s. The grammar geek inside you may believe Madame Tussauds is wrong, but it’s not. The reason behind this is down to Merlin Entertainment Group, who decided that since Madame Tussauds no longer owns the franchise, there is no need to have a possessive-indicating apostrophe.

7. What can you see at Madame Tussauds?

It features over 50 wax models, including political and entertainment figures such as Ariana Grande, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sachin Tendulkar, Kim Kardashian, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Asha Bhosle, Kapil Dev, and Mary Kom.

8. Initially, The Selling Point Was The Statues Of Infamous Murderers And Criminals

Interestingly, one of the most important selling points of the museum in its early days was the statues of infamous murderers and other criminals of history, as well as victims of the French revolution. These were displayed in something called the 鈥�Chamber of Horror鈥� and advertising was used to lure people to it as early as 1843.

9. Meet and Take Photos With Celebrities

Embrace Princess M谩xima, see if have the same condition as David Beckham, walk a show on the catwalk together with Doutzen Kroes, and step into Mona Lisa鈥檚 painting. Madame Tussauds has a great line-up of live-sized, Dutch, and worldwide celebrities of wax at Dam Square in Amsterdam. Madame Tussauds also uses the latest techniques to make your visit even more interactive.

The celebrities of Madame Tussauds are located in the city center of Amsterdam at Dam Square and opposite the Royal Palace and shopping mall ‘de Bijenkorf’. Madame Tussauds only has one major piece of advice: don鈥檛 forget your camera, so you can show all your friends who you met while visiting Amsterdam.

10. It Takes Up To Six Months To Create A Sculpture

Picture of a Sculpture. Photo by Wilhelm Gunkel on

The process of creating a Madame Tussauds wax figure is intricate. It takes more than 250 precise measurements and photographs, 2,400 lbs of wax, 20 skilled artists, and around 拢150,000 to make each of the portraits.

And, all wax figures are made 2% larger than the actual person as this is how much they’re predicted to melt during the entire 6-month process. Although, some celebs may request to be made a little larger than 2%.