Madame Tussauds London is a wax museum on Marylebone Road, next to Baker Street station, where you can stand beside lifelike figures of film stars, musicians, athletes and the Royal Family. Standard tickets start from £27 per adult online and cost £39 at the door (September 2026), and most people spend about two hours inside.
The idea is simple. Madame Tussauds makes wax copies of famous people, living and dead, and arranges them in themed rooms where you can walk right up to them, pose for photos and compare heights. There are more than 150 figures spread over three floors, grouped into zones such as a red-carpet awards party, a royal palace, a film studio and a sports and culture section.
It is one of London's oldest paid attractions: the collection has been on Marylebone Road since 1884. It is also one of the most commercial, and the price is high for a visit of two hours. This guide explains what is inside, how the ticket prices work, when the queues are shortest and whether it is worth your money compared with London's many free museums.
Madame Tussauds London at a glance
- Address
- Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LR
- Adult ticket
- Online from £27; walk-up price £39 (September 2026)
- Child (2-15)
- Online from £24; walk-up price £35; under-2s free
- Opening hours
- Vary by day; on 17 and 18 September 2026, 10am-6pm with last entry at 4pm
- Time needed
- About 1.5 to 2 hours
- Nearest station
- Baker Street (Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City lines), about two minutes on foot
- Payment
- Card only: the attraction is cashless
How a wax cabinet became a London institution
Marie Tussaud was born Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg in 1761. She learned wax modelling in Paris, lived through the French Revolution and, according to the attraction's own history, was made to model death masks of executed nobles, including the King and Queen she had once known at Versailles. In 1802 she took her travelling exhibition to Britain and never returned to France.
In 1835 she and her sons set up a permanent base in London at the Baker Street Bazaar. Her grandsons moved the collection to the present building on Marylebone Road in 1884. The building survived a serious fire in 1925 and a German bomb in 1940, which destroyed 352 head moulds. Today the attraction is run by Merlin Entertainments, which also operates the London Eye, the London Dungeon and SEA LIFE London, and there are Madame Tussauds branches in many other cities. London's is the original.
Photo: Hmvh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized
The zones and figures you will see inside
The visit is a one-way route through themed rooms. You cannot choose the order, and the figures change as celebrities rise and fall in fame, so treat any list as a snapshot. In September 2026 the London attraction described eight zones and more than 150 figures:
- Awards Party - a red-carpet scene with film and music stars such as Harry Styles, Idris Elba and Timothée Chalamet.
- The Fashion Runway - models and fashion names, set up for photos.
- Baker Street Studios - a film zone with Paddington, a life-sized TARDIS with Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes, James Bond and Bollywood stars.
- Culture Capital - British sport and culture, including Harry Kane, Lando Norris, David Attenborough, Winston Churchill and Emmeline Pankhurst.
- The Royal Palace - King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales and earlier royals, arranged as if you were a palace guest.
- Impossible Festival - music legends from Bob Marley to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé on one imaginary line-up.
- Marvel Hall of Heroes - superheroes, including a 4.5-metre Hulk.
- Star Wars - film characters and sets, including the Millennium Falcon cockpit with Chewbacca.
The figures are not behind glass or ropes in most areas, and touching and posing is part of the fun. Lighting is set up for phone cameras, and many scenes include props so that your photo looks like part of the set. If you want to see a particular person, check the "new figures" pages on the official website before you book, because figures are sometimes moved or withdrawn without notice.
Rides, the 4D film and the Chamber of Horrors
Four experiences are included in a standard ticket, and they give the visit more variety than the name suggests.
Spirit of London ride
You sit in a replica black taxi that carries you slowly through scenes from London's history: the plague, the Great Fire of 1666 and the building of St Paul's Cathedral, the Second World War with Churchill's voice, the 1960s on Carnaby Street and the neon 1980s. It is gentle rather than thrilling. Children under 0.9 metres must ride with an adult over 16, the ride has strobe lighting, and guests who cannot walk unaided cannot ride it, although a virtual-reality alternative is offered.
Jumanji Safari Tours 4D
New for 2026, this is a short 4D film with moving seats, air bursts, water sprays and loud effects. There are six seats without motion or sensory effects for anyone who prefers to sit still, and a wheelchair space inside the cinema.
Chamber of Horrors
This is the oldest part of the Tussauds tradition: the name was coined by the magazine Punch in 1846. The current version covers real London crimes of the past 150 years, including Jack the Ripper, the Kray twins and several murderers, with artefacts from crime scenes. Madame Tussauds recommends it for visitors aged 16 and over and advises against it for people with heart conditions, high blood pressure, sensitivity to noise or flashing lights, and during pregnancy. You can walk past it if you are with younger children, so ask a member of staff where the bypass is.
The crime room is not a family ghost train. It deals with real murders and real victims, and the attraction's own age advice is 16+. If you are visiting with younger children and want something scary but theatrical, the London Dungeon is built for that and publishes its own age advice.
Ticket prices and what a family pays
Madame Tussauds uses demand-based pricing. The walk-up price at the door is fixed, while online prices change with the date, the time slot and how many tickets are left. Booking earlier usually gets you the lower end of the range. The ticket page listed these prices in September 2026:
| Ticket | Online (from) | At the door |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, adult | £27 | £39 |
| Standard, child 2-15 | £24 | £35 |
| Child under 2 | Free | Free |
| Flexi Fast Track, adult | £37 | £49 |
| Champagne Bar Experience, adult | £42 | not listed |
For two adults and two children aged 2-15, the cheapest possible online price is £102, against £148 at the door. A couple pays from £54 online or £78 at the door. These are "from" prices, and on busy days in school holidays the online figure can be well above them. One FAQ on the same website quotes "from £29" online, so treat £27 as the floor rather than a promise, and check the official tickets page for your date.
Online tickets come with a timed entry slot and can be moved to another date free of charge up to one hour before your slot, up to three times. The Fast Track ticket lets you arrive at any time on your chosen day and use a separate entrance. A free carer ticket is available with each full-price ticket for visitors who need one; you must bring proof of eligibility, and the carer must be 14 or older.
Combined tickets with other Merlin attractions
Merlin sells combination tickets that bundle Madame Tussauds with the London Eye, SEA LIFE London Aquarium and others. In September 2026 a Madame Tussauds and London Eye ticket was £49 per adult online, and a three-attraction ticket with SEA LIFE was £54. You book the Tussauds slot first and then visit the others within seven days. These bundles only save money if you genuinely want every attraction in them. A sightseeing pass is another option; our look at whether the London Pass pays for itself shows how to do the sums.
Opening hours and how long to allow
Opening hours change from day to day. On 17 and 18 September 2026 the attraction opened at 10am and closed at 6pm, with last entry at 4pm. The FAQ on the website says it usually opens at 10am and closes between 3pm and 5pm depending on the day, so check the opening hours page for your date. You must arrive by the last entry time, but you can stay inside after it. It is closed on Christmas Day and is usually open on bank holidays.
Madame Tussauds says most visitors spend around 1.5 to 2 hours inside. The route cannot be done much faster, because the ride and the 4D film run to their own timetable, and busy rooms slow everyone down. Allow the full two hours and do not plan anything tightly afterwards.
Beating the queues on Marylebone Road
The queue outside Madame Tussauds is famous, and it is not only a ticket queue. Everyone goes through a bag search and security screening, sometimes with metal-detector arches, and then waits for their time slot. A few things help:
- Book a timed ticket online. Door sales are not guaranteed on busy days, and the website says tickets can sell out.
- Pick the first slot of the day or a later afternoon slot. The attraction itself recommends early morning or later afternoon to avoid crowds, and says weekends and school holidays are the busiest times.
- Arrive at your slot, not before it. You cannot enter early, and turning up too soon only lengthens the line on the pavement.
- Bring as little as possible. Every bag is searched, and the fewer items you carry, the faster you get through.
- Consider Fast Track only at peak times. At £10 more than a standard ticket it is expensive on a quiet weekday morning, but it can save real time on a Saturday in August.
A weekday first slot is the cheapest calm visit. Early slots on term-time weekdays tend to have both the lowest online prices and the thinnest crowds, which means better photos with the figures and less waiting at the ride.
Bags, buggies, steps and accessibility
Suitcases, large hand luggage and folding bicycles are not accepted, even in the cloakroom. Smaller items can be left in the cloakroom near the exit for a fee: £5 per bag, £2 per coat and £1 per umbrella. Pushchairs and buggies are not allowed inside, but are stored free of charge; you cannot leave bags in them. If you are between hotels, use a left luggage service before you come. You may bring water, food and soft drinks, but not alcohol.
The attraction is in an old building over six floors, with 324 steps in total. There is a lift for visitors who cannot use the stairs. Wheelchair users must book a free wheelchair time slot online at least 24 hours in advance, because only three wheelchair users can be in the building at once; this slot is separate from the entry ticket. Three wheelchairs are available to borrow on the day, subject to availability. Background music plays in every area and several floors use strobe lighting. For wider advice on getting around, see our guide to accessible London.
Madame Tussauds also runs occasional Quiet Sessions with lower music, static lighting and limited tickets, aimed at visitors with autism and other sensory needs. In September 2026 the only 2026 date listed was Saturday 12 December at 9am. These must be booked online in advance.
Is Madame Tussauds worth it?
It depends almost entirely on who you are travelling with. For teenagers who follow music, football and Marvel films, it is often a highlight of the trip. For adults who prefer history and art, two hours with wax figures at £27 or more each can feel thin when the big national museums cost nothing to enter.
Worth it if
- You are travelling with children or teenagers who know the celebrities.
- You enjoy photos and are happy to pose and play along.
- You need an indoor plan for a wet day near Baker Street.
- You can book an early online slot at the lower price.
Skip it if
- You would only pay the £39 walk-up price.
- You dislike crowds and queues in confined rooms.
- You want to learn about London's history in depth.
- Your time in London is short and free museums are still on your list.
If rain is the main reason you are considering it, our ideas for a rainy day in London include many cheaper indoor options, and families will find more ideas in our guide to London with children.
Getting there and what is nearby
Baker Street Underground station is about two minutes' walk away. It is served by five lines: Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan, and Hammersmith & City, so you can reach it without changing from most central areas. For step-free travel, the attraction names Euston as the nearest Underground station that is accessible from platform to street. Marylebone mainline station is within about ten minutes' walk, and buses 18, 27, 30, 205 and 453 stop close by. Our guide to the Underground explains fares and touching in and out. There is no parking at the attraction.
The area around Baker Street is well worth an extra hour. The Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street is a short walk north. Regent's Park starts just behind the attraction, which makes it an easy place to let children run after two hours indoors. To the south, the shops and cafés of Marylebone High Street are quieter and more local than Oxford Street.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Madame Tussauds London tickets?
In September 2026 a standard adult ticket cost from £27 online and £39 at the door. Children aged 2-15 paid from £24 online or £35 at the door, and under-2s went free. Online prices vary with demand, so check the official website for your date.
How long does it take to go round Madame Tussauds?
Madame Tussauds says most visitors spend around 1.5 to 2 hours inside. The route is self-guided and one-way, and it includes a short ride and a 4D film, so two hours is a realistic plan.
Can I buy Madame Tussauds tickets at the door?
Yes, but you pay the higher walk-up price, and entry is not guaranteed on busy days because time slots can sell out. The attraction is cashless, so you need a debit or credit card.
Is the Chamber of Horrors suitable for children?
Madame Tussauds recommends the Chamber of Horrors for visitors aged 16 and over, because it deals with real crimes and includes crime-scene artefacts. Families with younger children can ask staff to guide them past it.
Which Tube station is closest to Madame Tussauds?
Baker Street, about two minutes' walk away on the Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Metropolitan, and Hammersmith & City lines. Marylebone mainline station is also within about ten minutes on foot.
Sources
- Madame Tussauds London - General admission tickets (checked September 2026)
- Madame Tussauds London - Opening hours (checked September 2026)
- Madame Tussauds London - Arrival, entrance and cloakroom (checked September 2026)
- Madame Tussauds London - Accessibility guide (checked September 2026)
- Madame Tussauds London - What's inside (checked September 2026)
- Madame Tussauds London - Our history (checked September 2026)