There are some London attractions that we visit time and time again, and Madame Tussauds London is definitely one of them!
It had been a little while since our last visit, so when we found ourselves heading into London with our trusty Merlin Annual Passes, Madame Tussauds felt like the perfect place to spend a few hours.
And, of course, one of the biggest bonuses for us was that our Merlin Passes gave us free entry.
Even better, we didn’t have to join the main queue. We headed straight to the Merlin Pass entrance and were inside without all the waiting around — which, when you’re visiting London with children, is always a massive win!
We’ve actually found that using our Merlin Pass in the London attractions feels slightly different to using it at the theme parks. There’s often a little bit of extra convenience and that feeling of being given a slightly more VIP-style experience, whether that’s a dedicated entrance or simply knowing that entry is already covered. It’s one of the reasons we get so much use out of our passes.
And then it was time to meet the stars…
So, what is Madame Tussauds London actually like?
If you’ve never visited before, Madame Tussauds is much more than a room full of wax figures.
The London attraction is spread across three floors, eight immersive zones and more than 150 lifelike figures, with rides, interactive experiences and themed sets mixed in too.
And honestly?
Some of the wax figures are out of this world.
There are moments when you genuinely do a double take because the figures are so incredibly lifelike. It’s almost eerie — but in a really fun way!
So come with us as we take you through some of our favourite parts of the attraction…
🎬 Baker Street Studios – and a HUGE Doctor Who moment!
One of the biggest highlights of our visit for Mason was without a doubt Doctor Who.
And if you’ve been around our family for any length of time, you’ll know that Mason is a proper little Whovian!
Doctor Who isn’t something you tend to find everywhere unless you’re heading to something like Comic Con, so whenever we come across a Doctor Who experience in the wild, it feels like a real treat.
And Madame Tussauds has done this one brilliantly.
The Doctor Who experience is part of Baker Street Studios, the attraction’s film zone, and you can step straight into the Whoniverse with Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor — complete with a life-sized TARDIS! Mason was absolutely thrilled!
Another addition since our last visit was one that we couldn’t possibly walk past…
Paddington Bear!
Paddington is now part of Baker Street Studios, and he seemed to be incredibly popular with visitors.
He looks exactly as you’d expect — blue coat, red hat and, naturally, a marmalade sandwich in his paw.
The Star Wars Experience
Now, you don’t have to be a huge Star Wars fan to appreciate this area.
In fact, I think this might be one of those parts of Madame Tussauds that pretty much everyone can appreciate.
It is spectacular.
The Star Wars area has been created in collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm, with incredibly detailed figures and sets inspired by locations from across the Star Wars universe. You’ll find everything from the Millennium Falcon and Jabba’s Throne Room to Dagobah and characters from the wider Star Wars saga.
The scale and attention to detail really are something else.
You can get up close to the characters and pose amongst the sets, and it genuinely feels like you’ve stepped inside the films.
Marvel Hall of Heroes
Another favourite in our house is the Marvel Hall of Heroes.
And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want the chance to get up close and personal with a few superheroes?!
Sort of…
This area is enormous fun, particularly for kids who love Marvel.
There are plenty of photo opportunities and some seriously impressive figures, including Hulk, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and more. The Hulk stands at a whopping 4.5 metres tall, so he is hard to miss!
I, of course, had to find Rocket.
Anyone who knows me knows that Rocket is one of my favourites, so naturally I had to get my photo with him and Groot!
Music, celebrities and the Impossible Festival
And then there are the music stars…
This is where Madame Tussauds really does have something for everyone.
Depending on your musical tastes, you can find yourself standing alongside everyone from huge modern stars to legendary performers.
Elton John, David Bowie, Lady Gaga and Stormzy are just some of the names you’ll encounter, alongside many more.
The current attraction also has the Impossible Festival, where visitors can step into a music festival-style experience alongside music legends including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Bob Marley.
Whether you’re a fan of pop, rock, grime or classic music, there’s bound to be someone you’ll recognise.
And, of course, there’s plenty of opportunity for those all-important selfies!
The Royals
If the Royal Family is more your thing, Madame Tussauds has you covered there too.
The attraction has a dedicated Royal Palace experience where you can get up close to members of the Royal Family.
It’s one of those areas that reminds you just how broad the attraction is.
You can go from Doctor Who to Star Wars, Marvel superheroes to royalty, all within the same visit!
Spirit of London
Madame Tussauds isn’t just about wax figures either.
One of the experiences included with admission is the Spirit of London ride, where you climb aboard one of the attraction’s iconic black cabs and travel through London’s history.
It’s a nice change of pace after walking around the different zones and gives you a little bit of London’s story along the way.
And the best part?
It’s all included in the standard admission price.
Chamber of Horrors – we gave this one a miss!
Now, there was one area that Mason and I decided to give a very wide berth…
The Chamber of Horrors!
No thank you!
Thankfully, if you’re not a fan of scary experiences, there is a way to bypass this section, so we happily took that option.
Steve, however, decided that he was feeling considerably braver than the rest of us and went through.
We’ll let him tell you how that went!
The Chamber of Horrors is included with admission and explores some of London’s darker history and notorious criminals.
Let’s just say that Mason and I were perfectly happy knowing we’d missed it!
Jumanji 4D – and THAT snake!
Another experience we weren’t expecting to enjoy quite as much as we did was the 4D cinema.
And there’s a brand-new addition for 2026: Jumanji Safari Tours, an immersive 4D adventure where the jungle comes to life around you. It’s included in standard admission.
Now, I have to admit…
The 4D effects were VERY convincing.
Particularly the snake.
Let’s just say that I spent a fair chunk of the experience sitting with my feet firmly off the floor!
It’s a fun addition to the attraction and gives you another experience to enjoy beyond looking at the wax figures.
Our verdict
We had such a lovely time at Madame Tussauds London.
It really does have something for everyone, and I think that’s why it works so well as a family day out.
There is something quite magical about standing next to characters and celebrities that you’ve grown up watching, listening to or reading about — and then seeing the children’s faces when they meet their favourites.
The wax figures are incredible, the sets are fantastic, and there’s enough variety that even family members with completely different interests can find something they love.
And let’s not forget…
It’s FREE for us with our Merlin Annual Pass! If Merlin pass isn't for you don't worry their are still some fantastic deals to be had on admission! Its part of the Multi attraction London deal too so you can experience all more of what Merlin London has to offer!
Current examples include:
Madame Tussauds + SEA LIFE London
From around £51.63 per adult on the official site.
Madame Tussauds + London Eye + SEA LIFE
From around £56 per adult, depending on the current offer.
Madame Tussauds + London Eye + SEA LIFE + Shrek’s Adventure + London Dungeon
From around £60.37 per adult under the current summer offer!
Check the latest Madame Tussauds London tickets and prices
Find out more about Merlin Annual Passes
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