Do you like wax museums? They are incredible, each piece on display is a small piece of art, such an exact reproduction that it gives a bit of an impression. If you think that Madame Tussauds museums are the only ones, I tell you that they are not, that in the United States there are many wax museums.
In our article today we will talk about the best wax museums in America, so write down the ones that interest you for your next trip.
Wax museums
What is the history of wax dolls? It all started with funeral homes of the royalty of Europe, in charge of making life-size wax reproductions dressed in the dead man's clothes. And why were they making these reproductions? By the custom of funeral rite that implied carrying the corpse on to the coffin, in procession and therefore subject to inclement weather.
Then the idea of making a wax effigy, first the head and hands that were the protruding parts of the royal clothing. After burial or vaulting, it became customary to leave these pieces in church display, which ended up attracting many curious people. And we know, all of that had a price.
Later, posing in life for these figures also became popular and there were true master sculptors who traveled through the European courts collecting commissions and money. The custom was born in Europe among royalty, but the truth is that in the long run it crossed the seas and today there are museums also in America and the world, but no longer only of royalties but celebrities.
Wax museums in the United States
The United States has many wax museums, some in California, some in New York, Las Vegas, Washington, and the list goes on and on. Here you will find wax figures of all kinds, from some royalties, to famous musicians and characters from popular literature until, of course, Hollywood stars of all times.
Frankenstein's House
This museum is in Lake George, New York, and it is a museum of horror that, although in the title it refers to Frankestein, there are other horror movie and book characters that can scare you. The collection is based on classic scary literature and on the more traditional aspects of museums of this type, so there are some scenes of violence that can be somewhat strong.
Some characters scream, some move a little and all are scared, since it is a haunted house, after all. This museum is still open in a pandemic but it is convenient to check its days and hours because everything can change. At the moment it is open on weekends from 10 am to 5 or 6 pm. Admission is $ 10,75 per adult and $ 9 for children and students ages 81 to 13.
The Jesse James Wax Museum
Jesee James was a Wild west bandit, legendary. It is said that he died in 1882 but the museum recreates him to perfection. The museum contains photographs, information, vintage objects, more than 100 thousand, between personal belongings of James and his gang, weapons included.
In addition, visitors will see footage of interviews with people who knew James and of course, there are wax figures that reproduce the house of the bandit, the times of the Civil War, his robberies and much more. It is about living a multidimensional experience and it seems to be accomplished quite well.
This museum It is close to the Meramec Caves and it is on one of the most famous routes in the world, Route 66, as it passes through Missouri. Then, the visit is completed with a walk through these caverns that came to light after a strong flood in 1941. And it seems that the caves were the hiding place of the Jesse James gang.
The museum has different hours depending on the month, but keep in mind that between November and March it is closed. Admission is $ 10 per adult.
Hollywood Wax Museum
This museum is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It is a branch and is entertaining enough to go for a while before heading to the beach and its amusements. There are many figures of celebrities and some zombies, celebrities too after all.
Admission per adult costs between $ 27 and $ 30, but you can buy the All access pass and visit three museums in one: Hollywood Wax Museum, Hannah's Maze of Mirrors and Outbreak, Dread the Undead.
The museum is open every day from 9 am to 9 pm and nowadays the use of a chinstrap is mandatory.
Great Blacks National Museum
This wax museum is located in baltimore and it's about the history of African immigrants in the United States. The information provided here is not usually taught in schools and in addition to being very educational it is also very entertaining, as wax museums tend to be.
There is more of 150 life-size wax figures and several exhibition rooms with different themes. One is called The Underground Railroad, with the figures of Harriet Tbman and Thomas Garret, another section is called Entrepreneurship and there's Madam CJ Waler, another one is called Women's rights and abolitionism and it has the figures of Rosa Parks or Shirley Chisholm, for example. These are all names of black people who made their mark in America.
The museum is famous for the life-size replica of a slave trade ship and it is quite hard to see the conditions in which that traffic was carried out. Admission per adult costs $ 15 and the museum is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and on Sundays from noon to 5 pm. There are guided tours.
Potter Wax Museum
This museum works in the oldest pharmacy in the country, which gives it more charm. What's more, It is the oldest wax museum in the United States and there is a great variety of figures from Roman centurions to XNUMXst century celebrities.
The museum's founder, George Potter, became fascinated with wax figures on a visit to London and wanted to do something similar in the United States, but with national political figures. So he bought the best wax in France, the best hair in Italy, and paid the best craftsmen in the world. Manufacturing took place in Belgium and then everything was moved to the museum in 1949.
The museum is within the National Historic District, San Agustin, the oldest European neighborhood in the country, a very picturesque place. It is at 31 Orange St. and is open Monday through Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. Admission is around $ 11.
Salem Wax Museum
This museum is in Salem, Massachusetts. celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and together you can visit the attractions of Salem Witch Village and Trails Memorial and also Charter Street Burying Point, all related to the Witch hunt.
The site is super complete because in addition to the museum you can take night walks through streets and haunted houses. The tour discusses the history of the buildings, the activity of the spirits, and the accusations of witchcraft that fell on women at the time. Also there are day tours.
Of course, for the moment the museum is closed due to the pandemic but soon the opening of the online sale of tickets for October, available in July, will be announced. Even the tickets purchased for 2020 will be valid.
In Salem you can also visit the Pirate museum and in Bristol, Connecticut, the Dungeon Classic Movie Museum, a great destination if you like horror movies, with classic figures of Dracula, Frankestein, Nosferatu and the Phantom of the Opera, For example.
Madame Tussaud Museum
This museum is in Hollywood, California, and at the moment it is closed. Its collections are divided into several areas: Modern, Hollywood Spirit, Pop and Western Icons. There is also a virtual area, an area dedicated to the '90s, another of the films Marvel 4D and another dedicated to Jimmy Kimmel.
Admission is $ 20 and there is a Hollywood Walk of Fame with 115 celebrities to photograph. Madame Tussauds museums are undoubtedly the best known so you can also visit some of the branch offices Well, there are in New York, London and other cities in Europe and also in Asia.
National wax museum of the Presidents
This original museum is in South Dakota and contains about a hundred wax figures of each of the 45 president of the United States. The museum is just five minutes from Mount Rushmore, the famous mount with the faces of four presidents, in the city of Keystone.
There is an audio guide that narrates the historical context of the scenes reproduced by the figures, and a seven-minute video showing how the artists shaped the wax figures. There are also the death masks of the presidents, stars of a hundred and other historical figures. The museum is open today.