Madame Tussauds Amsterdam - The Big Overview

Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and the Dalai Lama – at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Amsterdam you can experience the greatest personalities of our time up close. In our overview, you will learn everything about tickets, opening hours, prices, and who our favorite figures are.

Did he just wink at me? Funny animations with sounds, movements, and some surprises make a visit to Madame Tussauds (pronounced “Madam Tuso”) an exciting and entertaining experience.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is centrally located, directly on Dam Square, and is just a short walk from the main train station. Below you will find a map with directions.

• Most important info at a glance - Opening hours, prices, and tickets
• How do I get there? - Directions with route and map
• Our favorite figures - Overview of the themed areas
• Who is Madame Tussauds? - Brief exciting story
• Conclusion - Is a visit to Madame Tussauds worthwhile?

Stay tuned: We start with the most important information about tickets and opening hours. Finally, we reveal what we liked and disliked most about Madame Tussauds.

Tickets and Opening Hours - Important Info at a Glance

You should plan about 2 hours for a visit. It can take you up to 45 minutes to get a ticket. So it's better to book online in advance. The least busy time is between 10:00 and 11:30 in the morning and from 5:00 to 8:00 in the evening.

That was the most important information at a glance. In the next part, you'll learn how to get to Madame Tussauds and what our favorite characters are. Finally, we have summarized the exciting history of Madame Tussaud's for you.

Your Tour Recommendations

How do I get to Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam?

Madame Tussauds Museum is centrally located on Dam Square. You can easily walk there from the main station. There is a perfect tram connection from almost every place in Amsterdam to Dam Square.

By foot: It is only an 11-minute walk from the main station. If you are at the Bahnhofsplatz, all you have to do is go straight ahead along the main street “Damrak”. After about 750 meters you will reach Dam Square. There you can see the big building on the right.

By tram: It is a little faster with the tram. The ride from the main station takes only 6 minutes. Take tram number 4, 14 or 24 and get off at the "Dam" stop. Here you can buy discounted tram tickets.

How about a Selfie with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt? In the next part, you'll find out what our favorite figures at the Madame Tussauds museum are and whether it is really worth a visit.

Our favorite figures at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam

Lady Gaga, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Spiderman. Athletes, actors, musicians and many more. The exhibition at Madame Tussauds is divided into different themes. We will briefly introduce them all and tell you what our favorite characters are.

Those in the pictures are our favorite characters. Which ones are yours? Spoiler alert! If you have never been to Madame Tussauds before, and you want to get surprised, you should skip to the next topic, the “History of Madame Tussauds”.

• A-List - The most famous Hollywood stars have come together in the party room. How many Oscars are in this room? Actors like Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, and Ryann Gosling are waiting for you.
• Music - A backstage meeting with the greatest pop idols of our time. Experience life-size stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Adele, or Michael Jackson. Karaoke and dancing make this themed area an interactive experience.
• Marvel © Avengers - Hulk, Spiderman, Ironman, Thor, and many more. The Avengers' superheroes in Amsterdam. There is a cool making-of video for this themed area. A sculptor has worked on Loki's head alone for 6 weeks.
• I am Art - Amsterdam is a city of art and paintings. Famous artists like Rembrandt and Vincent Van Gogh present their most beautiful works. This theme is wonderfully colorful and informative. Tip: If you want to learn more about the great Vincent Van Gogh, check out our page about the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
• Fashion - From the catwalk directly to the museum. Fashion icons like Kate Moss and Doutzen Kroes invite you into the dazzling world of fashion.
• Sports - The best athletes in the world have long been superstars and earned their place in the Madame Tussauds with a lot of sweat and training. Get a selfie with one of many sports stars like David Beckham, Lionel Messi, or Raphael Nadal.
• World Leaders - They are the most powerful personalities in the world: idols like the Dalai Lama and politicians like Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, and many others. It is really fascinating to meet the world politicians you usually only see in the news – even if they are just wax figures.
• DJs - They have moved from small clubs to the largest arenas in the world. DJs are the new superstars. Besides big Dutch names like Armin Van Buuren and Hardwell, the Madame Tussauds' turntables also feature international superstars like Tiësto and Afrojack.
• Film - E.T., Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, and Daniel Craig. A journey through time and a must for all cinema fans. Especially cool is the fact that these movie heroes can be seen in their greatest roles. You can take part again and play one or the other supporting role.

Whether girls or boys, whether young or old, there is something for everyone here. We were particularly fascinated by the wonderfully designed figures. So much attention to detail; these are the works of real artists.

Stay tuned! The next part will tell you all about the exciting history of Madame Tussauds’ Wax Museum.

One last note: We try to keep this page up to date. However, Madame Tussauds may change the exhibition and no longer show figures that are described in this article. If you notice such an error, please drop us a comment.

The exciting history of Madame Tussauds

The first Madame Tussauds Museum is located in London. The museum was founded by Marie Grosholtz. Marie was born in Strasbourg and moved to Paris in 1767. At that time, the French Revolution was sweeping through the country, and the turbulent history took its course.

Here, the story becomes a bit morbid

The French King Louis XVI ordered to skewer the heads of executed revolutionaries on lances and to exhibit them. Since these heads soon decayed, they had to be replaced.

During the making of the death masks, Marie was able to show what she had learned from her uncle. When the revolution was over, and her uncle had died, Marie started traveling with the wax head collection.

A dream comes true: her own museum

The wax figures were so well received that Marie and her sons founded their own museum in 1835. But, there were also bad times in Madame Tussaud's past.

Fire and destruction – Madame Tussauds stands its ground

A fire caused by a short circuit destroyed many figures in 1925. Napoleon's deathbed, for example, was one of the many historical treasures that were lost forever.

Then there was the air battle over England. Thousands of molds were destroyed during a bombing attack. Fortunately, the museum had already become so famous at that time that many visitors continued to visit it and ensured its continued existence to this day.

Great success and worldwide expansion

Las Vegas, New York, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and many more. Today Madame Tussauds runs exhibitions all over the world. The wax figures are so popular that the Tussauds Group was able to take over other leisure companies such as the London Eye and Heidepark. Since 2007, the company has been part of the Merlin Entertainments Group, which also operates the “Amsterdam Dungeon.”

We are confident that the story will continue and that many more Madame Tussauds locations will be established around the world. We slowly come to an end; in the last section you learn whether it is worth visiting Madame Tussauds.

Conclusion – Is it worth visiting Madame Tussauds?

We would have expected a little more in terms of the size of the exhibition. Many of the figures are Dutch celebrities. Unfortunately, tourists hardly know them.

But: The many international exhibitions are incredibly interactive and realistic. If you've never been to Madame Tussauds before, it is definitely worth a visit. All in all, you can expect a lot of fun for children and adults – and, of course, take a lot of selfies 😉

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