Madame Tussauds is a museum of wax sculpture. Its fame is probably based on the longevity of its existence more than any other feature. The sculptures themselves, of historical and famous people, are so lifelike as to be scary. Today there are Madame Tussauds museums all across the world including in Darling Harbor, Sydney.

Madame Tussaud learned the art of wax sculpture as a child in the late 1700s, and when threatened by the French revolution and Napoleonic wars, used her collection of

figures to provide her income by touring England and Ireland. Eventually the collection came to rest in London (1831) where it has remained since. As a recreational and tourist attraction of such longevity, Tussauds has become an institution of value well beyond its contents.

While the main museum is in London, there are smaller satellite museums all over the world. Recently we visited the museum in Sydney at one end of Darling Harbor.

Because the museum is located in Darling Harbor, it is relatively easy to get to. There are train, bus and tram services that either go right to Darling Harbor or will deposit you within a short walk. We were staying at the Wyndham Sydney Apartments and so we simply walked there.

Like most tourist attractions, the ticket pricing is based on all that the traffic would bear. On the other hand, wax is not the most durable of media and perhaps the prices could be justified by the cost of maintaining the excellent condition of the displays.

There are lots of photo opportunities with athletes, movie stars and singers. Not being so much interested in those items, my likes tended more to the figures of Gandhi,

Obama and Mandela. Not all the figures are of real people. One highlight was a lifelike figure of ET on the handle bars of a bicycle.

The historic dioramas such as Cook in a ship’s master cabin and Henry Parkes in his study were excellent but perhaps not as striking – due to lack of familiarity – as the more contemporary figures. Another historical diorama of note was Kingsford Smith with the Southern Cross.

Walking through the halls of Madame Tussauds can be something of a spooky experience. There is a continual dissonance of feeling as the two sets of figures – wax and flesh – swirl together. I was frequently caught out as a figure, that I thought was wax, began to move.

Overall, Madame Tussauds is well worth a visit. There is sure to be something that will delight anyone. It is especially a favourite of my teenage daughter.