September 7, 2009
Madame Tussauds – Letting You Hang Out With The Stars
By Guy Chapman
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas Tickets
Nestled deep within the outskirts of the Venetian Hotel and Casino is a chance to meet and mingle with some of the greatest celebrities and historical figures of our time. It doesn’t matter if they are still alive or not, or even if they’re from this century. They’ll be waiting for eager visitors to hang around them, or even snap as many playful photos as one wants with them, and they won’t even say a word. Of course, the fact that these “celebrities” are made from wax could have something to do with all of this.
Madame Tussauds of Las Vegas is the Venetian’s official branch of the venerable and revered wax museum. From the moment visitors walk in, they are given the full star treatment, complete with a red carpet appearance of a statuette of Joan Rivers and a full paparazzi ready to “snap photos” of their visitors. And that’s before the admission ticket is even scanned.
The attraction starts with a selection of some of the best and brightest from television, films, politics, sports, and media, each with sections highlighting these stars and important figures from various time periods, and there are a number of celebrities in attendance. Among the number of figures present range from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Britney Spears, Evel Knievel, Jessica Simpson, Michael Jackson, Paul Newman, Michael Jordan, and President Obama.
The attention to detail is remarkable and somewhat jarring in its realism. There are times that a quick glance can surprise visitors into thinking that there is another actual person standing right next to them, and the sense of a physical presence is remarkable. The sculptors of these figures capture every facet of a personality in the most meticulous of detail.
But this isn’t the standard museum experience where one is expected to look but not touch. The museum encourages visitors to “play” with the sculptures for photo opportunities. This includes the chance to lie in bed with Hugh Hefner, shooting hoops with Shaq, to having Simon Cowell critique a music performance during karaoke. And for the ladies, one can complete their fantasy of marrying George Clooney at the altar, complete with putting on a wedding dress. The immersion in the experience brings the fun of the museum’s experience to a whole new level.
Speaking of a “whole new level”, braver visiting souls have a chance to visit the “Scream Spook Show”. Once going down the stairs and past an agile looking Spider-Man sculpture, guests can participate in this interactive horror tour. This section substitutes the wax sculptures for jumps and scares, as a group of visitors must brave a twisting maze of fast moving ghouls, dark corridors, and flashing light effects. For those guests looking for a more casual less intense experience, never fear: This section of the museum is completely optional.
Among the highlights of the tour includes an entire section devoted to the names and faces of Las Vegas who has built the reputation of the city as one of the greatest entertainment capitals of the world, complete with a sculpture of Mayor Oscar Goodman greeting all newcomers. Visitors can encounter, and play with The Rat Pack, Liberace, Wayne Newton, Elton John, Elvis, and many others.
The overall tour will keep delighted guests busy with photo opportunities and celebrity encounters unlike what can be found anywhere else. As visitors turn each corner, they will never know who they may run into next, so keep that camera ready!
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas Tickets
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You have to go out of your way to find the Las Vegas version of this world famous Museum. And unlike the Liberace Museum or others that have loads of authentic items, this museum leans more on displays, facts, and videos. However, if you (or your kids) are curious about the world we live in, this is a reasonably fun and inexpensive stop on your Vegas itinerary.
A special Las Vegas section notes the records set by the Luxor Beam (strongest light — can be seen from space), Stratosphere Tower (highest thrill rides), Fremont St. Experience light show, Hoover Dam, and others.
Hoover Dam has often been referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World. If you have flown in from the east or the south, you might have seen it from the air, but nothing can compare to seeing it up close and in person.
Have you ever been to one of those seaside aquariums? “Baby, this ain’t one of those.” Mandalay Bay’s new Shark Reef features some of the most exotic and dangerous aquatic animals in the world and puts you right in the middle of it. They have built one of North America’s largest displays of sharks and other salt water predators.
Shark Reef includes almost 100 different species including:
Eels/Marine Invertebrates/Rays: Eels, invertebrates and rays each have exhibits to showcase their species at Shark Reef Moray eels, southern stingrays and hundreds of moon jellyfish are among these creatures. We have a few minor complaints. Shark Reef is quite a hike from the main casino area (past the pool, the arena, convention area and then a little farther).
There are flat screen monitors throughout the display but they don’t say much. Perhaps more informative multimedia displays are planned. Also, the $12.95 price was drawing a few grumbles from people at the ticket booth (although none once they were inside). Perhaps a $10 ticket price in line with the Secret Gardens of Siegfried and Roy would be in order.
After being greeted by Elvis in voice, you enter the museum area to see the music wall, showcasing every commercially released 45, EP, and LP ever recorded by the King along brief year-by-year history of his life.
His Army years are chronicled with one of only two Army trunks that he shipped back from Germany containing a set of his fatigues and 8 pages of personal, hand written correspondence between Colonel Parker and Elvis dated 1959 and 1960. You can feel the presence of Elvis through the many and varied personally scripted items.
The museum houses a number of Elvis’ trademark jumpsuits, including the “Cisco Kid” black and green leather-trimmed one worn in 1971 that was pictured on the “He Touched Me” album sleeve. A recent purchase (and only on display for the rest of the summer) is the dark blue two-piece sleeveless jumpsuit with jewel-studded jacket and ornate blue leather belt that Elvis wore during performances at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1975.
Madame Tussaud’s is billed as a “celebrity encounter,” and is probably the closest most of us will ever get to the real thing. Hey, if this is as close as you can get, it’s pretty darn close! This isn’t the kind of wax museum one finds at a traveling carnival or some beach resort town. These true works of art were often created with the complete cooperation of the celebrity depicted and no detail has been left out.
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