Fair value for money if you buy the three museum ticket
Flyctory.com Cons
Lower statue quality compared to Madame Tussauds (almost next door)
Light situation often not too ideal
One of the most classic attractions on the Hollywood Boulevard is the Hollywood Wax Museum, which has already opened its doors in February 1965. Especially as, nowadays, there is a direct peer in walking distance, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, I was very curious how the classic attraction compares to the market leader.
Hollywood Wax Museum – Location & Admission
The Hollywood Wax Museum is located quite in the heart of Hollywood Boulevards. Classic Hollywood attractions like the Chinese Theater are located in short walking distance. For local transport users, the Metro Station Hollywood / Highland is just next block.
Individual adult admission to the wax museum is 25.99 USD. You will likely end up buying the VIP Pass, which is 35.99 USD and additionally includes the Guinness World Records Museum and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. All attractions are in very close distance. Hollywood Wax Museum typically opens from 09:00 until midnight – on Fridays and Saturdays even until 01:00.
Hollywood Wax Museum – The Visit
The Hollywood Wax Museum concentrates on celebrities of the music industry. Movies, music, shows, cartoon starts – on the other hand, you will not find US presidents or other political / social heroics in the exhibition. In general, I felt that the figures have lower quality compared to Madame Tussauds, but they are not bad – you definitely do not end up in guessing who the wax figure builder was thinking about when he created a certain character. There are also signs which help you to identify the display – but there is just limited or mostly no biographic or background information.
Some of the figures feel to be a bit run down – I am not sure if it is just the age of the displays or the initial quality. Arnold Schwarzenegger, for example, was a bit too artificial, some other figures had a touch of a caricature, as their characteristics were modeled in a very strong and defined way.
Towards the end of the exhibition, you more head towards modern pop and entertainment culture. I loved to meet the Turtles (and liked their figures), while some of the music artists were hard to capture. In general, one thing I recognized which is just so good at Madame Tussauds is the quality of light at the statues. In places like the Hollywood Wax Museum, you much more frequently have to use flash for reasonable pictures.
Horror Chamber
You may bypass that scary area if you have some kids with you or simply feel too afraid of it – but in my point of view, you would miss the best part of the Hollywood Way Museum if you pass the Horror Chamber. It is not only a very atmospheric area and arrangement, but the lower quality of figures compared to their main peer on Hollywood Blvd. is simply less important in here. You can meet Dracula, Chucky The Muderdoll, Hannibal Lecter and many more characters – despite the compact space, the area is quite versatile.
Hollywood Wax Museum – Service
Apart from buying the admission, I did not feel too much service. There was staff around here and there, very passive. Of course, there is a souvenir store in the entrance / exit area, which majorly features “classic” Los Angeles souvenirs.
Hollywood Wax Museum – My View
If you do the three-museum package, the Hollywood Wax Museum is not too bad. Yeah, it is a bit more traditional (and thus: less precise) than the market leader one block away. Overall, the wax museum is quite small, but it is a fair value for the 12 USD, which is a third of the three-attraction ticket. The 26 USD solo ticket feels rather like a rip-off, though. If you want to have a rather short, enjoyable time with a touch of nostalgic feelings, you should definitely think about opting for the wax museum.
