London - What would it be like to be surrounded by hundreds of Hollywood stars, as if you were at an Oscar-awarding ceremony with them? Not only Hollywood stars, but also Bollywood stars, sports stars, world leaders, members of royalty, cultural figures and pop stars, are waiting for you in Madame Tussaud's, the famous museum in London. The story of this wax museum started in the Paris of 1770, where Madame Marie Tussaud learnt to model wax likenesses under the tutelage of her mentor, Dr Philippe Curtius. At the age of 17, this young Swiss lady became art tutor to King Louis XVI's sister at the Palace of Versailles and then, during the French Revolution, she was hastily forced to prove her allegiance to the feudalistic nobles by making the death masks of executed aristocrats. Madame Tussaud came to Britain in the early 19th century alongside a travelling exhibition of revolutionary relics and effigies of public heroes and rogues. As you get out of the lift and walk over a red carpet into the museum, it's a pleasant surprise to hear a camera clicking and see a bright flash, as someone takes your photo. For a moment, you too feel like a superstar. The museum is crowded with people from all over the world. But are they real people or wax effigies? It's very hard to tell. Many millions of people have flocked to Madame Tussaud's since its doors first opened more than two centuries ago. Today, it's still as popular as ever. There are many reasons for this enduring success, but at the heart of it all is good, old-fashioned curiosity. “It's really wow to be face to face with Nicole Kidman and Kate Winselt,” said a 14-year-old American lad called Tom Dave, waiting in the very long queue for tickets. “I'm so excited. I've heard a lot from my friends about how great this museum is,” he told the Egyptian Mail. Visitors to Madame Tussaud's are sent on a unique, emotionally charged journey through the realms of the powerful and famous. There, you'll find Mahatma Gandhi standing in front of Professor Isaac Newton in the same hall as Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the royal family. A unique variety of different centuries' characters in one place, with a very real look in their eyes, makes you wonder what they talk about every night when all the visitors leave and the door is locked. The museum-style ropes and poles have gone so guests can truly get up, close and personal, to A-list celebrities, sporting legends, political heavyweights and historical icons, reliving the times, events and moments that made the world talk about them. “It's great taking photos with all these stars; they don't look like wax models, as they are just like me,” said Nina Walter, 23-year-old dress designer, who, with her friend Lalian, had come to the museum and was snapping pictures left, right and centre. Madame Tussaud's Museum is not just about wax figures, as there's much more on offer too. When you've finished with all the wax figures, you find yourself walking into the scream chamber. There, you experience something like a little horror movie, in which you're one of the actors. You enter a long dark corridor, while the voices of people imitating serial killers assail you from every side. These are real actors, not wax figures, and their faces and hands come frightening close to you. It is a breathtaking experience, not recommended for the under-12s, pregnant women and people with heart problems or high blood pressure. When you've recovered from the shock, you get into a London cab, which takes you on a tour through the ages, showing you the British capital's history with moving wax models. “It is just like a dream, in which I'm moving through time and place,” said Joe Anderson, a 35-year-old engineer, who came with his wife to celebrate Valentine's Day with the stars they love.
