Marie Tussaud was born in Strasbourg in Her father died two months before she was born, and her family moved to Switzerland. Her mother worked for a German doctor. The doctor was an unusual man who enjoyed making wax models of parts of human body. He soon got a reputation for making good likeness of peoples heads as well. He moved to Paris because he wanted to earn money by making models of the rich and famous. Soon Marie and her mother joined him in Paris. When she was six years old, the doctor taught her how to work in wax. Her portraits became so popular that by the time she was twenty she was living in the Palace of Versailles because the royal family invited her to live there.

The museum is situated in Marylebone Road, not far from the street, which is famous as the home of the first great detective in fiction of Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes. Thеrе are several halls at Madam Tussauds: the Grand Hall, the Chamber of Horrors and «The Spirit of London» exhibition.

Madam Tussauds wax museum is the most popular museum in the world. There are wax models of the famous and infamous people both living and dead. Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marilyn Monro, Michael Jackson, Charlie Chapling, the British Royal Family, Bill Clinton etc. There is no other place in the world where you can see all the celebrities at once, even if they are only wax figures.

The wax figures are standing and sitting and sometimes even moving and talking. They are extremely realistic and when they look at you, their eyes sparkling, you often feel uncomfortable in their company. Over the years hundreds of celebrities have made their way to Madam Tussauds studio. Most people agree to be portrayed, but some refuse. Mother Teresa was one of the few who declined, saying her work was important, not her person.