On Saturday, we had a few extra friends hanging around the house, so we packed everyone up to check out Madame Tussaud's in DC. Our crew included one mom and 3 first graders.
Madame Tussaud's is very easy to get to. There's easy metro access, but we ended up driving (395-14th street-F street) and were there in about 30 minutes, including parking. There's a $10 a day parking garage right across the street, but there's also lots of on-street parking available if you go on a day that isn't full of Cherry Blossom visitors trying to beat the snow!
When you enter Madame Tussaud's, there's a line to pay, then a few steps down to a brief video where they demonstrate how the wax figures are made. You then head to the left (I'm mentioning this because I was a little unclear on where to go!) and go through a few halls of presidents. Several of the exhibits have a way to interact with the figures- for exmaple, George Washington has a "boat" that you can sit in and don a Washington-esque coat for a pictures. Lincoln (depicted sitting in the balcony at Ford's theatre) also has a coat you can wear for your picture. Bring. Your. Camera. If your kids are anything like the kids I took, you will hear "take my picture!! take my picture!!!" around 3,000 times :)
After you move through the presidents, there's a spot at the end where they take commemorative pictures in the "White House" or with the "Obamas", and then you move into some historical figures. There's Rosa Parks and a bus background, Martin Luther King Junior, Malcom X, and also some historical figures in with the presidents like Jackie O, the Apollo astronauts, Winston Churchill, and others.
The final two sections are famous athletes and movie stars/singers. The little girl that we brought was excited to point out the Jonas Brothers. I took a picture with my future ex-husband, George Clooney ;) and my only complaint was probably that there was a Robert Pattinson who wasn't sparkly, and there was no shirtless Taylor Lautner. Just saying.
The kids I took (all 7 years old) had a really great time. They were super excited about people they recognized (Washington, Lincoln, Obama, Tiger Woods, Britney Spears, Jonas Brothers, astronauts) and anything that had an interactive component. They were also happy to have me take their picture with anyone who they thought looked cool. I think that the ideal age to take here would be 9 or older, just because they would have exposure to more of the historical people and would be more excited to see them, and would be able to read the fun-facts more independently. That said, I was totally happy with our trip and my 7's had a great time!! Fair Warning: The end of the tour dumps you into the gift shop, so be prepared to stop any wandering little hands.
Madame Tussauds was definitely a fun trip for us!! If you're looking to go and would like to save a little money on your trip, you have two options: 1- order online. You'll save 15% off the regular price. Or, if it's still March 27th, check out our facebook ticket giveaway!
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