National Wax Museum Plus facts for kids
| An Músaem Céarach Náisiúnta Plus | |
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| Established | June 1983 |
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| Location | 22-25 Westmoreland Street, Dublin, Ireland |
| Type | wax museum |
| Owner | Patrick Dunning |
| Public transit access | Stephen's Green Luas stop (Green Line) College Green bus stops |
| Nearest parking | Park Rite Fleet Street Car Park |
The National Wax Museum Plus is a super cool wax museum located in Dublin, Ireland. It first opened its doors in June 1983. Back then, it was simply called the National Wax Museum. Over the years, it moved to new locations and even got a new name!
History of the Wax Museum
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The National Wax Museum first opened in 1983. It was located on Granby Row in Dublin, near Parnell Square. The Lord Mayor of Dublin officially opened it. This building used to be a cinema before it became a wax museum.
In 2005, the original Wax Museum on Granby Row closed down. The building was going to be replaced by a new hotel. The museum then needed a new home for its amazing wax figures.
After a few years, in 2009, the museum found a new spot. It moved to Foster's Place in Temple Bar and changed its name to the Wax Museum Plus. But the museum moved again in 2016. It found an even bigger and better home in the Lafayette Building. This new location is right in the center of Dublin, on Westmoreland Street. The museum officially opened its doors there on April 25, 2017. It featured exciting new exhibits and even a special app for visitors to use.
The museum is currently owned by Patrick Dunning. He is also known for owning Grouse Lodge Studios, a place where music is recorded.
Exploring the Wax Figures
The museum has many different types of figures. While most are made of wax, some are made from other materials. This is because wax can be heavy or not suitable for certain characters. For example, the character Gollum from The Lord of the Rings is made from fiberglass.
When you visited the old museum, you would see a giant Irish mythical figure at the front. Inside, you could find figures like Crocodile Dundee and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. There were also famous Irish sports and entertainment stars.
As you went upstairs, you would see a fun "jack in the beanstalk" scene. Then, you would enter the Children's World. Here, you could find characters from storybooks and kids' TV shows. Popular attractions included tunnels to crawl through and figures from The Flintstones and Power Rangers.
Moving downstairs, you could see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Then, you would explore Irish history with figures like Wolfe Tone and Michael Collins. There were also Irish presidents like Éamon de Valera and Mary McAleese. You could also find famous Irish writers, TV presenters, and sports stars.
The museum also featured world leaders and famous people. You could see Princess Diana and leaders from World War II. There was even a three-dimensional wax version of Leonardo da Vinci's famous Last Supper painting.
Further downstairs, you would pass Christopher Reeve as Superman. You could also see the Pope and Cardinals with the actual Popemobile used by Pope John Paul II in 1979. There was a room with the Simpsons family where you could relax and take photos.
Visitors could then choose to enter the Chamber of Horrors. This section featured scary characters like Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Werewolf. You might also see Hannibal Lecter and Freddy Krueger.
After that, you would enter the "Hall of Megastars." This area featured famous musicians like Michael Jackson, David Bowie, U2, and Tina Turner. The tour would end with exciting scenes from movies. You could see Batman with Jack Nicholson as the Joker. There were also Star Wars figures like Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn battling Darth Maul.
Wax Figure Damages
In June 2007, some of the wax figures were damaged. This happened when they were stored in warehouses while the museum was looking for a new home. Vandals broke in and damaged many figures, even smashing some heads. Some figures were also stolen, like Bob the Builder. This made it even harder for the museum to find a new location. The museum's main sculptor, P.J. Heraty, worked hard to fix and even remake the broken figures.
Images for kids
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Old Foster Place location
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The National Wax Museum at it was then known was originally situated in Granby Row
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James Joyce
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Sean O'Casey
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Bernard Shaw
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Oscar Wilde
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William Butler Yeats
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Mary McAleese
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Samuel Beckett
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Brendan Behan
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Patrick Kavanagh
