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 cool waxworks in Dublin, Ireland. It first opened its doors in 1983. Back then, it was simply called the National Wax Museum. Later, it moved to a new spot and got its current name.
Contents
Museum's Journey Through Time
The National Wax Museum started its life in 1983. It was located on Granby Row in Dublin 1. The Lord Mayor of Dublin officially opened it. This building had an interesting past. It was once a chapel, then a cinema, before becoming the wax museum. Sadly, this old building was later taken down to build a hotel.
New Homes for the Museum
The original museum on Granby Row closed in 2005. The site was going to become a hotel. In 2009, the museum found a new home. It moved to 4 Fosters Place in Temple Bar. At this time, it changed its name to the Wax Museum Plus.
Then, in December 2016, the building at Foster's Place was sold. So, the Wax Museum had to move again! Its newest home is in the Lafayette Building. This is right in the center of Dublin, at 22–25 Westmoreland Street. The museum opened its doors there on April 25, 2017. It came with exciting new exhibits and even a cool app that uses augmented reality!
Who Owns the Museum?
The museum used to be owned by Donie Cassidy. He was a Senator and a former TD (a member of the Irish Parliament). Now, the museum is owned by Patrick Dunning. He is known for owning Grouse Lodge Studios, a music recording studio.
Amazing Wax Figures and Exhibits
The museum is full of amazing figures! Not all of them are made of wax. Some are made from other materials like fiberglass. This happens if wax isn't suitable for a character. For example, Gollum from The Lord of the Rings is made of fiberglass. Wax is heavy and best for realistic human skin tones.
When you visited the old museum, you would see a giant Irish mythical figure at the front. Inside, you might meet figures like Gollum. As you walked through, you'd see characters like Crocodile Dundee and E.T.. There were also famous Irish sports and entertainment stars.
Exploring Different Worlds
A winding staircase led upstairs. It had a "jack in the beanstalk" scene with a giant! From there, you entered the Children's World. Here, you could see many storybook characters. There were also figures from children's TV shows. A fun part was the tunnels where kids could crawl through. You could also find characters like The Flintstones, the Power Rangers, and Bob the Builder.
Next, you would go downstairs. You might see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Then, you'd find many important Irish historical figures. These included Wolfe Tone and figures from the 1916 Rising. You could also see Michael Collins. After that, there were Irish presidents like Éamon de Valera and Mary McAleese. There were also Taoisigh (Irish prime ministers).
The tour continued with Irish theatre stars, writers, and TV presenters. You'd also see G.A.A. (Gaelic Athletic Association) stars. Then, you moved to famous world leaders. These included Princess Diana and leaders from World War II. There were also modern American leaders. A special exhibit was a 3D wax version of Leonardo da Vinci's famous Last Supper painting.
More Exciting Discoveries
Going downstairs again, you'd pass Christopher Reeve as Superman. You could also see the Pope and Cardinals. They stood on the actual Popemobile from Pope John Paul II's visit to Ireland in 1979!
Then, you entered a room with the Simpsons family. You could sit down and watch a film. Or, you could take a fun photo in a set of medieval stocks. Visitors then had a choice. They could enter the Chamber of Horrors or skip it. The Chamber of Horrors had scary characters. These included Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, and the Mummy. You could also see Hannibal Lecter rattling prison bars. There was even an X-files alien and Freddy Krueger.
After that, there was another tunnel for children. Then, you reached the "Hall of Megastars." This area had figures of famous musicians. You could see Michael Jackson, David Bowie, U2, Tina Turner, Ronan Keating, and Irish rock star Phil Lynott.
The tour often ended with fun scenes. One was dedicated to Batman. It featured Jack Nicholson as the Joker and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. Another scene was from Star Wars. It showed Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn battling Darth Maul. You could also see Yoda and a young Anakin Skywalker.
Damage to Wax Figures
In June 2007, something sad happened. The wax figures were in storage, waiting for a new home. Break-ins happened at the warehouses. Many figures were damaged by vandals. Some even had their heads smashed. A few figures were also stolen. These included Bob the Builder and many army uniforms from scenes like the 1916 Rising. This made it even harder to find a new place for the museum. The museum's main sculptor, P.J. Heraty, had a big job. He had to fix or even remake the broken figures.
Images for kids
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Wax figures exhibition at the museum
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A Game of Thrones exhibit in the Wax Museum in Dublin.
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Gallery
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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
