Wax Museum at Fishermans Wharf facts for kids

The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, was a popular place to visit in San Francisco. It featured more than 270 lifelike wax figures. Thomas Fong opened the museum in 1963. His family ran it for 50 years until it closed in 2013. Many people, sometimes over 400,000 each year, came to see the amazing wax figures.

The San Francisco Wax Museum

Who Started the Museum?

Thomas L. Fong, the museum's founder, was born in Canton Province, China on January 4, 1913. He moved to San Francisco when he was 17 years old. A family friend helped him come to the United States. By 1938, Mr. Fong owned a jewelry store. He also worked on building new properties.

In the early 1960s, Thomas Fong bought an old building near Fisherman’s Wharf. He decided to turn it into a wax museum. The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf first opened its doors on May 12, 1963. Because of its success, his family later bought another museum. This was the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, California, which they owned from 1985 to 2005.

By 1989, Thomas Fong, known as Tommy, handed over the museum's management. His son, Ron Fong, and grandson, Rodney Fong, took charge. Thomas Fong passed away on November 26, 2000, at 87 years old.

A New Home for Wax Figures

The original Wax Museum building was taken down in 1998. Over 10 million people had visited it since it first opened. The museum then reopened two years later in a brand-new building. This new four-story building was very large, about 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²). It cost $18 million to build.

The new building was inspired by old French architecture. It also included shops and a restaurant. The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf officially reopened on July 13, 2000. It was located in the basement of the new building. This spot was actually nine feet below the bay level! In 2008, about 250,000 people visited the museum each year.

The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf closed its doors for good on August 15, 2013. The next year, a company called Merlin Entertainments took over the building. They invested $35 million to open a Madame Tussauds Wax Attraction. Madame Tussauds San Francisco opened in June 2014. It featured a whole new collection of wax figures.

What Could You See Inside?

The museum had a few wax figures in its lobby. These figures were often of current interest. The bodies of the wax statues were made from different materials. These included wood, fiberglass, papier-mâché, and beeswax. It took about two or three months to create each figure.

Many of the sculptures were made by Gem's Wax Figures in London. Ron Fong, the founder's son, also crafted some. Other figures were made by Henry Alvarez and Kahn Gasimov. Kahn Gasimov was a sculptor who previously worked at London's Madame Tussauds.

The museum's main exhibits were underground. They featured more than 270 figures and scenes. You could see famous scenes like The Last Supper and characters from Wizard of Oz. There were also figures of ancient rulers like King Tut. A special area called the Chamber of Horrors showed spooky figures.

Other displays included famous sports stars and important historical people. There was a section with leaders like Fidel Castro and Napoleon Bonaparte. A display about World War II generals included a real Willys jeep. You could even hear sounds of explosions and machine-gun fire. A scientists' section featured figures like Galileo, Albert Einstein, and Bill Gates. The museum also showcased famous composers, artists, and current celebrities.