MYSTERY SHOPPER
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MADAME TUSSAUD’S OPENED ITS NINTH SITE IN
HOLLYWOOD LAST SUMMER AND CLAIMS TO BE “THE
HOLLYWOOD EXPERIENCE”. MARK HAYWARD OF BRC
IMAGINATION ARTS TELLS US IF THE ATTRACTION’S WORTH
WAXING LYRICAL ABOUT OR IF THE MODEL’S BELOW PAR
Madame Tussaud’s red carpet entrance
H
ollywood! The word itself conjures Entertainments purchased The Tussauds “Hollywood” experience. Other attractions
up a universe of magic, drama Group in 2007 and subsequently oversaw include Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum,
and celebrity. But, like most Los the development in conjunction with JR Kodak Theater, Hollywood Wax Museum
Angelenos, I live in fear of out-of-town Miller & Associates and ROTO Architects. and Hollywood History Museum.
guests who want to “see Hollywood.” How The total square footage of the attraction is The building was designed as a spec
do you explain that most of what they 30,000 sq ft (3000 sq m). The total project project a decade ago by LA architect
think they know of Hollywood is created in cost is published at $55M (£32.2m, 36.4). John Ash. Later, architect Michael Rotondi,
dressing rooms, back lots, sound stages former Morphosis Architects founder,
and secured location shoots? These LOCATION AND BUILDING signed on and helped rework the build-
ephemeral places and characters exist for Unlike cities such as West Hollywood, ing into a series of colliding and fractured
exquisite moments that are gone before Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, Hollywood forms incorporating rough industrial fi n-
the lights fade to black. Star sightings in remains a part of the City of Los Angeles. ishes. The plan of the three-storey building
LA are not uncommon, but there are no This has been one of the largest barriers to is U-shaped, wrapping around a plaza that
guarantees. Or are there? realising Hollywood’s potential as a holistic opens onto Hollywood Boulevard. The fl ow
visitor destination. Madame Tussaud’s is of the overall experience is generally good
BACKGROUND located on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of despite a few awkward dead-end galleries
Few attraction brands are more success- Fame. Developed in the 1920s and includ- and fl oor-grade transitions.
ful or established than Madame Tussaud’s. ing landmarks such as Grauman’s Chinese The exterior plaza echoes the famous
Tussaud’s infamous exhibitions of wax fi g- Theatre, Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, and foot and handprint-laden court of the
ures predated the founding of most public the El Capitan Theatre (now operated by adjacent Grauman’s Chinese Theatre that
museums. Today, there are nine Madame The Walt Disney Company), the area has, receives an estimated seven million visitors
Tussaud’s locations on three continents. after being very run down, experienced a a year. The contemporary character of the
The agreement for the Hollywood public and private funded renaissance in building could have seemed out of place
location was made in 2005. Merlin the past decade, offering a newly sanitised in the context of Old Hollywood’s revival
Interacting with the wax fi gures, including Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake and Uma Thurman is a big part of the guest’s experience
22 Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital AM 1 2010
©
cybertrek 2010
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