Madame Tussaud's New York Wax Museum (Manhattan, NY)

Million and millions of people have flocked through the doors of Madame Tussauds London since they first opened over 200 years ago. Madame Tussauds opened its doors in the heart of Times Square in New York City in the year of 2000.

There are many reasons for this enduring success, but at the heart of it all is good, old fashioned curiosity. Today visitors are sent on a unique journey through the realms of history, power and fame. The museum-style ropes and poles have gone so guests can truly get up close and personal with A-list celebrities, sports legends, political heavyweights and historical icons, reliving times, events and moments that made the world talk about them.

Get up close and personal with your favorite celebrities at the 85,000 square-foot, five-story Madame Tussaud’s New York. Opened in November, the New York version of the famous London museum takes on “the face of the place” presenting New York’s most famous and infamous personalities, as well as figures of international fame and acclaim.

Leave time to tour these six themed, interactive environments showcasing nearly 200 masterfully crafted, lifelike wax figures:

• The Opening Night Party, set in an Italian baroque garden, features Woody Allen, Bette Midler, Nicolas Cage, Hugh Grant, Oprah Winfrey, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Donald Trump:

• Madame Tussaud’s Story, spanning 200 years of history, features Marie Antoinette and Napoleon’s lover Josephine.

• Behind the Scenes is a multimedia exhibit about the process of creating the incredibly life-like wax figures at the museum featuring Al Roker and others.

• The Gallery, set in a meeting of the United Nations, features The Dalai Lama, Maya Angelou, John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Buffalo Bill and Diana, Princess of Wales:

• Popular Culture, a whirlwind history of the trendsetters of the 20th century, features Mikhail Barishnikov, Babe Ruth, Janis Joplin, Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Bill Gates and Neil Armstrong:

• It Happened in New York is an immersive midnight ride celebrating the city’s illustrious history.

Madame Tussaud’s New York joins the growing international family of museums with locations in London, Amsterdam, Las Vegas and Hong Kong. The tradition began in 18th century Paris, when Madame Tussaud was forces to create death masks for aristocrats executed in the French Revolution. In 1835, she established the London museum, which now welcomes more than 2.5 million guests each year.