Wax Museum in New York

Lincoln's Haircut Chair.Lincoln's Haircut Chair.

Many of the exhibits in the Niagara Wax Museum of History date from its opening in 1968 - roughly the same time that the city of Niagara Falls, New York, bulldozed most of its tourist district in an ill-fated attempt at urban renewal.

Some may find the museum's vintage unappealing; we think it's great. Over on the busy bee Canadian side of the Falls nothing would've lasted this long, but here it's safely frozen in time (it's a history museum, after all) offering a view of Niagara Falls glories and calamities that would have otherwise been forgotten, and a roster of tourist celebrities who are nearly all dead.

Devil's Hole Massacre of 1763. Devil's Hole Massacre of 1763.

For fans of wax dummies the museum is a treat, with examples ranging from the frighteningly lifelike (Mother Teresa) to the just plain frightening (Mark Twain). The wonky eyes and wild wigs on some of the mannequins suggest the goggle-eyed wonder and hair-tousling power of the Falls - at least that's what we told ourselves.

Owner Doug Brown, nephew of the museum's founder, gave us a quick rundown of the surprisingly large (46 galleries) museum. A local Native American mask with a half-scrunched-up head, he said, was a human who had challenged the gods, "and they got mad at him, so they moved a mountain with his face." When we asked why the museum has a wax dummy of Mother Teresa but not Marilyn Monroe (both visited the Falls) Doug answered that Marilyn "would get touched a lot" while "most people aren't trying to grope Mother Teresa."

Checkers-playing firefighters.

The reason Niagara Falls even has a Wax Museum of History is the Falls, which tumble only a few hundred feet from the museum entrance.Daredevil Anna Taylor. Almost all of the museum's exhibits relate in some way to its watery namesake, from the diorama on the Devil's Hole Massacre of 1763 (with many bloody dummies) to the chair in which tourist Abraham Lincoln got a haircut in 1848.

The high-concept "King of Power, Queen of Beauty" display contrasts the Falls' hydroelectric potential with waxy likenesses of Princess Di, Julia Roberts, and the previously noted Mother Teresa. According to Doug, the exhibit replaced a fire station display; its checkers-playing firefighters now sit in another part of the museum, "since it happened around 9/11, as a tribute to the firemen." It is one of the oddest 9/11 memorials we've seen.

"People wonder, what are they doing there?" said Doug of the fireman. "But there is a reason for all of this stuff."

Checkers-playing firefighters.

You might also like

Wax Museum Unveils Celebrity Look-Alike Pumpkins in New York
Wax Museum Unveils Celebrity Look-Alike Pumpkins in New York
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Manhatten, New York, on May
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Manhatten, New York, on May ...
America in Wax: An Armchair Tour Visiting the Famous People and Fascinating Events from the Earliest Explorers to the Present as Captured in Wax Museums Througout the United States, Canada and Abroad
Book (New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. 1977)
America in Wax: An Armchair Tour Visiting the Famous People and Fascinating Events from the Earliest Explorers to the Present as Captured in Wax Museums Througout the United States, Canada and Abroad
Book (New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. 1977)
Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 5 (Charlie Chan At The Wax Museum/Murder Over New York/Dead Men Tell/Charlie Chan In Rio/Charlie Chan In Panama/Murder Cruise/Castle in the Desert)
DVD (20th Century Fox)
  • Factory sealed DVD
Chesapeake Bay Candle New York Botanical Garden by Chesapeake Bay Candle Decorative 2-Wick Jar with Lid, Provence Rose
Home (Chesapeake Bay Candle)
  • Soy wax blend candle with Provence Rose fragrance
  • Approximate burn time of 40 hours
  • As candle burns, artwork on the interior paper is exposed; and, the beauty of the artwork is celebrated from the inside out
  • Iconic and stunning botanical artwork designed in the USA
  • 5 beautiful fragrances and botanical designs available
3 3/4" X 3 5/8" Remember 9/11/2001 Embroidered Patch - September 11th 2001 - A Tribute to Those WHO Lost Their Lives the Pentagon - The World Trade Centers - And Shanksville, Pa
Art and Craft Supply (Bayonet Design)
  • Highly Detailed 3 3/4 X 3 5/8 Remember 9/11/2001 Embroidered Patch - September 11th 2001 - A Tribute to Those WHO Lost Their Lives the Pentagon - The World Trade...
  • Great for Motorcycle Jackets, Jackets, Military kit bags, etc.
  • The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th, or 9/11) were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks launched by the Islamic...
  • The Tribute in Light on September 11, 2011, on the tenth anniversary of the attacks, seen from New Jersey. The building lit up in red, white, and blue is the new...

Q&A

avatar
DAVID BECKHAM:this is about the wax museum in new york.? | Yahoo Answers

I went there with my relatives and their neighbors right before Christmas 2006. I was really excited but some of the figures did not look quite like the people they are supposed to be. Guliani was done really well. I actually walked right past The Rock. ( He was placed in an uncomfortable place). Then we went to Rockofeller Center and it was so crowded that you couldn't move or see the rink. Still, have fun at the museum. There were a lot of people I did not see. Do not go through too fast! Have fun!!

avatar
What is the address of the Wax Museum in New York City?

Madame Tussauds New York, 234 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036, (212) 512-9600 1-800-2ChaCha. You call, we text. Unlimited.


Copyright © . All Rights Reserved