Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Wallace Collection
Sir Richard Wallace's fine collection of 17th-century Dutch Masters, 18th-century French
Rococo, medieval armor, and assorted aristocratic fancies fills the sumptuously furnished
Hertford House on Manchester Square. From the rough and intimate Dutch life-scapes of
Jan Steen to the pink-cheeked Rococo fantasies of François Boucher, a wander through this
little-visited mansion makes you nostalgic for the days of the empire. While this collection
would be a big deal in a mid-sized city, it's small potatoes here in London... but enjoyable
nevertheless.
Cost and Hours:
Free, daily 10:00-17:00, £4 audioguide, free guided tours or lectures
almostdaily—calltoconfirmtimes,justnorthofOxfordStreetonManchesterSquare,Tube:
Bond Street. Tel. 020/7563-9500,
www.wallacecollection.org
.
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Madame Tussauds Waxworks
This waxtravaganza is gimmicky and expensive, but dang good...a hit with the kind of trav-
elers who skip the British Museum. The original Madame Tussaud did wax casts of heads
loppedoffduringtheFrenchRevolution(suchasMarie-Antoinette's).Shetookhershowon
the road and ended up in London in 1835. Now it's all about squeezing Tom Cruise's bum,
gambling with George Clooney, and partying with Beyoncé, Britney, and Brangelina. In ad-
dition to posing with all the eerily realistic wax dummies—from Johnny Depp to Barack
Obama to the Beatles—you'll have the chance to tour a hokey haunted-house exhibit; learn
how they created this waxy army; hop on a people-mover and cruise through a kid-pleasing
“Spirit of London” time trip; and visit with Spider-Man, the Hulk, and other Marvel super-
heroes. A nine-minute “4-D” show features a 3-D movie heightened by wind, “back tick-
lers,” and other special effects.
