Perched on the slopes of Imbiah Lookout on Sentosa, Madame Tussauds Singapore brings the long-running chain of wax museums to South-East Asia, its lifelike figures drawn from cinema, music, sport and politics with a strong slant toward Asian stars alongside the usual global names. The attraction opened in 2014 and has since grown into one of the busier indoor draws on the resort island. What sets the Singapore branch apart is the way it bundles several experiences into one ticket. Alongside the familiar halls of waxworks, visitors ride the Spirit of Singapore boat through a gentle indoor cruise past models of the city landmarks, step into themed photo sets and, in a later addition, explore Marvel and other licensed zones aimed at younger fans. The emphasis throughout is on touching, posing and photographing rather than quiet viewing. The chain itself traces back to a French modeller who learned to cast faces in wax during the upheavals of the French Revolution and later toured her grisly and glamorous figures around Britain. That history of turning famous faces into uncanny doubles still underpins the appeal here, where the fun lies in the brief illusion of standing shoulder to shoulder with the famous. Its location among the cable-car stations and other Imbiah attractions makes it an easy stop on a day spent exploring Sentosa, and the air-conditioned halls offer welcome shelter from the tropical heat. The figures themselves are the product of painstaking work, with sculptors taking hundreds of measurements and using real hair and carefully matched glass eyes and skin tones to chase a convincing likeness. Sittings with living celebrities are prized, though many figures are built from photographs and reference alone. The Singapore line-up is refreshed as fame ebbs and flows, retiring figures who have faded and adding regional pop stars, sporting heroes and screen idols to keep the halls current. Themed zones encourage visitors to dress up, strike poses and play out scenes rather than simply look, and the boat ride and licensed character areas give the attraction more variety than a straight gallery of waxworks. It tends to be busiest in wet weather and during school holidays, when its cool, covered halls offer an alternative to Sentosa beaches and outdoor rides, and the inevitable photographs with the famous remain its central draw.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 40 Imbiah Road, Imbiah Lookout, Singapore, Singapore

Website: https://www.madametussauds.com/singapore

Opening Date: 25/10/2014