$12 Million in Wax!

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrities have always been the stock in trade of Madame Tussauds ever since the diminutive French sculptress, whose name is on the front door, literally invented the art of wax figure sculpting 200 years ago.

Two-time Awards Winner Richard Sherman, who composed some of moviedom's most iconic tunes, from "Mary Poppins" to "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," was on hand today to cut the ribbon for the Madame Tussauds "Celebrity Awards Hall," located on the ground floor of Madame Tussauds Hollywood (www.madametussauds.com/hollywood), located on Hollywood Blvd. next to Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Forty of the Madame Tussauds Hollywood figures are Oscar® winners and winners of hundreds of other major awards, including 47 Golden Globe® Awards, and among the figures who have won awards are Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry and classic stars, like Bette Davis and Audrey Hepburn.

In Madame Tussaud's era, the stars were royalty while today it's the world famous attraction's multi million dollar collection of expensively costumed wax figures of Hollywood superstars, a representation of whom are included in the newly launched hall and elsewhere in the attraction.

"Television crews from all over the world have been converging on our space, with its vista of the nearby awards theatres and red carpet, to secure its use as a 'base camp' for awards show coverage," says Drew Potton, Marketing Director.

Madame Tussauds will admit anyone named "Oscar" for free (Photo ID will need to be shown to redeem the offer) thru March 8 and offer a rare $5 discount off full-price admission to anyone else wishing to visit, if they quote "Hollywood Awards 2010."

At an average cost of $300,000 each, the world famous Madame Tussauds figures are in a class of their own and their precision, exactness and life-like qualities have never been more fully and artistically realized than at Madame Tussauds Hollywood.

In addition to life like figures of Bruce Willis, Elizabeth Taylor, Justin Timberlake and Penelope Cruz, among some 100+ featured figures, Madame Tussauds Hollywood takes visitors on an interactive journey unlike any other Madame Tussauds experience.

About Merlin Entertainments Group, Ltd  MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS GROUP is the leading name in location based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. The world's second largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin has 59 attractions and six hotels/ 2 holiday villages in 13 countries and across 3 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 35 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 13,500 employees. Merlin Entertainments operates the following attractions – SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The Merlin Entertainments London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo, Underwater Adventures, Heide Park and Earth Explorer. For more information, please visit www.merlinentertainments.biz

SOURCE Madame Tussauds Hollywood