Merlin Entertainments will open its 11th Madame Tussauds attraction in early 2011. The new outlet will feature as part of the Riesenradplatz entrance plaza (pictured) in Vienna’s famous Prater park.
Madame Tussauds Vienna will feature around 70 authentic wax figures including Austrian luminaries past and present such as Freud, Einstein, Mozart, Hayden, Strauss, Schwarzenegger and Falco. International stars will Barack Obama and Brad Pitt.
Representing a £10 million (€11.5m/$15.5m), Madame Tussauds Vienna will reflect the rich culture of Austria’s capital city. A team from Merlin is already working with Prater Services, the public body responsible for the park, to ensure that the attraction plays an integral role in encouraging visitors to the city. Currently the Prater attracts around 3 million visitors a year.
Every figure at Madame Tussauds Vienna is expected to take its gifted sculptors a minimum of three months to make. As has become the norm at Madame Tussaud, there will be no bars, ropes or barriers around the figures, as guests are encouraged to stand and interact beside them.
“We will be working closely with both Prater Services and our new landlords, Calafati GmbH, to create a stunning attraction which we believe will be a “must-do” for everyone visiting Vienna,” says Glenn Earlam, Merlin Entertainments’ managing director of “midway” attractions.
Madame Tussauds attractions are already operating in London, New York, Hollywood, Berlin, Amsterdam, Washington DC, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Hong Kong, with Bangkok due to open in September.
