The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf houses over 250 wax figures of well-known religious and world leaders, celebrities and sports legends. Thomas Fong opened the museum in 1963 after being insprired by the wax figures at the Seattle World's Fair, and it has been managed by the Fong family ever since.
The museum began with 150 life-sized figures on the first floor and opened as the largest wax museum in North America. In the 1960s, the museum expanded to four floors of exhibits with over 200 figures, complete with scenes, costumes and props to authenticate people at the peak of their fame.
In September 1998, the museum, having had over 10 million visitors since it opened, was demolished to make way for a new 100,000-square-foot four-story building. The museum reopened on July 13, 2000 in the basement of the new building and lies 9 feet below the bay level. The fully restored facility is one of the world’s largest wax museums. The most popular attraction is the Gallery of Stars, which features past and present entertainment celebrities. Other attractions include the Chamber of Horrors, the Hall of Religion featuring a recreation of The Last Supper, the Library of U.S. Presidents, a recreation of King Tut’s Tomb, and the Palace of Living Art.
The museum is open from 10 AM to 9 PM every day of the year.
<place lat="37.8083" lon="-122.4147" width="650" />