Madame Tussauds entity ceased to exist. On 17 July 2007, as part of the financing for the Tussauds deal, Merlin sold the freehold of Madame Tussauds to private investor Nick Leslau and his investment firm Prestbury under a sale and leaseback agreement. Although the attraction sites are owned by Prestbury, they are operated by Merlin based on a renewable 35-year lease. Madame Tussaud's wax museum became a major tourist attraction in London, incorporating (until 2010) the London Planetarium in its west wing and a large animated dark ride, "The Spirit of London", opened in 1993. Today's wax figures at Tussauds include historical
Madame Tussauds Hollywood $350,000 (USD) each. Each wax figure has its own placard placed on a wall in close physical proximity to it, containing information about the portrayed figure. A few matching props have been placed near select figures for visitors to use while taking photos. The biggest figure in the museum is King Kong. The figure sits inside the attraction. Marilyn Monroe and Johnny Depp are among some of the figures used in the lobby to entice guests to enter the museum. Madame Tussauds Hollywood Madame Tussauds Hollywood is a wax museum and tourist attraction located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.