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 New York York City, Orlando, Prague, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Vienna, Washington, D.C., Wuhan, Tokyo and a temporary museum in Busan (Korea). Today's wax figures at Madame Tussauds range from historical and royal figures to film stars and famous musicians. In 2000, Madame Tussauds arrived to the United States and opened its first attraction in Las Vegas, Nevada. The attraction received such great responses that in 2000, Madame Tussauds opened its doors in New York City's Times Square location. Since opening its doors in 2000, Madame Tussauds New York has quickly become one of the most popular Madame Tussauds locations in