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 Amsterdam Tussauds Amsterdam was designed by the Dutch architect A.J. Joling, in the Um 1800 style, and was constructed from 1914 till 1917. On April 11, 1917, it opened its doors as the second Peek & Cloppenburg store in the Netherlands. Eighty four years later the building was designated as a rijksmonument. The idea to establish a wax museum in Amsterdam came from Josephine Tussaud (1900–1985), businesswoman and great-great-granddaughter of Madame Tussauds founder Marie Tussaud. These museum was founded on February 19, 1970 under the name of Madame Tussauds Amsterdam by The Tussauds Group. Approximately one year later, the museum first