The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf is closing today, and even though we've never set foot inside and wax museums are generally creepy and archaic, this seems notable. Interestingly, it does not seem to be closing because the market for wax museum-going is not strong; Madame Tussauds, the London-based wax museum chain with locations in New York, L.A., Las Vegas and D.C., is leasing the space and will open next summer using, presumably, some of the existing wax figures.

Open since 1963, the museum has been family-owned and operated and has seen more than 12 million visitors over the years. There are more than 200 wax replicas of humans, as the Chron reports, including representations of The Last Supper, the entire British Royal family, Willie Brown, Miley Cyrus, Saddam Hussein, Barry Bonds, and several popes.

The new Madame Tussauds will open in mid-2014 alongside something called The San Francisco Dungeon, also from the Merlin Entertainment Group, which will feature depictions of "the dark parts of San Francisco's past."

The existing, S.F.-born wax emporium will shut its doors tonight at 9 p.m.

Anybody want to buy a Willie Brown? We hear he's for sale.

[Chron]
[CBS]

http://sfist.com/2013/08/15/the_wax_museum_at_fishermans_wharf.php