Some places are entered calmly, and others bring children to a dead stop at the very first corridor. Wax of Legends is firmly in the second category — and by a wide margin.
Picture the scene: your child turns the corner of a room and comes face to face with Kylian Mbappé. Life-size. Motionless, yet so realistic that the first instinct is to reach out and touch. Beside him, Lionel Messi poses as if he's simply waiting for someone to take the photo. And further along, Neymar — in the stance we all know from the biggest posters in the world.
This wax museum, right in the heart of Colmar just steps from the cathedral, looks like nothing else in Alsace. No display cases, no security barriers two metres away from the statues. Here, you get close, you touch (yes, really!), you slip between the figures for the perfect selfie. The 60 wax statues represent the world's greatest celebrities — sports champions, film and music stars, historical figures — with a realism that triggers the exact same reaction from children every time: "Is it real or not?"
The 15 interactive experiences are designed for total immersion. You step into a recording studio with Mick Jagger — the microphone is waiting, the lights are set, it's your turn. You sit down at the poker table with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. You step onto the winners' podium with world champions. Every room is a new scene to inhabit, not just to observe.
What parents don't always anticipate is the effect of the 30 audio listening points: children who would never have asked "who's Michael Jackson?" suddenly stop in front of the statue, listen to the audio guide, and start asking questions. The museum creates unexpected bridges between generations — parents recognise the icons of their youth, children discover the living legends of their era. The audio guide is included in the ticket, available in 6 languages (French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch).
The visit lasts 1 to 1.5 hours — the ideal time to keep children's attention without losing it. And invariably, the following Monday, they tell their classmates they "met Mbappé in Colmar". That's hard to compete with.
Good to know: Wax of Legends is the only wax museum in Alsace where you can move freely alongside your sporting and musical idols, with no physical barrier — and leave with the photo to prove you were there. (Source: waxoflegends-colmar.fr, 2026)
In the logic of a family day in Colmar, Wax of Legends is the experience to place first — not last. The enthusiasm it generates gives energy for what follows. Children leave with stars in their eyes and a hunger for new discoveries. The activities that come after take on a whole different colour when they arrive after that initial wonder.
Practical info: 12 place de la Cathédrale, 68000 Colmar. Open every day 10am–6pm (7 days a week, including public holidays). Last entry at 5pm. Audio guide included in 6 languages.
👉 Book your Wax of Legends tickets — available online, no queue at the till. Consider the Trio Pass to combine with partner museums.
A few minutes' walk from Wax of Legends, the Choco-Story Chocolate Museum is the ideal second stop for families seeking sensory activities.
The museum takes visitors on a journey through more than 5,000 years of chocolate history — from the Mayas and Aztecs who made it a sacred drink all the way to today's chocolate bars. Monumental chocolate sculptures (up to 2 metres tall, 300 kg), interactive terminals, an animated film, a secret passage: children travel through a gourmet world where everything can be discovered and much can be touched. (Source: choco-story-colmar.fr, 2026)
For families who want to go further, the chocolate-making workshop (from age 7, 45-minute session) lets you create your own chocolates — ganaches, pralines — and leave with your creation. For younger children, the activity trail and game stations are more than enough to fill the visit.
For curious, sweet-toothed children — those who ask "how do they make white chocolate?" and "why is dark chocolate bitter?" — it's a discovery that's both fun and genuinely surprising.
In Colmar, Vino-Storia offers a space dedicated to families, with activities accessible to everyone.
The play trail takes visitors through the seasons of the vine and the work of the grape through sensory games — colours, shapes, fruit scents. The whole family can leave with an apprentice winemaker's certificate, a real source of pride to display at home. And for the tasting? Pure grape juice, served in proper tasting glasses. (Source: museeduvin-colmar.fr, 2026)
Interactive games, discovery of the vine and grape: a complete sensory experience, open to all.
Perched at 757 metres altitude with a spectacular view over the Alsatian plain and the Vosges, Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in France. For children, it's a knight's castle straight out of a picture book — crenellated towers, moats, armouries, life-size suits of armour, and a breathtaking panorama over all of Alsace. The drive up through Vosges forest sets the scene perfectly, like arriving on a film set. (Source: Centre des monuments nationaux, 2024)
Worth noting: The castle is approximately 25 km from Colmar, ideal as a half-day trip combined with a visit to an Alsatian wine village.
The village of Kintzheim is home to two unique wildlife experiences in Alsace, complementary and ideal for a half-day.
The Volerie des Aigles presents free-flight birds of prey shows above the ruins of a medieval castle: eagles, vultures, condors and falcons fly just metres from the audience. Children who have never seen a bird of prey dive at full speed — and stop right in front of them — remember it for a long time. The Montagne des Singes, a few kilometres away, is a forest where Barbary macaques roam semi-free: you can watch them, get close, and sometimes feed them. (Source: Kintzheim Tourism, 2024)
A half-day in nature, between thrills and discovery of the animal world — 20 km from Colmar.
Several tourist train circuits wind through the most beautiful Alsatian villages — Riquewihr, Ribeauvillé, Obernai, Eguisheim — through the vineyards and half-timbered alleyways. On board: commentary in several languages, a gentle pace, and a view of Alsace at child height. Most circuits last 30 to 45 minutes and run from April to October. (Source: Alsace Destination Tourisme, 2024)
Maximum comfort, no walking required, accessible for the whole family: it's the perfect family outing in Alsace for toddlers and grandparents alike. And children love trains — even (especially?) when they're miniature.
In Ungersheim (25 km from Colmar), the Alsace Open-Air Museum is one of the largest open-air museums in France, with more than 70 authentic half-timbered houses — relocated and rebuilt stone by stone on the site. Period craftspeople, farm animals, bread oven, sawmill, forge: children aren't spectators here, they take part. (Source: Écomusée d'Alsace, 2024)
It's the ideal place to understand how Alsatians lived at the turn of the 20th century — in a world where everything is human-sized, everything can be touched, and everything smells of wood and warm bread.
The Vosges forests of Alsace cover more than 800 km of waymarked trails accessible to families (Source: Alsace Destination Tourisme, 2024). Nature interpretation panels, tadpole ponds in spring, and (with a little luck) encounters with roe deer or great spotted woodpeckers.
Several Alsatian tourist offices offer nature treasure hunt maps for children aged 5–12 that turn a hike into an adventure. Some routes follow streams, others pass under the walls of medieval ruins. Alsace is a region where the forest is beautiful year-round — even in winter with a little snow, it's magical. (Source: Alsace Destination Tourisme, 2024)
Alsace is an ideal region for families with a car: distances between sites are short, the roads are beautiful, and the villages along the way are always worth a stop.
For a day in Colmar, Wax of Legends, Choco-Story and Vino-Storia are a few minutes' walk from each other — you can visit all three without getting back in the car. Add an ice cream in the old town and you have a full day.
For a weekend, combine Colmar on day one with Haut-Kœnigsbourg or Kintzheim on day two — and a forest hike to round things off beautifully.
If the weather turns, all the indoor activities on this list can be enjoyed in the rain. For more ideas on things to do in Colmar when it rains, check out our dedicated guide.
Top tip: By combining Wax of Legends, Choco-Story and Vino-Storia in a single day in Colmar, you experience three completely different worlds — celebrities, chocolate, viticulture — all within less than 2 km on foot.
What is the best family activity in Colmar?
Wax of Legends, 12 place de la Cathédrale, is Colmar's most memorable family experience: 60 life-size wax statues, 15 interactive experiences, and the chance to pose alongside Mbappé, Messi or Neymar with no barrier between you. Open 7 days a week, duration 1 to 1.5 hours.
Can you do several family activities in Colmar in one day?
Yes. Wax of Legends, Choco-Story and Vino-Storia are located within 2 km of each other in Colmar's pedestrian centre. It's perfectly possible to visit two or three of them in the same day, starting with Wax of Legends in the morning.
What to do in Alsace with kids when it rains?
Colmar has several indoor museums ideal for rainy days: Wax of Legends (interactive wax museum), Choco-Story (chocolate museum covering 5,000 years of history) and Vino-Storia (sensory games and grape discovery). Also check our guide on things to do in Colmar when it rains.
At what age can children visit Wax of Legends?
Wax of Legends welcomes families with children of all ages. The interactive experiences (penalty shoot-out, karaoke, poker table) and 30 audio guide listening points in 6 languages work particularly well for children aged 8 and above, but younger children also enjoy the life-size statues and immersive settings.
How much does a family day in Colmar cost with Wax of Legends, Choco-Story and Vino-Storia?
The Trio Pass Wax of Legends + Choco-Story + Vino-Storia lets you combine all three museums at a preferential rate, valid for 7 days. Tickets are available online at waxoflegends-colmar.fr. A full day includes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours at Wax of Legends, 1.5 hours at Choco-Story (visit only) and a visit to Vino-Storia.
Of all family outings in Alsace, Wax of Legends is the one that generates the most spontaneous memories — the kind children bring up a week later, without being asked.
It's the only place where your child can "meet" Mbappé or Messi, slip alongside them for the photo, and leave with the feeling of having lived something none of their friends have experienced. That kind of experience only exists in Colmar.
The other experiences on this list are beautiful, memorable, enriching. But there's something particular about watching your child stop dead in front of a wax statue, reach out to check, and look up at you with that expression that says: "It's Messi. It's really Messi."
👉 Book your Wax of Legends tickets — available online, no queue at the till.
For a complete family day, discover our preferential passes including Wax of Legends, Choco-Story and Vino-Storia.
Sources: Wax of Legends · Choco-Story Colmar · Vino-Storia · Alsace Destination Tourisme (2024) · Centre des monuments nationaux (2024) · Écomusée d'Alsace (2024)
Information verified by the Wax of Legends team (June 2026).
Cover photo : © Serge NIED — Wax of Legends
