A wax museum is a cultural venue presenting life-size reproductions of celebrities — entertainers, athletes, historical figures, political leaders — crafted in wax and composite materials, hand-sculpted and hand-painted, then staged in immersive themed settings. Visitors move freely among the figures, pose for photos, and in modern formats, take part in interactive experiences built into the trail.
Each figure is sculpted from dozens of precise measurements and photographic references: skin, eyes, hands, hair — all worked separately before assembly. The realism achieved consistently surprises first-time visitors.
The technique dates to the eighteenth century. Marie Tussaud, a Swiss sculptor trained in Paris, opened the first permanent wax museum in London in 1835 — marking the beginning of a format now present in more than twenty countries. In France, major European capital wax museums attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In Alsace, it is the Wax of Legends in Colmar that brings this format to life — with a strong local identity and an interactive dimension that sets it clearly apart from traditional wax museums.
In a classical museum, you follow a trail, read labels, and observe. Enriching — but you remain a spectator.
In a modern wax museum, the boundary between visitor and scene disappears. You sit next to George Clooney. You take a selfie with Rihanna. You walk into a recording studio and the microphone is waiting. This isn't a historical re-enactment — it's a staged world where you become part of the story.
Contemporary wax museums have added three layers of immersion:
- Sound: audio points that trigger a character's voice or anecdote
- Interaction: games, challenges, and staged scenes where the visitor plays an active role
- Set design: environments built scene by scene, not just velvet ropes and pedestals
The practical difference: where a classical museum takes 45 minutes to walk through, an interactive wax museum takes 1 to 1.5 hours to live.
The goal is no longer simply to reproduce a celebrity faithfully. It's to give you the feeling, for the length of a visit, that you shared something with them. This is where you can finally live it.
Wax of Legends is an interactive wax museum located at 12 place de la Cathédrale, Colmar, Alsace, France. It features 60 life-size figures — international stars and Alsatian legends — with 30 audio points and 15 interactive experiences included in the entry ticket. Visit duration: 1 to 1.5 hours.
This is not a franchise branch. It's a museum rooted in its region — designed to bring a global star and a local legend face to face in the same corridor, steps from Colmar's cathedral.
| Element | Number |
|---|---|
| Life-size wax figures | 60 |
| Audio points | 30 |
| Interactive experiences | 15 |
| Visit duration | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Audio guide | Included — 6 languages (FR, EN, DE, IT, ES, NL) |
Music: Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Edith Piaf, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Céline Dion, Mozart.
Cinema: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Louis de Funès.
Sport: Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Rafael Nadal.
Politics: Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, Donald Trump — staged together at an airport in an international press photo composition.
Art & Science: Pablo Picasso, Alphonse Mucha, Albert Einstein.
Alsatian Legends (10 characters staged):
- Sainte-Odile, patron saint of Alsace
- The Devil of Hugstein
- The Wassermann
- The Storks
- The Headless Man
- The Golden Carriage
- The White Ladies
- The Giant of Nideck's Daughter
The museum also features a dedicated room for Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi — sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, born in Colmar in 1834. To go further on Bartholdi's story, the Musée Bartholdi in the city centre is the natural continuation.
At Wax of Legends, 15 interactive experiences let visitors become active participants — not passive observers. Highlights include:
Penalty shootout: face Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, life-size. The pitch is set. You pick your side.
Karaoke in the studio: you step into a recording studio, the mic is there, Mick Jagger is beside you. The song starts — what you do next is up to you.
Roulette game: with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. The table is laid. Who was the better bluffer? Now you can find out.
Walking the red carpet: alongside Harrison Ford. The carpet, the flashes, the pose. The paparazzi session at the exit rounds off the experience.
More: class with Einstein, music and general knowledge quizzes, live camera on the stork's nest at the Collégiale Saint-Martin, selfie stations.
See also: the wax museum in Colmar.
Wax of Legends is open 7 days a week (10am–6pm) in the heart of Colmar, audioguide included in 6 languages. Full opening hours, prices, combined passes and booking are on the dedicated page: Practical info & tickets →.
What is a wax museum?
A wax museum is a venue presenting life-size reproductions of celebrities — entertainers, athletes, historical figures, and political leaders — crafted in wax and composite materials, hand-sculpted and painted. Figures are staged in themed settings. In modern formats, interactive experiences let visitors take an active role in the visit.
How are wax figures made?
Each wax figure is built from precise measurements taken from the subject — or, where that isn't possible, from highly detailed photographic references. Body, face, skin, eyes, and hair are crafted separately and assembled. Paint is applied by hand to achieve detail-level realism. Making a single wax figure typically takes several months.
How does Wax of Legends Colmar differ from major wax museums in European capitals?
Wax of Legends is defined by three features: strong local identity (10 Alsatian legends staged, dedicated Bartholdi room, central Colmar location), 15 interactive experiences built into the trail (penalty shootout, studio karaoke, roulette, red carpet walk), and a human scale that lets you set your own pace over 1 to 1.5 hours.
What age is a wax museum suitable for?
Wax of Legends welcomes all visitors. Children enjoy the interactive experiences and recognisable characters. Teenagers are in their element with the stars, selfies, and games. Adults and couples appreciate the cultural angle — Alsatian legends, the Bartholdi room, historical and political figures. The visit adapts naturally to every pace and interest.
Is Wax of Legends open all year?
Wax of Legends is open 7 days a week, including public holidays, from 10am to 6pm (last entry 5pm). The only annual closure is in January.
Can the visit be combined with other activities in Colmar?
Yes. Wax of Legends offers combined passes with Choco-Story (Chocolate Museum) and Vino-Storia (Alsace wine tasting), available at the ticket desk. For art and history enthusiasts, the Musée Unterlinden — home to the Isenheim Altarpiece — and the Musée Bartholdi are a few minutes' walk from the museum.
A wax museum isn't a museum you move through as a spectator. It's a place where you choose which scene to join, who to pose with, which experience to trigger.
Wax of Legends does that in Colmar, Alsace — with 60 figures ranging from Mbappé to Sainte-Odile, and 15 experiences that make you part of the story.
Information verified by the Wax of Legends team (June 2026).
Sources: waxoflegends-colmar.fr
Cover photo : © Serge NIED — Wax of Legends
