When I finally got around to visiting Madame Tussaud's (after winning free tickets), it was towards the end of my time in London. I was familiar with the city, and when I stepped inside, this place didn't appear to fit at all. There are garish decorations everywhere, mostly a grandiose entertainment-type theme. After the long wait for tickets, a golden elevator took me up to the actual exhibits, with some corny announcement along the lines of the rider being a star. Even once out of the elevator, the crowds were still a big problem. There are celebrity wax figures spread everywhere, but if you want to see one up close or take your picture with one, you'll have to wait your turn. Music plays and lights dance, intending to look like the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle. In reality, it just makes the wax figures seem that much more fake.

After you've seen most of the movie and music stars on display, there are also smaller, less-posed galleries of royalty and politicians. This was somewhat interesting, but the only part of the museum I really enjoyed was the torture chamber - well, maybe enjoyed is not the best word, but it was certainly interesting. This area showcases weapons or torture devices used in the past, displaying them in use with their victims. There are also changing "exhibits." I visited one about escaped convicts featuring plenty of strobe lights and staff members jumping out from dark corners. I had a hard time figuring out how this related to the rest of the museum.

All in all, Madame Tussaud's was, for me, not even worth the free ticket. For the price of a real one, you could collect some cardboard stand-ups and hang around still life celebrities 24/7. Thinking back on it, the artistry of recreating those faces and even the clothes so meticulously is quite impressive. However, in a museum setting, these galleries just became dull and were extremely overdone. Maybe kids are more entertained by this place, but in a city as fabulous as London, there are simply too many other wonderful things to see to waste your time here.

Anyway, back to where we were. By the time we finally entered, our enthusiasm had taken a bit of a beating, but a few minutes of gawking at the rich and famous, and infamous, and we were back to our bubbly selves. The rooms of the museum lead from one into another, all filled with excellent waxworks: pop stars, film stars, sports stars, politicians and statesmen, royal families, historical figures, and more. There’s everybody here: Pele, Hugh Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Mahatma Gandhi, Henry VIII and his entourage of wives - each painstakingly crafted from wax and many wearing clothes of the celebrity in question.

The display also has some unusual exhibits that are not waxworks: a fragment of the robe worn by the Empress Josephine at her coronation, a copy of the letter sent by Jack the Ripper to the police, the blade which guillotined Marie Antoinette, and so on. The rooms lead into the Chamber of Horrors, showing forms of torture, crime, and punishment over the years. It’s all dreadfully graphic, with eerie sound effects, moving figures, and lighting guaranteed to make you feel just a little scared.

Once through that, we got onto one of a string of cars on a track for a short and thoroughly interesting ride that took us through what’s called the Spirit of London. It’s a multimedia representation, complete with sound, light, and moving figures - the complete atmosphere - of London through the past four centuries, covering all major eras and events. Neat lesson in history.

Entry to Madame Tussaud’s depends upon what time you visit and ranges from £16.95 to £19.95 per adult. If you’re watching your budget, visit between 5 and 6pm, when admission’s free. The museum remains open 364 days a year - it’s shut on Christmas Day.

When you first walk in, you will enter the Premier Night room. Here you can hob knob with celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Mel Gibson, Samuel L Jackson, or Nick Cage. Or just take a breather with Madonna on the couch. Next, enter The World is a Stage. Here you will find a mix of celebrities and political figures. You will see the Dalai Lama, William Shakespeare, Princess Di, and several US Presidents. You can also have your picture taken with the royal family. Then go home and brag about meeting Chuck and Liz on your own whirlwind tour of London.

They have a separate tour, which is the Chamber of Horrors Serial Killers. It is okay and not a whole lot more to tour. Be warned, though: it is extremely dusty and damp-smelling. Anyone with allergies to dust or mold might either want to make sure they have taken their medication beforehand or skip this all together. I suffer terrible from mold and dust, and the place was so bad that it gave me an asthma attack, ending my tour rather abruptly.

They do have a snack bar on the premises, but it is located right next to the American Idol stage. So cross your fingers you don’t get someone who thinks they are the next Celine Dion or Josh Grobin (unless they really are talented, in which case, you’re in luck). They also have restrooms and a gift shop. The museum is fun, and unlike other museums, you can get up close and personal for a terrific photo. After all, this is about as close to Mel Gibson as most of us will ever get. For more info or advanced tickets, go to www.madam-tussauds.com. The Baker Street Tube is your best bet.

Although there is the odd model who is a little "dodgy", the majority of the wax models are truly lifelike. Remember that they do rotate the exhibits, so not all the models can be seen at every visit.

When we visited, there was an extremely good Graham Norton model which actually speaks to you. He was extremely lifelike, but the best bit about his model was the woman standing a few feet away taking his picture. She was actually a wax model, but we watched lots of people bump into her and apologise or get in front of her camera and again apologise--very funny!

I was extremely impressed by a model of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Her face was so lifelike; I had to touch it to be sure it was a model.

Other wax models we saw were Jerry Hall, David Beckham, and Kylie Minogue, with whom my husband was very taken--he even stroked her bum!

Steven Spielberg was also there, as were John Travolta, Johnny Depp, Nick Cage, and one particularly impressive model, Samuel L. Jackson.

The list goes on–-members of the British royal family both past and present, including the Queen and Princess Diana. There were also political leaders from all over the world, including Bush and Blair, sports stars, pop stars, film stars...

You also get to go to the Chamber of Horrors, which has wax models of some rather gruesome scenes and prolific murderers, etc.

The London Planetarium is also part of Tussaud's, so you can go on a tour of the stars in the sky, as well as those on screen and stage.

If you are visiting London, it is definitely worth visiting here--you should not be disappointed.