Hollywood Boulevard wax figure attraction expands with Marvel heroes

In the movie theaters, films starring superheroes are drawing huge crowds.

So it makes sense that one of Hollywood Boulevard’s most popular tourist attractions is expanding this week to bring visitors a 4-D dose of superheroes.

Madame Tussauds, next to the TCL Chinese Theatre, will unveil on Friday a 74-seat theater that will show a 15-minute 4-D movie starring Marvel superheroes.

Tussauds’ general manager, Colin Thomas, calls it a 4-D show because in addition to viewing the 3-D film, guests will be in seats that emit smoke and water and that will poke them in time with the action on the screen.

As part of the expansion, Madame Tussauds is adding a Captain America wax figure to be displayed next to other Marvel characters, which include such as Ironman, Thor and Wolverine. The figures cost about $300,000 each.

Thomas declined to say how much the company is spending on the new theater, except to say it was part of a “multimillion dollar” expansion.

When the wax figure attraction opened in 2009, the price of admission was $25 for adults. It is now $29.95.

A few blocks away at the Hollywood Wax Museum, Tej Sundher, a partner at Kuvera Partners, the Los Angeles company that owns the attraction, said he welcomes his competitor’s expansion.

“We are excited about Merlin and Madame Tussauds adding a new facility,” he said, referring to Merlin Entertainments, the parent company of Madame Tussauds. “We feel the more there is to do on Hollywood Boulevard, the longer the tourists will stay.”

Sundher added that the Hollywood Wax Museum will add a new wax figure each month starting in September, although he declined to identify the celebrities portrayed by the figures.

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.