Feel the Fame at the Star-Studded Madame Tussauds Nashville

Get up close and personal with music royalty – and snap as many selfies you want with no lines, ropes or barriers – at Madame Tussauds Nashville. The sprawling attraction near Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and the Grand Ole Opry is an unforgettable Music City experience and the only Tussauds location worldwide dedicated solely to music. With more than 60+ lifelike celebrity wax figures populating the 15,000-square-foot space, you never know which celebrity is just around the corner!

Explore Interactive Exhibits at Madame Tussauds

All Madame Tussauds locations are designed to be interactive, encouraging visitors to mix and mingle with the famous faces, but several Nashville exhibits take it to the next level. The Recording Studio features Memphis’s Million Dollar Quartet – Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash – plus a real recording booth where you can make a CD to keep as a souvenir.

In the MTTV, Madame Tussauds Music Television Room, pop stars extend an invitation to join them in their element: Bruno Mars perches at a keyboard with an open seat, Beyoncé commands a stage with plenty of space for new backup dancers, and Nashville-area resident Justin Timberlake strikes an iconic pose on his toes. Can you top his moves?

Get even more interactive with a VIP Backstage Tour, which grants you access to the Artists Studio Department and an in-depth presentation from the Artists Studio team members who lovingly create the wax figures. Or make it a fun night out with your girlfriends or a date night with the popular Wax & Wine package, which includes admission and a wine tasting at the nearby Amber Falls Winery in Opry Mills mall.

Nashville Notables at the Re-Created WSM Studios

If your Nashville visit doesn’t afford you enough time to fully explore the city, you can get a crash course at Madame Tussauds. Drop by the WSM Studios –“the Most Famed Country Music Station in the World” – to hang out with George Jones, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Little Jimmie Dickens and Hank Williams. Other legendary artists include Waylon Jennings, Kenny Rogers and Loretta Lynn.

For more recent Music City-themed experiences, sit in on a songwriting session at the Bluebird Cafe replica with Keith Urban and “Nashville’s” Charles “Chip” Esten or hop up on a bar and rock out with Kid Rock. And though she’s no longer based here, Taylor Swift is forever an honorary Nashvillian – her “1989” era is celebrated with a bedazzled concert and costume, and matching guitar.

It's a Labor of Love to Create the Wax Figures

Celebrities are intimately involved in the figure-making process, which can take up to 800 hours (about four to six months) of superior craftsmanship. In fact, each celebrity wax figure is endorsed by the musical artists and/or their estates. They work directly with the Artists Studios team to perfect everything from their pose and costume to their eye color and skin tone. Outfits, accessories and instruments are either provided by the celebrity or replicated in precise detail. And their figures even make guest appearances around town for VIP experiences and celebrity events!

The Artists Studio team come to the world’s greatest wax museum from wide-ranging backgrounds, including puppetry, welding, cosmetology, carpentry, set design, stage lighting and theater production. Together, they create masterpieces using processes pioneered by Marie Tussauds – an innovative woman entrepreneur known for her wax sculptures and the founder of Madame Tussauds in London – over 250 years ago.

Perfecting the Celebrity’s Characteristics

The Artists Studio team is hyper-attentive to each celebrity’s unique characteristics, and if you linger long enough you might pick up on some astounding details. Rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s exact tattoos were stenciled onto the wax, Minnie Pearl’s trademark $1.98 price tag dangles off the brim of her hat, and Jerry Garcia’s friendly wave is missing part of his middle finger. (A nearby plaque explains the true story.) Even the ambiance is on point: Walk into the Jazz Bar, for example, and breathe in – an authentic cigar and whiskey scent wafts among genre greats Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday.

During the winter holiday season, festive updates are sprinkled throughout the attraction. Stage cases get wrapped up, costume changes (including celebrity gowns) are inspired by past holiday performances, TV appearances and/or albums, and Miley Cyrus’s iconic wrecking ball is transformed into an oversize Christmas tree ornament.

A Grand Ole Opportunity Nearby

Madame Tussauds Nashville is within walking distance of the Grand Ole Opry (about 8 miles from downtown), so it’s fitting that self-guided tours conclude at the Opry Finale Stage. This theater-like room is filled with beloved Opry members like Reba McEntire, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Alan Jackson and Trisha Yearwood, as well as a virtual crowd to cheer you on as you step up to the mic. Insider tip: Show your Opry ticket or program for a discounted Madame Tussauds admission.

Don’t miss the Music + Merch store, which carries Madame Tussauds’ merchandise, Made in Nashville souvenirs, artists vinyl, CDs and novelty items from the attraction’s celebrity lineup.

As you exit the attraction, be on the lookout for live music on the Madame Tussauds Sound Stage. The next big stars perform here every weekend – and it’s not too hard to imagine that someday, they might be turned into wax figures, too.

Madame Tussauds is also available as a private event space for special occasions, corporate meetings or weddings.

So, no matter who your favorite musical star is, check out the “World’s Greatest Wax Museum” when you’re in Nashville.