Picture it: Dublin, 1983. The city is buzzing and the Lord Mayor cuts the ribbon on a brand-new museum in Granby Row, on the north side. The building had already lived many lives-a prayer room, then the roaring Plaza Cinema, then transformed into a stage for Ireland’s most lifelike celebrities. The original museum even donned a mythical Irish giant above its entrance; you can almost hear the giant stomping around, right?
But as Dublin grew, so did the pressures of modernization. The old Granby Row spot was demolished in 2005 to make way for a flashy new hotel. The wax figures were homeless-yes, even E.T. needed to phone home! They were stashed away in warehouses, where they ran into a few, uh, rough characters. Vandals broke in, smashing heads and pinching uniforms. Poor Bob the Builder was spirited away-someone must have wanted more than just a "can we fix it?" moment.
Yet, like any good soap opera, the story never ends there. The museum’s legendary head sculptor, P.J. Heraty, became a wax hero, piecing together battered Beatles and battered bobbleheads, readying them for a comeback. By 2009, the attraction reopened its doors at Temple Bar’s Foster’s Place, now under the new name of Wax Museum Plus. But this was no static scene-Dublin’s business heartbeat, the Irish Stock Exchange, bought the building, and the wax crew hit the road once again.
In 2017, with great fanfare, the museum found this iconic new home at the Lafayette Building, right in the thick of Dublin’s action. And with it? New exhibitions, new dazzling faces-including a side-serving of augmented reality! If you hear a chorus of U2, a hush over the 1916 Rising, or frantic giggles from the Chamber of Horrors, don’t be alarmed-it’s just another day at the Wax Museum Plus.
Inside, you’ll discover everything from Crocodile Dundee snapping his fingers to E.T. giving directions, Irish popstars like Phil Lynott rocking out, and world leaders eyeing each other from across the room. Fantasy fans might spot Gollum lurking at the entrance-don’t worry, he’s mostly harmless, unless you bring shiny jewelry. Take a detour through Children's World with the Power Rangers and Bob the Builder tunnels, or brave the Chamber of Horrors; just try not to scream louder than the teenagers.
From the fibers of fiberglass Gollum to the real Popemobile of 1979, you’ll find Irish presidents, literary legends, and even a waxwork da Vinci’s Last Supper. This place is a living scrapbook of Ireland-and the world’s-most cherished and wild stories. As you head in, just remember: everything may be modeled in wax, but the experience is larger than life! And on your way out... double-check Bob the Builder doesn’t hitch a ride in your bag.
