Tussauds Group

The Tussauds Group is since 2007, with its new head office Merlin Entertainments, the second group of leisures in the world behind the division parks with topics of Disney. The company is based with Leatherhead in the Surrey with the the United Kingdom.

The group manages a wallet of places of leisures of several marks of which the museums of wax Mrs Tussauds , the parks Legoland, centers watery Sea Life and the various British parks Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington World off Adventures.

History

Tussauds Group was founded in 1926, one year after the fire of 1925 which devastated the museum but which saved the moulds. That made it possible to run up the large historical characters.

In 1940, a German bomb falls on the cinema and the restaurant occupying the western wing from the building.

In 1958, the cinema of the western wing is replaced by a planetarium, the Planétarium of London inaugurated in the presence of Philip Mountbatten, Duc of Edinburgh.

In 1970, the group inaugurates its first museum apart from London, the Mrs Tussauds Amsterdam

In 1973, the group invests in the Wookey Hole Caves and Mill , an educational museum located in the Somerset. It will be resold in 1989. Another invests follows in 1976 with Tolgus Tin , a mill located in the Cornouailles. It is transformed into museum in 1979 but is resold in 1980.

In 1977, the planetarium accommodates a spectacle of laser, the Laserium (closed in 1990).

In 1978, Tussauds Group is bought by S. Pearson and Its , owner of the zoo of Chessington. The zoo is integrated in the active of the group and will become off the Chessington World Adventures in 1987. The company of Pearson will be famous later Pearson plc some years.

In 1982, the group buys the Château of Warwick and in fact a tourist place with a reconstitution of a royal festival of 1898. The garden of pinks victorien of the castle was renovated according to the plans of 1868 and was reopened in 1986 in the presence of Diana, the Princesse of Wales.

In 1990, the group buys the park Alton Towers for 60 million books.

In 1995, the park Port Ventured opens in Spain. The group had a catch of interest of 40% in the capital of the park (300 million books) and takes the management of the park.

In 1996, the park opens its first hotel with the Alton Towers Hotel adjacent with the park Alton Towers. Famous Chambre of the Horrors of the museum of London is renovated for the sum of 1 million books.

In 1997, a road show is launched to Asia-Australia. It begins in Melbourne in Australia and must pass to Singapore

In 1998, Tussauds resells its share in Port Ventured in order to buy the park located in the south-east of England Thorpe Park. Moreover the group is repurchased by Charterhouse Development Capital.

In July 1999, the museum Mrs Tussauds Las Vegas opens inside and at the same time as the hotel-casino The Venetian.

In 2000, the group takes the management of the London Eye, property of British Airways, the highest tower of observation of London located on southern bank of the the Thames vis-a-vis the Parlement. The road show of Asia settles in a permanent way in the Peak Tower of HongKong, becoming the Mrs Tussauds HongKong while the Mrs Tussauds New York opens on the 42e street in November of the same year.

In 2001, the group buys the park Heide Park in Germany.

In 2005, the group is bought by the funds of investments Dubai International Capital for 1,5 billion $

In 2006, the group buys London Eye with British Airways.

In 2007, the group acquires two new hotels the Safari Lodge in Chessington and the Royal Port with Soltau close to Heide Park.

In March 2007, Dubai International Capital sells the majority of its shares in the group with Merlin Entertainments for 1,5 billion £. DiC preserves a party of 20% in the new group.

Attractions

  • The British Airways London Eye the United Kingdom

  • Warwick Castle the United Kingdom

Hotels

    • The Alton Towers Hotel, Staffordshire, the United Kingdom
    • Splash Landings Hotel, Staffordshire, the United Kingdom
    • Safari Lodge Hotel, Surrey, the United Kingdom
    • Royal Port Hotel, Soltau, Germany
    • Alton Towers Conference Centers, Staffordshire, the United Kingdom

Refer

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