Known throughout the world, the Grévin museum is one of the must-sees during a stay in Paris. This historic Parisian place is the occasion or never to rub shoulders with the biggest celebrities, and to pose with your idol, in wax statue version. To facilitate your visit, the Cadet Residence offers studios and apartments close to the Grévin museum.
The famous Grévin museum
With more than 700,000 visitors a year, the Grévin museum has around 250 statues of public figures and fictional characters. Let’s discover this unique exhibition space in France.
The history of the Grévin
museum The Grévin museum, in the 9tharrondissement of Paris, was largely inspired by the Madame Tussaud museum in London. It then opened its doors 50 years later, in 1882, on the Grands Boulevards of Paris.
Originally, the aim of the museum and its founder, Arthur Meyer, was to be able to present the statues of public figures to the public. Indeed, photography was still underdeveloped, and it was difficult to put a face to a name. Arthur Meyer therefore called on Alfred Grévin, sculptor and painter of the time, to create the wax figures.
Over time, the wax museum has become both a cultural and entertaining tourist spot, where visitors enjoy taking selfies with celebrities and fictional characters.
What can be found at the Grévin museum?
Since its creation, no less than 2,000 statues have been created and exhibited. There are then very varied
- personalities: Historical personalities (Gandhi, General de Gaulle, Louis XIV, Barack Obama, Emmanuel Macron…)
- Singers (Céline Dion, Michael Jackson, Johnny Hallyday, Claude François, Lady Gaga, Madonna… );
- Movie stars (Brad Pitt, Jean Gabin, Gérard Jugnot, Georges Clooney, Omar Sy…);
- Athletes (Kylian Mbappé, David Douillet, Zinédine Zidane, Tony Parker, Teddy Riner…);
- Artists (Jean-Paul Gaultier, Leonardo da Vinci, Molière…);
- Comedians (Pierre Palmade, Muriel Robin, Franck Dubosc…)…
Many wax statues are also staged to represent significant events in the history of France, such as the Massacre of Saint-Barthélémy, or the assassination of Marat.
How are the wax figures chosen?
Each year, 4 new personalities enter the Grévin museum, whether French or international. To select the lucky winners, theGrévin Academy has met every year since 2001, and calls on Internet users to choose 6 celebrities whose clones they would like to see in the museum. The academy then chooses 4 of the 6, which will be exhibited at the museum in the following year.
The Grévin Academy is made up of many celebrities, such as Stéphane Berne, Laurent Boyer, Jacques Pessis…
How are the wax statues made?
After being selected by the jury of the Grévin Academy, the celebrity must be patient before seeing his statue exhibited at the museum. Indeed, 6 months of work are necessary, and more than 600 photos are necessary to achieve a faithful reproduction. The hair is implanted one by one, and the hands are cast in plaster, to represent even the slightest vein of the star.
La Cadet Résidence: a quiet aparthotel near the Grévin Museum
When you travel, it’s always nice to be able to stay close to places to visit. La Cadet Résidence assures you peace and quiet, a stone’s throw from the Grévin museum.
An aparthotel with spacious and comfortable accommodation
As soon as you enter the Cadet Residence, you will be seduced by the cozy and soothing atmosphere of the place. The unique decoration invites you to rest, while the apartments and studios offer you all the comfort you need to visit Paris with a rested mind. You will thus have access to accommodation comprising a bedroom with quality mattresses, a private bathroom with towels and toiletries, an equipped kitchen area (dishwasher, coffee machine, crockery and kitchen utensils, etc.) and a dining area. living room with sofa, television and telephone.
You will also have at your disposal unlimited access to wifi, air conditioning and heating and a safe for your personal belongings.
Additional services, paid or not, are also available: washing machine, loan of baby equipment, dryer, grocery kit…
Your hotel in the heart of Paris 9
Ideally located at the foot of the Montmartre hill, and a stone’s throw from the Opéra Garnier, the Cadet Residence is very well served by public transport. This allows you to visit Paris without constraint.
You can also reach the Grévin museum quickly, in just a short 5-minute walk from the hotel.
Prepare your visit to the Grévin
museum The Grévin museum is open every day, from 10 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday, and from 9:30 am to 7 pm on weekends, during school holidays, and on public holidays.
While it is possible to buy an entrance ticket on site, it is however advisable to reserve or buy a ticket online, in order to save time. It is also recommended to come to the opening if you want to avoid the big crowd.
To visit the Grévin museum, allow an average of 1h30, and don’t forget your camera or your phone, to bring home souvenirs with your favorite stars.
Although they are not in the flesh, the personalities of the Grévin museum always offer an unforgettable experience. Then book your room at the Hôtel Cadet Résidence, to take full advantage of your visit to the Grévin museum.