London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [81]
Madame Tussauds.
One of London’s busiest sights, this is nothing more and nothing less than the world’s premier exhibition of lifelike waxwork models of celebrities. Madame T. learned her craft while making death masks of French Revolution victims, and in 1835 set up her first show of the famous ones near this spot. Top billing still goes to the murderers in the Chamber of Horrors, who stare glassy-eyed at visitors—one from an electric chair, one sitting next to the tin bath where he dissolved several wives in quicklime. What, aside from ghoulish prurience, makes people stand in line to invest in one of London’s most expensive museum tickets? It must be the thrill of photo opportunities with royalty, Hollywood stars, and world leaders—all in a single day. TIP Beat the crowds by calling in advance for timed entry tickets, or booking online. | Marylebone Rd., Regent’s Park | NW1 5LR | 0870/400–3000 for timed entry tickets | www.madame-tussauds.com | £14–£28 according to time; call or check Web site. Combination ticket with London Eye, London Dungeons, and London Aquarium from £57.50 | Weekdays 9–5:30 (last admission); weekends 9:30–6 (last admission) | Baker St.
Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre.
The theater has mounted productions of Shakespeare productions every summer since 1932; everyone from Vivien Leigh to Jeremy Irons has performed here. Today it also hosts musicals, concerts, and comedy shows. However, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the one to catch—never is that enchanted Greek wood more lifelike than it is here, enhanced by genuine birdsong and a rising moon. You can buy light suppers or choose from a (somewhat limited) barbecue selection in the evening, or prebook a picnic lunch for matinees. The park can get chilly, so bring a blanket; only very heavy rain stops the plays, in which case you can exchange your ticket (umbrellas aren’t allowed during performances). | Open-Air Theatre, Inner Circle Regent’s Park | NW1 4NR | 0844/826–4242 | www.openairtheatre.org | £15–£42.50 | June–mid-Sept., evening performances at 8, matinees at 2:30 | Baker St., Regent’s Park.
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
An Art Deco gem in elegant Portland Place, RIBA was built by Grey Wornum in 1934. Its distinctive Portland stone facade stands out amid the surrounding 18th-century mansions, and large bronze doors lead to a spacious foyer with a wide marble staircase. There are exhibition spaces; regular lectures and special events; a large bookshop; and a delightful Art Deco café. | Park La., 66 Portland Pl., Regent’s Park | W1B 1AD | 0207/580–5533 | www.architecture.com | Free | Mon.–Sat., 10–5 | Regent’s Park, Great Portland St.
Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Outside Baker Street station, by the Marylebone Road exit, is a 9-foot-high bronze statue of the celebrated detective. Nearby is number 221B Baker Street—the address of Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective. Inside, Mrs. Hudson, “Holmes’s housekeeper,” conducts you into a series of Victorian rooms full of Sherlock-abilia. There’s more than enough photo ops, and it’s all so realistic, you may actually begin to believe that the fictional “great detective” really lived there. | 221B Baker St., Regent’s Park | NW1 6XE | 020/7224–3688 | www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk | £6 | Daily 9:30–6 | Baker St.
HAMPSTEAD’S HISTORIC PUBS
Hampstead has some of the most storied pubs in London—although a few have distinctly shady pasts.
The quaintest pub in Hampstead, complete with fireplace and timber frame, is the Holly Bush (22 Holly Mount, Hampstead | NW3 6SG | 020/7435–2892), which dates back to 1807. Tucked away on a side street, with cozy wooden booths inside, it’s open until 11 each night and serves traditional English lunches and dinners.
The legendary highwayman Dick Turpin is said to have been born at the Spaniard’s Inn (Spaniards Rd. | NW3 7JJ | 020/8731–8406), which was once frequented by the likes of Dickens, Shelley, and Stoker. The owners will happily tell you how the latter borrowed