Josephine Tussaud Wax Museum in Hot Springs: Kitsch, Gangsters, and Waxed History
Josephine Tussaud Wax Museum in Hot Springs: Kitsch, Gangsters, and Waxed History
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
Dear Henry,
Have you ever been inside a Madame Tussauds?
Marie Tussaud was an eighteenth-century French wax sculptor who learned her craft before the French Revolution and, rather famously, made death masks of those who did not survive it. She later carried her collection to London, where her exhibition became what we now know as Madame Tussauds—today a global chain of about twenty museums, known for its startling realism and carefully curated proximity to celebrities.
When I went to Hot Springs, I vaguely remembered seeing a “Tussaud” somewhere, and despite my reservations regarding wax figures (I am not a fan of dolls), I thought it might be a fun experience.
Turns out, the museum in Hot Springs is not a legitimate Madame Tussauds but rather a big, earnest hug to American kitschy recreation.
The Josephine Tussaud Wax Museum has been a mainstay of Hot Springs since 1967. It is housed in the old Southern Club — the gambling establishment of Hot Springs history — once frequented by Al Capone, and it also contains a small gambling museum. That alone makes the building worth walking into.
I was a little nervous when I first walked in. There is an incredibly alarming Elizabeth Taylor beneath an equally alarming crucifix as you ascend the staircase. It is not subtle. That said, the museum was interesting and well worth a look.
Inside are small themed dioramas touching on biblical scenes, horror, literary and historical figures, gangster tableaux, and even a tribute to Bill Clinton, Arkansas native and former president. The faces are not the hyper-realistic creations you would see on Baker Street in London. They are closer to what you might encounter in a local history museum or a very determined haunted house. They are not identical likenesses. But the scenes are thoughtfully arranged.
And here’s the thing: it works.
Not because it is flawless (it isn’t) but because it tries. It gathers religion, politics, literature, crime, fairy tales, and Arkansas pride under one roof and asks you to walk through them all in about an hour.
It becomes less about wax and more about Hot Springs and Arkansas history itself.
The architecture of the Southern Club, the nod to the gambling past, the overlap with mob history, these layers give the museum more gravity than the mannequins alone could manage. Paired with the Gangster Museum of America, it makes for a surprisingly cohesive afternoon.
Just don’t stare too long at the mannequin's eyes. Things start to feel a little uncertain when you do that.
____________________________________________________________________
About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
✨ #TakeTheBackRoads
If you value slow travel, thoughtful essays, and quiet places, please consider a coffee! Your support helps continue the journey.
