Edinburgh Wax Museum - Remembering one of the Capital's biggest tourist attractions
The original Edinburgh Waxwork Museum opened its doors in 1976, and at the time was the only attraction of its kind in Scotland. It boasted realistic models of historical figures such as William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots and Robert Burns, fictional characters such as Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel, and a gruesome chamber of horrors. Within a few years it was attracting more than 230,000 visitors a year, putting it up with Edinburgh Castle as one of Scotland's top tourist attractions. Over the years it acquired figures including Prince Charles and Princess Diana, ET and even Mr Spock. It was still extremely popular when it closed in March, 1989, after the owners decided to cash in on their investment by selling the area for offices. The waxwork models were bought by a property firm who donated some to the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre.