Wax On!

Tijuana has a wax museum, although most people I've talked to have no clue that it even exists.  That's probably because most people I know don't spend their days hanging out on Avenida Revolucion.  Neither do I for that matter, but I did happen upon a tiny reference on Wikipedia while surfing the web for things to do with my mom while she was in town.  Museo de Cera.  No link.  No other information.

I confirmed that such a place existed on the tourist map of Tijuana, but other than an amateur review via YouTube and some Flickr photos, there just wasn't much to be found on the place.  The only semi-reputable site mentioning the museum claimed that it was the only wax museum in Mexico and one of only two in all of Latin America.  Now that sounded pretty awesome to me. If we had here in Tijuana the only wax museum in all of Mexico, it was my duty to go check it out.  And what kind of daughter would I be if I didn't take my mom to such an extraordinary gem hidden right here in Tijuana? 

I drove Mom over to Avenida Revolucion on her last day in town and led her down the bodega lined street toward Tijuana's most prominent landmark, the arch.  We muscled past overeager vendors thirsty for a sale who tried to block our path and redirect us into their stores by calling out persuasively "Everything $1."  Not many tourists venture down Avenida Revolucion on a Tuesday afternoon, and two women and three children looked to be easy prey.  They obviously don't know my mom.

A dozen men loafed at the foot of the arch, but other than a passive glance in our direction, they seemed disinterested as we wandered around the area looking for the museum while Mom, of course, took dozens of pictures.  

And then I saw the museum, right where it was supposed to be, despite my horrible sense of direction, and we went inside.

The lobby was empty, but inside the glass ticket booth, I could just see the tops of two heads.  The girls selling tickets did not seem surprised or interested to see us even though we were the museums only patrons.  We paid the $1.50 per person fee (Benjy and Andrew were both free) and proceeded to the exhibits, which as you may have guessed, were all wax figures.  Supposedly there were about 90 of them, ranging from Mexico's earliest historic figures (which included a ritualistic sacrifice scene complete with gaping chest wound and a bloody fist clutching a heart) to present day political leaders and cultural icons.  There was even a seemingly out of place back room horror scene which had nothing to do with Mexico and everything to do with being creepy.  I skipped this room since the younger kids were still reeling from the first bloody scene.

The usual suspects were all accounted for: Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Whoopi Goldberg, Benito Juarez. 

 

Frida Kahlo, with her unibrow, but without her famous muralist husband, Diego Rivera.

 

La Tia Juana, who, legend has it, the city is named after.  She was known for her hospitality, offering travelers a meal and a place to rest.  

A U.S. presidential line up of Democrats.  Notice that Clinton and JFK look to be suffering from tuberculosis.  They've probably been there since the museum opened in 1992. Obama looks spectacularly well made in comparison.

 

Princess Diana, who unfortunately looks more like a drag queen than a beautiful princess.

 

And Rita Hayworth, legendary film actress and sex symbol, who was discovered in Tijuana in the early 1930s.

It took us about 20 minutes to walk through the museum, and while it's no Madame Tussauds, it was still a lot of fun at a fraction of the cost.  Sure John Lennon was greenish and Sylvester Stallone was more forehead than face, but all in all, it was a great way to spend an afternoon in Tijuana, even if it's not really the only wax museum in Mexico.