Madame Tussaud's

On our list of the best activities in Los Angeles.

The building beside the Chinese Theatre took a decade to fill after its first anchor tenant, Frederick's of Hollywood, went bankrupt; this wax museum moved into the space when it opened in 2009. Two three-story wings wrap a plaza built in the tradition of the old movie-palace forecourts. A rear staircase climbs to a rooftop terrace overlooking the Hollywood Roosevelt and the Chinese Theatre's forecourt below. Inside, the wax figures are grouped into themed zones with names like A-List Party, Illusions of Horror and Making Movies, plus a room devoted to country stars called Country Western.