Panoptikum

The Panoptikum in Hamburg is considered Germany's oldest and largest wax museum. Friedrich Hermann Faerber founded it in 1879 on Spielbudenplatz on the Reeperbahn, and it has been family-owned ever since. After incendiary bombs destroyed it in World War II, the museum reopened in 1948, and in 1959 the current building next to the Operettenhaus was constructed. Today Hayo Faerber and his daughter Susanne run the museum. Spread over four floors, the collection presents around 120 figures dressed in costly costumes, depicting historical figures, international stars, and Hamburg celebrities. Among others, you can marvel at Uwe Seeler, Inge Meysel, and contemporary celebrities such as Angela Merkel and Barack Obama. The exhibition is rounded out by a horror scene and a medical-history cabinet. Specialized sculptors spend months creating each figure. Compared with modern amusement parks, the presentation is closer to the origins of wax museums. Families can also take part in scavenger hunts and book children's birthday parties, while an audio guide accompanies your visit.