The Tussauds Group

The Tussauds Group is now part of Merlin Entertainments, the world's second largest leisure group, second only to Disney.Fact|date=August 2008 It is based in Poole, Dorset from where it manages a portfolio of brands and over 50 attractions including the famous Madame Tussauds waxworks, Legoland Parks, Sealife Centres, Gardaland in Italy, The Dungeons and the highly successful London Eye, Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures in the UK.

History

Between 1900 and 1977, Madame Tussauds was the main asset for the Tussauds group. This changed in 1978 when the business was acquired by S. Pearson and Son, now Pearson PLC. Chessington Zoo was already owned by Pearson and became a Tussauds attraction. In the same year Warwick Castle was acquired. Several small acquisitions were made before 1990, when Alton Towers was bought for £60 million.

In 1995, PortAventura in Spain opened, in which Tussauds had a 40% stake and managed the theme park. The stake was sold in 1998 to enable the purchase of Thorpe Park, in South East England - management of PortAventura ceased with its sale.

In 1999, after being part of Pearson for twenty years, Charterhouse Development Capital acquired the group. In 2000, the London Eye launched, owned by British Airways but managed by Tussauds. In 2001 the group purchased Heide Park in Germany.

In 2005, the group was sold to Dubai International Capital for £800 million ($1.5 billion). In 2006, the group purchased the London Eye outright.

In March 2007, the group was sold to the Blackstone Group, in a £1Bn deal. DIC will hold 20% of the combined group. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6419019.stm BBC NEWS | Business | Tussauds firm bought in £1bn deal ] ] The company will be combined with the Merlin Entertainments Group and is completing a harmonisation process. The Tussauds Group will proceed as Merlin Entertainments Group. The group will add two new hotels to its portfolio in 2007 - Safari Lodge in Chessington, and Port Royal in Soltau, North Germany.

As of May 22, 2007 the merger with Merlin Entertainment has been completed and The Tussauds Group has ceased to exist as a separate entity.

References

External links

* [http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/ Merlin Entertainments]
* [http://www.madame-tussauds.com/ Madame Tussauds]
* [http://www.londoneye.com/ The British Airways London Eye]
* [http://www.alton-towers.co.uk/ Alton Towers]
* [http://www.heide-park.de/ Heide Park] (in German and English)
* [http://www.thorpepark.co.uk/ Thorpe Park]
* [http://www.chessington.co.uk/ Chessington World of Adventures]
* [http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk/ Warwick Castle]
* [http://www.annual-pass.com/ Annual Pass Site]