Super heroes get to save the world all the time in blockbuster movies, so why not you and the kids? This is the concept behind Be a Hero adventure, opened to much fanfare on Labor Day at Madame Tussauds San Francisco.
The team-based virtual reality adventure is all about time travel, immersing you in the year 2217 — not a great place to be, according to this vision of a dystopian future. Your mission is to search the past for clues on how to repair a temporal rift that jeopardizes life as we know it. Challenges include venturing into the distant past to fight aggressive dinosaurs, unlocking secrets of ancient Egypt, diving to the bottom of the ocean and even repairing the moon lander. The idea is to correct mistakes made long ago to give humanity a fighting chance for a rosier future.
Serena Williams wax statue © Naynesh Parmar | Dreamstime.com
Offered in conjunction with Virtual Room USA, the game invites groups of two to four people aged 12 and up to explore their inner hero in up to four 15-minute timed challenges. Each player will be in his or her own dedicated room tricked out with all the latest virtual reality gear, but able to communicate with your teammates as you attempt to save the planet.
Of course, there’s more to do at Madame Tussauds San Francisco, so consider setting aside extra time to check out the exhibits. The attraction, which draws in an eye-popping 10 million guests a year, offers an Alcatraz: The Breakout escape room adventure, as well as the chance to pose with unnervingly life-like wax figures of your favorite celebrities. Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga are just a few of the luminaries in the Music Zone; hang next to Steve Jobs or former President Obama in the Leaders and Entrepreneurs area; pose with Serena Williams and other sports greats; or brush shoulders with George Clooney or Leonardo DiCaprio — you get the idea.
Madame Tussauds San Francisco, open daily at 10 a.m. every day year-round, is located on Fisherman’s Wharf.
The Virtual Room is a separately priced attraction within Madame Tussauds, priced from $10. Online admission tickets to the museum range from $20 for anytime entry to $25 when combined with San Francisco Dungeon, an adjacent actor-lead experience with rides. Walk-up rates are slightly higher.
For $69.95, available online only, families can pair a visit to Madame Tussauds with a Big Bus Classic Tour, a 24-hour, hop-on/hop-off experience.
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