6 Best Wax Museum Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 22, 2026

The uncanny stillness of a wax figure has haunted horror cinema for decades, powering tales of disfigured sculptors and museums hiding much more than art. In House of Wax (1953): A disfigured sculptor rebuilds his wax museum using the bodies of his murder victims as macabre exhibits. Also notable is Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933): A disfigured sculptor’s new wax museum conceals a horrifying secret about how his lifelike figures are made.

House of Wax (2005)

TMDB ★ 5.6

A group of friends stranded near an abandoned town discover its wax museum is built from something far worse than wax.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra · 1h 53m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)

TMDB ★ 5.9

Survivors of a haunted wax museum are hurled through a portal into a series of deadly alternate realities.

Directed by Anthony Hickox · 1h 44m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Waxwork (1988)

TMDB ★ 6.2

Teenagers who visit a mysterious new wax museum are pulled into the deadly scenarios its exhibits depict.

Directed by Anthony Hickox · 1h 37m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Tourist Trap (1979)

TMDB ★ 6.3

Stranded travelers at a roadside museum discover its telekinetic owner's collection of eerily lifelike mannequins.

Directed by David Schmoeller · 1h 29m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

House of Wax (1953)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A disfigured sculptor rebuilds his wax museum using the bodies of his murder victims as macabre exhibits.

Directed by André de Toth · 1h 28m

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)

TMDB ★ 6.6

A disfigured sculptor's new wax museum conceals a horrifying secret about how his lifelike figures are made.

Directed by Michael Curtiz · 1h 18m

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

6 Best Wax Museum Movies

House of Wax (2005)

Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)

Waxwork (1988)

Tourist Trap (1979)

House of Wax (1953)

Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)

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