Eric Carle, the author and illustrator of more than 70 books such as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See, founded this picture book art museum. Since its inception in 2002, the museum has received over 250,000 people, including over 16,500 school children. On the site, take a virtual tour of the museum and read about current, past and upcoming exhibitions. You can also preview some of the exhibitions by clicking on the link to see featured works. The Web site also provides recommended reading lists, art activities and an Ask the Expert section, in which you can send in a question regarding picture book or picture book art. Read about current news updates and a biography about Carle, and don’t forget to stop by the online gift shop for cool items.
The Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf
This San Francisco museum features more than 200 models, posed in appropriate scenes. On its Web site, you can check out some of the exhibits in categories such as History, Hall of Regions, Palace of Living Art, King Tut, Chamber of Horrors and Sports and Entertainment. Many people's pages include brief biographies. You can also see how they make the figures and view a page of links to press about the museum.
The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
This wax museum, dedicated to famous African-Americans in U.S. history, is in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in 1983, the objective of the museum was to help create awareness for civil rights, African-American history and racial stereotypes. Take a look at the different exhibits (organized chronologically), and click on some of the people to read a biography. Each biography includes a list of famous quotes and links to other references and external pages. Also make sure to view the online bookshop and gift shop.
Musée Conti Historical Museum
The Musée Conti Wax Museum, launched in 1964, is in New Orleans. View the museum’s photo gallery and "retro" photo gallery from its early days for a sneak peak at the exhibits. The Web site also offers interesting the history of and information about how to create a wax sculpture. You can also see the short film about New Orleans and the museum, which includes old photos and artifacts from the area and of the museum, as well as photos of how they create the sets and models.
These other sites also offer more information about wax sculptures and the famous people who served as the original models: