Orange Street holds Potter's Wax Museum, the first wax museum in the United States. Inside are over 160 wax sculptures — once 243 before 1986 — portraying famous politicians, entertainers, horror characters, historical personalities, sports stars and other celebrities. This attraction began when George L. Potter established the collection in 1948; it is the first wax museum in the United States.
As a child Potter visited Madame Tussaud's in London, and as an adult, having made a small fortune in real estate and the rental market, he set out to bring that wax work to America. After studying the market in St. Augustine he chose a site at the corner of King Street and A1A (San Marcos Ave). Gems London Wax Studio was contracted to construct the initial collection, and for many years the place operated as Potter's International Hall of Fame.
Guided tours gave accounts of the lives of the persons represented. The museum's street address itself changed over time — 1 King Street from 1948 to 1986, 17 King Street from 1987 to 2013 — before you see it here on Orange Street. Picture George Potter's boyhood visit to Madame Tussaud's, the spark that made this America's first wax museum in 1948.