10 things to see in Leicester Square: How NOT to miss the Batman statue when visiting Leicester Square (Leicester Square walking tour with a map)
Leicester Square is a fun square.
Leicester Square is one of the most vibrant parts of London.
A whopping 2.5 mln people visit it each week!
And yet, most visitors are unaware that the iconic comic superhero (Batman!) is watching them, day & night from above!
But that's not all…
Leicester Square (particularly famous for hosting movie premieres) showcases also 9 other iconic movie bronze figures known as Scenes In The Square.
Let's see then which famous movie characters have been immortalized in bronze at this iconic London spot and where to find them.
Enjoy the read and this short (but very entertaining!) walk.
Distance to cover: 0.5 miles
If you click on the map below, a new window will open for live navigation in the field.
Leicester Square is a busy place. And when I say busy, I mean BUSY (as always, mind the pickpockets!).
There is nothing like seeing Leister Square busking artists - they perform during the day and at night.
The film statues are very popular with tourists and locals - early morning hours are the best time for a photo with each statue.
I prefer to see some of statues after dusk, but perhaps it is just me! See the photos below to decide for yourself.
See this square at any round hour (see the end of this post to find out why!).
Leister Square is a great destination for a walk for the WHOLE family.
The park inside the square opening times are: 7:30am-8pm
The entrance to this square is FREE of charge.
MOVIE STATUES IN LEICESTER SQUARE
Wonder Woman statue
The first statue to see on this film trail is the bronze figure of Wonder Woman.
The sculpture of the popular DC comic book character is crashing through the wall of a famous Vue Cinema at Leicester Court, just around the corner from Leicester Square Tube Station.
Due to its off-the-main square location and being slightly above the heads of pedestrians is often missed by tourists.
I personally like to see it at night when the Lasso of Truth (a famous attribute of Wonder Woman) illuminates.
Did you know that psychologist (and creator of Wonder Woman character!) William Moulton Marston was also responsible for the invention of the lie detector?
2. Harry Potter statue
The next goal is to see a young Harry Potter riding a broomstick.
This statue is located in the centre of Leicester Square.
This magical surprise in the heart of Leicester Square is a real treat for (all-ages) fans of the world's favorite boy wizard.
Harry Potter statue is one of the most popular bronze figures in Leicester Square, and you might need to queue to take a picture with it during the day.
3. Mary Poppins statue
Another (magical!) statue on this short walk is a statue of Mary Poppins.
This film character is immortalized there with her iconic attribute (and way of traveling!), an umbrella.
The statue of the favorite nanny is placed up in the air near the world's biggest Lego Store.
It is a fitting tribute to the beloved movie character and a must-see spot at Leicester Square!
An excellent photo opportunity and certainly, a good hiding place during the rain!
Talking about the rain…
4. The statue of Gene Kelly from 'Singing in the Rain'
'Singing in the Rain' is an absolute 50's classic and one of the greatest musicals of all time.
No wonder it got its representation in the cinema sculpture park at Leicester Square.
A playful bronze statue of Gene Kelly in his iconic scene (when he jumps on the lamp post singing when holding an umbrella) is the next film figure to see on this trail.
A real gem for adult members of the family.
You can find this lovely statue just around the corner from the statue of Mary Poppins (outside McDonald's).
Now it's time to move to the small park inside the square, to see three more sculptures of iconic movie characters.
5. Charlie Chaplin statue
Inside Leicester Square park, you can find the statue of another universally recognizable and iconic film character, Charlie Chaplin.
A Londoner, director, silent comedy star, and one of the film industry's most important figures made his first successful steps as an actor on the stage of the nearby London Coliseum (link to the location) before getting his lucky break in America.
But Charlie Chaplin is not the only silent comic genius with a statue at Leicester Square...
6. Mr. Bean statue
A few steps away from the statue of Charlie Chaplin, you can find a glorious monument of Rowan Atkinson in his iconic role as Mr. Bean.
The beloved character is easy to miss as he sits casually on the bench.
It’s the only statue of a living actor in London!
This is my personal favorite of all the bronze figures at Leicester Square.
Simply brilliant - just like the man (and film character) himself!
Location:
7. Paddington Bear statue
The cute statue of the world's favorite bear Paddington is located near the statues of Charlie Chaplin & Mr. Bean within Leicester Square park.
It is another statue that you can share a bench with.
The statue is popular with all-ages selfie-takers throughout the day.
8. Bugs Bunny statue
After seeing the statue of the bear, it's time to see the sculpture of the famous rabbit.
In the northeast part of Leicester Square, opposite Pizza Hut Restaurant, you can find the statue celebrating Bugs Bunny.
The iconic movie character is hopping out of the ground, and he is eating a carrot.
You can also see a mailbox next to him.
Now we are heading to see the last two of the statues from the whole pantheon of the Scene in the Square figures.
But to see them, you will need to raise your head up!
9. Laurel and Hardy statue
The statue of Laurel and Hardy in Leicester Square is rarely seen by tourists as it is placed on the roof of the TKTS building.
TKTS is an iconic London place selling discounted theatre tickets for London's West End.
The famous movie pair is featured balancing their act as they did in their classic movie "Liberty".
A hard statue to take photo with but definitely worth seeing!
And last but not least…
10. Batman statue in Leicester Square
Millions of people visiting Leicester Square every year are spoiled with the choice of things to see.
The majority of attractions are at the street level.
However, to see the Batman statue, you will need to look up!
The depiction of the comic superhero is located on the lower roof of the Odeon Cinema at Leicester Square…
…25 meters above the ground.
One of the most iconic fictional characters in the word is also hard-to-reach but well-worth seeing!
I think there is no better time of the day to see this statue than night.
BONUS TIP
After seeing so many iconic film movie characters, I have one more bonus tip for you for visiting Leicester Square.
So the tip is to visit Leicester Square at any ROUND hour.
The reason for that is Swiss Glockenspiel, located near Mary Poppins sculpture and outside Lego Store.
At round hours, the mechanical artifacts of the Swiss Glockenspiel signal the hour, and its bells start to ring from the clock with a beautiful melody.
Artistic composition and enjoyable (and FREE!) spectacle to watch.
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