“Outside of Ripley’s…”
Ripley’s Believe it or Not is an amazing, out of the ordinary, 10,000 square foot auditorium that appears to be sinking in to the ground and showcases unique and exciting artifacts as well as illusions from around the world. This museum has 16 themed galleries with hundreds of interactive exhibits to entertain both young and old, and is open 365 days a year til midnight. Since you are your own tour guide you can spend as much time as you like at each exhibit and don’t forget your camera to capture all your memories.
Robert Leroy Ripley, creator of Ripley Believe it or Not and born in 1890 in Santa Rosa California, was world famous during the 1st half of the 20th century. He was an adventurer, cartoonist, explorer, illustrator, reporter, and both collector and seeker of the odd and unusual. His life’s work, his discoveries, and artifacts along with his told tales of adventures he lived,will forever be the foundation of all Ripley Entertainment; there are 26 sites in the U.S., Canada & Mexico and eight overseas. Ripley was an avid artist and great athlete at a very young age, it was after his cartoons became famous that he became a world traveler seeking stories of the bizarre and unusual. Living in an era when not many people traveled outside their hometown let alone out the the country, he became a compulsive traveler and journeyed wherever he could, to such places as China (his favorite), India, the Orient and other unconventional areas visiting with people of all different cultures that most Americans did not know even existed. It was during these travels that he picked up many strange and unbelievable souvenirs that later became part of his extensive collection of oddities and stories that continue to entertain the public today with millions of visits every year.
