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Book Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum Tickets
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By Mandy Phillips
It's hard to even drive past the building that houses Ripley's Believe It or Not without looking twice. The building is split down the middle to commemorate the massive 1821 earthquake that hit the New Madrid faultline in Missouri, and inside the building, things just get weirder. The front lobby is welcoming, although the ceiling looks as those it's just a 2x4 or two from crashing down (Rest assured it is safe, though - all part of the gag!).
The first exhibits highlight a wide variety of interesting items, ranging from tribal artifacts to a four-foot cowboy made entirely out of matchsticks. One of my favorite exhibits in this area highlighted a genuine "Vampire Killing Kit" from mid-1800s Europe. The kit contained everything needed to vanquish a vampire, including a pistol with silver bullets, garlic, a crucifix made out of ivory, a wooden stake, and more. (I could just imagine myself heading out the door, then having to backtrack because I forgot to slip my "Vampire Killing Kit" in my purse!).
The next area featured several optical illusions, brain teasers, and other activities. Kids seemed to be loving all of the buttons to push, doors to open, and games to play, so this room was pretty crowded and full of activity. We moved on into a large room that featured exhibits such as a 160 million year old petrified tree trunk, a limousine with a heart-shaped hot tub, and other large items.
The following was quite interesting. It was off balance, so I staggered around as I tried to make my way through. We did stop long enough, though, to watch a ball roll uphill. THAT was something to see! A few more exhibits and a flight of stairs later, we were at one of the museums most popular areas. A large room is dedicated to Mr. Robert Ripley's extensive collection of tribal artifacts obtained during his world travels, and the area is complete with "sets," sound effects, and tribal music. Items include an actual shrunken head from the Jivaro Indians of Ecuador. Other artifacts included totem poles used to signify the number of heads obtained throughout the life of "successful" head hunters. In fact, we learned that in some cultures, a "boy" is not considered a "man" until he has taken his first head. Yikes. Moving right along . . .
Here are a few more of my favorite exhibits found inside the museum that you won't want to miss:
- A portrait of Mary Poppins made entirely of jelly beans - 22,500 of them to be exact
- An old deep sea diving helmet that showcases just how heavy diving suits are
- Statues of Robert Wadlow - all 8 feet, 11 inches of him - and Robert Earl Hughes - all 1,069 pounds of him
- The room though which you exit - it spins around you and makes for a very interesting walk
Be sure to allow yourself at least a couple of hours to get through the museum, and even more time if you plan on stopping to read a lot of the information that accompanies each exhibit. We had another attraction scheduled and had to hurry through the end, so you'll definitely want to leave yourself plenty of time. Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Branson offers some incredible exhibits that you won't see in a traditional museum, and has enough variety to capture the attention of young children, their parents, and everyone in between.
