New York City welcomes back the spirit of Robert Ripley with the opening of Ripley's Believe It or Not!® Times Square Odditorium. Thursday's opening marks the return of Ripley to New York, his home for more than 30 years, and to the city that proved that truth can truly be stranger than fiction. Ripley's Times Square houses the ultimate in the odd and bizarre including 24 shrunken heads, a section of the Berlin Wall and a 3,197 lb. meteorite, as well as items that are genuine New York including Babe Ruth's "Believe It or Not's??? New York team baseball uniform.
To celebrate the grand opening, Ripley's is hosting a celebratory ribbon cutting featuring iconic shrunken heads. In true Believe It or Not! fashion, a world-renowned sword swallower will cut the shrunken head ribbon after he pulls the 24 inches of solid steel from his own throat! Ripley's is also inviting New Yorkers and visitors to "Show Us Your Oddities??? prior to the ribbon cutting this morning, in which people showcase their own everyday oddities with an opportunity to win an invitation to the red carpet party this evening. The VIP extravaganza continues tonight in the quirky spirit of Robert Ripley, with celebrities like Kelly Osbourne, Jenny McCarthy and Carmen Electra who will walk a red carpet of hot coals along with performers from all walks of life including Lizardman, Catman and the woman with the world's longest fingernails. To view the red carpet action live, log onto http://www.ripleys.com/ tonight at 7 pm EST and see the star-studded web cast in real time.
"New York City is one of the most amazing cities in the world and it's easy to see why Robert Ripley made the Big Apple his home,??? said Bob Masterson, President, Ripley Entertainment Inc. "We are thrilled to bring Believe It or Not! back to the city where, in 1918, Ripley coined that now famous phrase. Ripley's Times Square Odditorium will house the greatest collection of unbelievable odd and unusual items ever assembled under one roof, from this world and beyond! This fantastic collection captures the essence of Mr. Ripley, the eccentric collector who proved to the world that truth could indeed be stranger than fiction.
Robert Ripley's New York
Robert Leroy Ripley, an icon in the world of cartoon art, the first person to be elected to the Trivia Hall of Fame, and the founder of an entertainment empire based on the premise that "truth can be stranger than fiction,??? first came to New York from San Francisco in 1913 at the age of 23. Working as an illustrator in San Francisco, Ripley was encouraged by his friend Jack London to go to New York and pursue his baseball dream or at least make more money from his drawings. He landed a job as an illustrator with the New York Globe and in 1914 he tried out for the New York Giants - and made the team! Unfortunately, in his very first game with the Giants, he broke his pitching arm. With his baseball career over, Ripley returned to the drawing board at the Globe and to living a full and rich New York City life including marrying a Ziegfeld Follies showgirl, living in a 28-room stone mansion on a private island off Mamaroneck and hosting grand parties during prohibition that would dazzle even the most jaded New Yorker.
About Ripley Entertainment
Ripley Entertainment, Inc. (http://www.ripleys.com/) is a leading global attractions company with annual attendance of more than 13 million. In addition to its 60-plus attractions, the Orlando-based company has publishing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley's Believe It or Not! that still runs daily in 200 newspapers in 42 countries. There are now 30 Ripley's Believe It or Not!® odditoriums (including NYC) in operation with another to open in late 2007 in India. The unique attractions feature exhibits that one must see to believe - exhibits that are so bizarre, so odd, so strange, that even the most worldly and knowledgeable guests will be awestruck.
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About Big Apple Entertainment Partners LLC Big Apple Entertainment Partners operate the Ripley's Times Square Odditorium. Big Apple Entertainment Partners LLC is controlled by Carni Development Group LLC, an investment vehicle established for the purpose of making investments in entertainment properties worldwide.
About Ripley's Believe It or Not!® Times Square Odditorium
Address: 234 West 42nd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenue)
Phone Number: (212) 398-3133
Hours: Open 365 days a year from 9am to 1am
Pricing: Adults - $26.95; children ages 4 - 12 years old - $19.95; students, seniors and military
personnel - $21.99
