| The newest Ripley's Believe it or Not Odditorium | | | | tribal music beind their glass showcases. I'm sure |
| (in Manhattan, 42nd Street between 7th & 8th | | | | the masks themselves are genuine, but they sure |
| Ave.) in their roster of museums opened to the | | | | put on a nice show. Similarly, a room full of |
| public on Friday, June 22. I arrived in the evening - | | | | shrunken heads (also behind glass) is a bit chilling. |
| about 9pm - surprised to find that the attraction | | | | The room filled with prison and/or items of |
| was not crowded. I suspect this is because either | | | | torture is particularly interesting. Torture masks |
| (1) the word has not yet gotten out, or (2) the | | | | and contraptions line the brick-walled room, |
| crowds had not yet dispersed from the nearby | | | | including a "working" electric chair. Photo |
| Broadway theaters. The exterior is a kind of | | | | opportunities abound here. |
| crazy theater marquee, which fits its 42nd Street | | | | A nautical-themed room has a small Titanic |
| location. I paid my admission and spent the next | | | | exhibition, and a glass floor allows visitors to walk |
| hour or so wandering through the halls. | | | | on top of a collection of oceanic vessels. |
| Having been to so many different Ripley's | | | | The theater (a small room with a rear-projection |
| attractions, it is becoming difficult for me to | | | | television showing clips from the Ripley's television |
| differentiate between them, so instead I'll point | | | | show), is filled with baseball uniforms that have |
| out the highlights: | | | | the team name "The Believe It or Nots." The |
| The holographic "skit" near the beginning seems | | | | video clip is short, but there are seats so it was a |
| very crowd-pleasing. Behind a pane of glass, a tiny | | | | pleasant place for me to rest for a moment. |
| holographic man welcomes visitors to the | | | | Many of the classic exhibits are there, such as the |
| museum by singing a "Welcome to Ripley's World" | | | | 2-way mirror, the 2-headed animals, headless |
| ditty that I still have stuck in my head. Very cute | | | | chickens, etc. I was disappointed that their staple |
| but not terribly informative. | | | | "bigfoot" illusion was nowhere to be found, but |
| A collection of Ripley's masks dance to generic | | | | that cool "spinning room" was there. |