Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum is a proudly self-proclaimed “Odditorium”. Step into a world of the wonderful and weird: an Aladdin’s cave of eerie and compelling artifacts, some of which are over 300 years old. This magical experience includes 15 themed galleries to explore — enough entertainment to keep your family and friends entertained for hours.
The Australian Odditorium is part of the Ripley Entertainment empire, which includes many entertainment venues across the world. The cartoonist Robert Ripley started it all with his newspaper comics strips in 1918. He was a curious man who loved gathering odd facts from around the world, which he published in a paper and later also in books. These became known as Ripley’s Believe It or Not! publications. Almost a century later, the Australian Odditorium features modern displays with interactive gadgets, videos and a smartphone app that adds to the fun.
Models of some of the interesting characters from Ripley’s books are dotted throughout the museum rooms, including the world’s tallest man, an Egyptian dwarf, a three-legged Italian, a man with two pupils in each eye, the world’s fattest man, and a long-necked Burmese woman.
Take a close-up look at shrunken heads, rare miniatures and a famous artwork made entirely out of toast. Get some target practice at the shooting gallery, find your balance in the double spinning tunnel, and dare to enter the medieval torture chamber. Watch the surprising outer-space laser show, or disco dance with your friends and your own outline in the Recollections dance room.
Ripley’s Believe it or Not! is located in the Cavill Mall, in the heart of Surfers Paradise. The museum is open every day and night, except after dark on New Year’s Eve. As one of the few indoor attractions on the Gold Coast, this is a good place to head to for shelter on a rainy day or to cool off in the air-conditioned rooms on a hot day.
