Most museums are dedicated to displaying famous works of art or wonders of nature. But at the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium in downtown Myrtle Beach, it's the world's most bizarre people, places and things that take the spotlight.
In keeping with the weird and wacky vision of founder and famed cartoonist and world traveler Robert Ripley, who collected curious curio from the four corners of the earth, this attraction features some of the most unbelievable exhibits and displays imaginable.
Located in the heart of the downtown district, just across Ocean Boulevard from the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, the building that houses the museum is almost as unusual on the outside as it is inside. A huge jagged crack on the exterior indicates the earth-shattering exhibits that are housed within the walls, and a few sample displays are kept out front to tempt passersby to come inside and see for themselves.
Once inside the three-story structure guests are treated to exhibits of Ripley's personal collection of “odd-i-facts” from his many travels. A stroll through the winding hallways offer surprises at every turn, each display more bizarre than the last. Depicted in old photos and scale models of actual items he uncovered over the years, Ripley's legacy lives on in every unusual and creepy curio.
At the risk of requiring a spoiler alert, some of the more popular relics include a shrunken head from primitive cultures, an actual-size statue of the world's tallest man and even a scale model of a six-legged cow. From freaks of nature to the supernatural, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Odditorium offers a long list of items that range from the unexplained to the unimaginable. Patrons can learn a lot about the world and even more about its oddities at this one of a kind tourist attraction.
After taking the self-guided tour at your own pace, spending more time at the exhibits that interest you and bypassing the ones that gross you out, visitors can check out the gift shop and take home a few souvenirs to help you remember your tour of the strange and unexplained. You will already have some wild stories to tell.
Patrons can save money by combining your ticket with admission to other Ripley's attractions in Myrtle Beach, including three of them on the same block as the Odditorium. Check out the Ripley's virtual reality experience at Ripley's 5-D Moving Theater and Motion Master, get lost while looking at yourself and for a way out of the Ripley's Mirror Maze, and enjoy a good scare at the Ripley's Haunted Adventure. The Ripley's Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach is also part of the family of attractions; the more you visit, the more you save.
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Odditorium is the perfect place to escape the heat or spend a rainy day while you’re in the downtown district, or take a break from the beach across the street at the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and soak up the air conditioning and crazy atmosphere. Located near Plyler Park, the Promenade section of the Boardwalk, free concerts, fireworks shows and festivals are held on the nearby main stage. You can catch a free show on the Boardwalk before or after seeing the freak show that lies between the walls of the Odditorium.
Located at 901 North Ocean Boulevard, Ripley's Believe It Or Not Odditorium is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $14.99 for adults, $7.99 for children 6-11 and free for ages 5 and under. For more information, call 843-448-2331 or visit the website at www.ripleys.com.
(Posted: 3/30/15)
