Believe It Or Not

A shrunken human head is not something a person expects to see when visiting Atlantic City. However, after visiting the Ripley`s Believe It Or Not Museum on the Atlantic City boardwalk, on display were such oddities like the fist-sized shrunken head, a miniature replica of a French chateau, and many other unusual items. The museum is located on the boardwalk near the Resorts Casino and the Taj Mahal. The Ripley`s Museum is a great change of pace from the noise of the slot machines, the intensity of the card tables, and the clouds of cigarette smoke inside the casinos. Upon entering the museum, the first thing a visitor will bump into is an enormous wax statue of Robert Wadlow, the world`s tallest man. This giant replica of Mr. Wadlow is not hard to miss since he stood just under nine feet and weighed four hundred and forty pounds. There is a video next to the statue that briefly explains what life was like for the world`s tallest man. He may have worn a size 37AA shoe, but life was not easy for Robert Wadlow. Standing next to the statue, one can only imagine how difficult it was for a man his size to get around or to even sit in a normal sized chair.

Two really bizarre items on display were the pint-sized mermaid and the Jersey Devil skeleton. The mermaid was a fake, but the public bought into it. In 1842 P.T. Barnum melded the top half of a monkey with the tail of a fish and then charged people to take a look at this “Fiji Mermaid”. Needless to say, this “mermaid” would not be the type of beauty that sailors would look upon with love in their eyes. The Jersey Devil skeleton was a creation of Tom Van Pelt. This skeleton was made up of deer, bear, and vulture bones and looked quite frightening. The sculptor of the Pine Barrens legend skeleton is from Jackson, New Jersey which gave this corner of the Ripley`s Museum a bit of local flavor.

Toward the back of the museum is a replica of the Sydney Harbor Bridge made entirely of matchsticks. Len Hughes of Australia made this bridge by using 160,000 matchsticks. One has to admire his patience to construct this piece of art. This replica is over seventeen feet long and very detailed. The details of the `Matchsticks Bridge` cannot compare however to the work of NJ`s own George Tomasco. He created a miniature French Chateau with seventeen rooms that is simply incredible. Words cannot describe the details George Tomasco put into his work of art. It took him over thirty years to construct and the workmanship is truly amazing.

Not all of the exhibits in the Ripley`s Museum may be appropriate for young children. There was one exhibit that showed the different objects that have impaled humans over the years. It was amazing to think that the people survived such freakish accidents, but the blood and gore might be too much for some. Another exhibit described the story of Lady Raleigh. Her husband Sir Walter was executed in 1618, and in honor of her husband, this devoted widow embalmed his head and carried it around on a silk pillow for nineteen years. It`s a fascinating story; however, the wax replica of Lady Raleigh carrying her dead husband`s noggin may be too graphic for young children or for those who are easily grossed out.

The cost of admission for the museum is under ten dollars, and a visitor could easily spend an hour or two checking out the various freakish exhibits. There are also numerous riddles and sayings posted throughout the Ripley`s Museum and a small movie theater that should not be missed. This is not the type of museum where you will find Society Hill snobs comparing Gaugin to Van Gogh. The Ripley`s Believe It Or Not Museum is fun, weird, and well worth the price of admission. If you visit this museum, you will have a good time. Believe it or not.

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Author: Jason A. Love