The Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum in Orlando is immediately identifiable as something strange. The off-kilter building is sunk precariously in the earth and perched at an odd angle.
The eye-catching construction, however, is nothing at all compared to the strange sights you’ll see inside. In this first of a series of articles looking at Orlando attractions beyond the major theme parks, let’s take a look…
1. A two-headed calf
This exhibit highlights the bizarre occurrence of strange animals. The two-headed calf should have been a twin birth. However, a rare genetic mutation caused the animal’s birth as you see it in the museum – with a single body and twin heads on one creature.
2. A matchstick Rolls Royce
The intricate details of this wooden 1907 Silver Ghost Rolls Royce are impressive all on their own. The piece truly takes on a whole new air, however, when you realize that it’s constructed entirely from matchsticks. The Rolls Royce took:
- 1,016,711 matchsticks
- 63 pints of glue
- 4,609 man-hours
It was constructed by Reg Pollard from Manchester, England. The finished piece measures 13 feet long and is a 3/4 scale model of the original. It is one of more than 550 matchstick models constructed by Mr. Pollard.
3. A mermaid
Though the mermaid on display at Ripley’s is now widely known as a fake, it was once exhibited under the pretenses of being completely real. The “Fiji Mermaid” was once on display in P.T. Barnum’s Circus. Barnum charged 25 cents to see the mermaid in 1842. He later admitted that the mermaid was a fake, created by fusing the upper body of a monkey to a fish tail.
4. Cigarette wrapper purses
If you’ve ever wondered how one might spend the long hours in prison, this exhibit offers some ideas. These purses are made from cigarette wrappers. They were constructed by California inmates. Though they began as a simple hobby to help pass the time, they later became a collectible phenomenon and some of the purses have been sold for hundreds of dollars. You may never look at a discarded pack of cigarettes the same way again.
5. Shrunken heads
Though you can see faux shrunken heads in the Diagon Alley expansion of Universal Studios, you need only head over to International Drive to see the real thing. The heads on display here are from Ecuador, South Africa.
Shrunken heads reduce a human head down to about the size of a fist. They are made by removing the skull and fat from the head. The eyelids are sewn shut and the mouth is closed with palm pins. The remaining skin is then boiled in a water containing herbs with tannins. The flesh is dried on a hot rock and carefully molded so it retains the original human shape. Finally, the skin is charred and rubbed with ash. Decorative beads are often added and the finished piece is worn around the neck to ward off vengeful spirits.
6. A vampire killing kit
In Eastern Europe around 1850, protecting oneself from vampires was a very real concern. Vampire killing kits were sold to protect travelers from these roaming blood drinkers. A vampire killing kit would typically contain:
- A pistol
- Silver bullets
- A cross
- A wooden stake
- Garlic powder
Each kit was unique, so you never knew what serums and concoctions you might find to help keep you safe.
This sampling of the oddities in Ripley’s Believe it Or Not Orlando only scratches the surface of what you’ll find. Be prepared to traverse dimly lit rooms and eerie galleries filled with the strange, fascinating, and often downright creepy. While the exhibits may fascinate older children, be very cautious about taking small ones into the museum as certain areas can be frightening.
