Believe it… or not
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Oddirorium is the most centrally located of all the Ripley attractions in Gatlinburg, and also one of the most fun. Walking through the museum that is the Odditorium is like walking through the mind of Robert Ripley: a little spooky, a little creepy and a lot of fun.
When you go through the turnstile at the Odditorium, you will take in the enormity of the museum from the get go. Each and every square inch of the walls are covered with facts, parts of the collection, the odd and the bizarre. From the unusual to the macabre, from the weird to the historical, there is something for everyone in the Odditorium.
Robert Ripley spent his life traveling around the world collecting pieces of other cultures for his collections. At the Gatlinburg Odditorium, you get to see part of that life time. Each of the Ripley museums around the country house different parts of the Ripley’s archive. At the Odditorium in Gatlinburg you get to see nature run amok with the bizarre animals from around the world, you get to experience different cultures (from headhunters to Europe) and you get to see some Robert Ripley history as well.
A stroll through the Odditorium is like taking in Ripley’s Believe It or Not TV show in real life. You will find yourself face to face with the Fiji Mermaid. You will find your self standing mere feet from an actual electric chair. You can see the death mask of John Dilinger. But not everything is frightening. You will get to see creations made out of matchsticks, stroll along the rooftops of a Victorian era English city or explore the world of optical illusions. One of the highlights for any first time visitors is the worm hole.
At the end of your journey through the Odditorium is an enormous man-sized worm hole. You get to walk in the track of a giant earthworm that spins around you as you walk through. Though it is very disorienting, it is also beautiful and wonderful to walk through. Children especially will spend lots of time walking back and forth through the revolving tunnel.
Pay a visit to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium the next time you are in Gatlinburg. This is one of the longest running attractions in Gatlinburg. Many people an remember seeing it when they came with their parents when they were children. Now you have the opportunity to let your kids step into the world of the bizarre and ask if they believe it… or not.
Ripley’s Beleieve It or Not Odditorium
800 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN
865-436-5096
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