Believe It Or Not, Ripley's Museum Is Closing In Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Believe it or not, the Atlantic City Boardwalk will soon lose one of its weirdest icons.

The Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! museum announced Thursday that it would close on Dec. 31 after more than 26 years of displaying oddities to the Jersey Shore, according to the Associated Press.

“We’re grateful for the support of our fans and guests, whose curiosity, open-mindedness, and enthusiasm have contributed to our success for over 26 years,” Chris Connelly, the museum's manager, said to AP in a statement. “We’re thankful to have offered a unique form of entertainment and education at the Jersey Shore, and we hope we have helped create wonderful memories for those who have come to visit.”

According to AP, the local franchisee has reached the end of its agreement with Ripley’s.

“They’re going to reimagine the space and come up with something new and fresh for the future,” Connelly told the news organization.

What’s unsure is the future of the building’s famous facade, featuring a giant globe smashing into the front and appearing to have cracked the foundation.

The museum opened on the Boardwalk at New York Avenue on June 22, 1996 between the Bally’s and Resorts casinos, according to AP.

It became popular with families who looked for non-gambling entertainment and gamblers looking for a break.

With 14 themed galleries and more than 400 exhibits, the museum showcases a spider made out of scissors and knives, a roulette table made of 14,000 jelly beans, and what it describes as the world’s smallest production car.

Ripley’s also debunked several carnival-show oddities, AP said, including what purported to be the skeleton of a mermaid, but which was actually a monkey skull sewn to a fish tail.