PIN Ripley`s London

Believe it or not

Step inside a world where the bizarre and the unbelievable come to life and amazement is waiting around every corner – whether it’s an actual chunk of the Berlin Wall, or our Amazonian shrunken heads; a knitted Ferrari or a chewing gum sculpture, at Ripley’s there are mind-boggling wonders for even the wildest imagination. If it’s truly unbelievable, it’s in here!

With over 700 exhibits waiting to be discovered, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! London is the ultimate home of the unbelievable, ideal for family days out with the kids. With everything you can imagine all under one roof (and plenty more you can’t!) From the Harry Potter Hungarian Horntail made from recycled bike parts, Tower Bridge made up of matchsticks and a transformer, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! London is a day out of the ordinary for the whole family.

How to get there

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! London is located at No. 1 Piccadilly Circus on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street in the heart of London’s West End.

Who was the talented Mr. Ripley

The founder of our curious collection of exhibits and world wonders was Robert L. Ripley (1890–1949), a cartoonist, explorer, reporter, adventurer, and collector, who travelled to 201 countries in 35 years seeking the odd, the unusual, and the unexplained.

He was nicknamed “The Modern Marco Polo”, and in his endless search for unbelievable stories to draw in his immensely popular newspaper cartoon feature, he acquired hundreds of exotic artefacts from around the world.

Mr Ripley’s first Believe It or Not! books, collections of his newspaper cartoon drawings, appeared in 1929 and 1931, and the success of the first book led to a live radio show. Starting in 1930 and running continuously until 1944, Ripley hosted a wildly successful weekly radio show. The show continued briefly in 1947–48, but by that time he was already experimenting with the new medium of television.

In the spring of 1949 Robert Ripley launched a weekly television show. Based loosely on his successful radio show format, Ripley displayed some of his artefacts, drew cartoons on camera, and re-enacted fantastic unbelievable stories, followed by interviews with the actual “stars” of the stories.

Owner

Lucy TripTide

Lucy is a TripTide stalwart and has been with the company since inception. She is a font of knowledge of all things in our metropolis but she has a special penchant for London's historical past. She says:"London is a multi-layered confection of hi...