Ripley's Believe It or Not! At San Francisco Wharf To Close – Patch

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! At San Francisco Wharf To Close  Patch

The business attracted tourists to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf for nearly six decades. SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Ripley's Believe It or Not! will close its Fisherman's Wharf location in San Francisco, the company announced Tuesday. "For nearly 60 years, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has been part of the fabric of Fisherman’s Wharf," the company said in a statement. "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our current San Francisco attraction." Company officials said the final day will be "sometime before the end of the year." A closure date will be announced once it's been finalized, they added. The company, known for displaying quirky and bizarre oddities from around the world, has roots in the Bay Area dating back to 1909, as its founder, Robert Ripley, was born in Santa Rosa.

Ripley worked as a sports reporter and cartoonist at the San Francisco Bulletin, according to his online biography. After finding himself without a sports story, Ripley created the first "Believe It or Not!" cartoon, according to the biography. He then traveled around the world to explore more of the world's oddities, leading to the first of many "Believe It or Not!" books. Ripley opened a temporary "odditorium" at the World's Fair in 1933, and the first permanent one was built in Florida in 1950, a