Right in the heart of the "Waterpark Capital of the World" is not a water park at all, but a museum synonymous with adventure, amazement, and the absurd. The Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, located at 105 Broadway in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, thrills, delights — and sometime disgusts! — patrons looking for a diversion from their own adventures in this world of indoor and outdoor water parks and water sports. LeRoy "Robert" Ripley gained fame from an early age and never looked back. From pitching semi-pro baseball and illustrating posters for his games at the age of 13, Ripley has been around showmanship and oddities. This all-around man had his first cartoon published by LIFE Magazine at age 14, and soon went on to cartoon at two San Francisco newspapers. After landing a job at the New York Globe to sketch sports, his life changed forever when on a slow news day he drew nine strange sporting events which was given the title "Believe It or Not!" With the popularity of this cartoon, Ripley became a globetrotter, seeking out the strange (if not always true) from all walks of life. He was especially fond of China, but he was able to easily find fascinating stories in the Orient, where many of their cultures were not widely understood by the West. Museums dedicated to the stories he collected have gone international. The Wisconsin Dells museum features eight galleries on two floors, highlighting interesting illusions and effects, and a special feature on "King Tut and His Curse."
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