The World of the Unexplained were two museums, opened in 1972 by

Ripley's Believe It or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' feat ...

, one at Fisherman's Wharf in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

() and one in

Gatlinburg, Tennessee Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is located southeast of Knoxville and had a population of 3,944 at the 2010 Census and a U.S. Census population of 3,577 in 2020. It is a popular vacation resort ...

, originally called "Museum of Witchcraft and Magic". Ripley's had acquired the late Gerald B. Gardner's collection of witchcraft items from

Wicca Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...

Monique Wilson Monica Anne Esteva Wilson (born May 4, 1970), usually credited as Monique Wilson, is a Filipina singer, actress, and women's rights activist. She began her professional career at the age of nine. At 18, she gained recognition as the understudy f ...

, and displayed them in the museums. In 1975, due to pressure from the local churches and religious groups in the area, Ripley's changed their names to "World of the Unexplained" and re-outfitted them with new attractions. With the popularity of the television show "

In Search Of IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Independ ...

", Ripley's hired the show's narrator,

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...

, to film a short introduction to visitors at the entrance to the museums. The museums displayed not only witchcraft attractions but new ones that featured

Bigfoot Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims o ...

flying saucer A flying saucer (also referred to as "a flying disc") is a descriptive term for a type of flying craft having a disc or saucer-shaped body, commonly used generically to refer to an anomalous flying object. The term was coined in 1947 but has g ...

s, the

Bermuda Triangle The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is an urban legend focused on a loosely defined region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared under mysterio ...

, werewolves, and a fortune teller with a talking crystal ball. In 1985, the museums closed down for good, due to poor ticket sales. Ripleys' relocated all the attractions to other Ripley's Odditoriums around the US and Canada. The Gatlinburg location is no longer operated by Ripley's. The building in San Francisco is a Ripleys' Believe It or Not Odditorium.

References

Ripley's World of the Unexplained
{{Ripley's Believe It or Not! Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museums established in 1972 Museums in San Francisco Museums in Sevier County, Tennessee 1972 establishments in California 1985 disestablishments in California Wicca in the United States Gatlinburg, Tennessee Defunct museums in California 1970s in modern paganism