Taken from the IF board. Ripley's believe or not "Legendary Fertility Statues"

I saw this on IF and thought it was interesting.


World Famous Cote-d’Ivoire Statues are linked to more than 2,000 pregnancies – So proceed with caution!



NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (Aug. 13, 2008) – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium on 42nd Street in Manhattan will host the first stop of a three year, multi-city tour of the world famous Ripley’s Fertility Statues!



“Please Don’t Touch – Unless You Want a Baby!”

More than 2,000 women have reported they became pregnant shortly after touching the wooden statues. Many of them had been told by doctors they would never be able to conceive! Since the women’s stories became public in 1994, millions have visited the statues.

Beginning Aug. 26, the statues will be on display for a three-month engagement in the lobby of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in Times Square. Would-be parents are invited to come in and touch them for FREE during regular business hours.

The five-foot tall wooden statues were acquired from the Ivory Coast (Cote-d'Ivoire ) of West Africa in 1994, and were placed in the lobby of Ripley Entertainment’s corporate headquarters in Orlando. Within months, 13 women, including staffers and office visitors were pregnant.

Following a December 1996 story in the Wall Street Journal chronicling the phenomenon, the demand to touch them became international news. In the ensuing years, the edifices made three trips around the world, stopping at Believe It or Not! museums, allowing millions easy and free access.

They were retired to the Ripley warehouse in 2001, but due to great demand, they were put on display at the Ripley headquarters in Orlando where they have been seen by hundreds each month who made a special pilgrimage to see and touch the statues.

“For years now, we have been inundated with requests to make these statues available once again at our odditoriums throughout the world,” said Edward Meyer, VP Archives & Exhibits for Ripley Entertainment. “Amazingly, people are still finding out about them and call us wanting an opportunity to come in and touch them. Due to this demand, we have decided to tour them again.”

After New York City, the statues will spend a month each at Ripley’s Believe


I already spoke to DH and we will be going next weekend.

Hey lets have our TTC GTG there lol.

Re: Taken from the IF board. Ripley's believe or not "Legendary Fertility Statues"

i think we may stop there on our way to the GTG - no joke!

dave said it sounds dumb - but if it'll make me feel better - we'll go.



we're going!

Message edited 9/2/2008 4:31:25 PM.

Re: Taken from the IF board. Ripley's believe or not "Legendary Fertility Statues"

Dh thinks it funny but he knows that it would make me feel better to touch it so he agreed to go.

Re: Taken from the IF board. Ripley's believe or not "Legendary Fertility Statues"

OMG.. you are not kidding.. we should go there for the GTG instead..lol
i would totally go out of my way to touch the damn statue.. hey ill do anything at this point!!

Re: Taken from the IF board. Ripley's believe or not "Legendary Fertility Statues"

Field trip! Lets go!


ETA: I just told DH...he'd like to go. When searching online for hours of place I came across a picture of them.

Message edited 9/2/2008 8:51:33 PM.