2008-09-17 18:41:41 - Some Believe the World Famous Cote-d'Ivoire Statues Have the Power to Help Them Get Pregnant

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (Sept. 17, 2008) - Thousands of people have seen the world famous Ripley's Believe It or Not! fertility statues during their first couple of weeks on exhibit at the Ripley's Odditorium in Times Square.

Some are very serious about touching the statues, believing in their powers to help them conceive.

'We've had many women touching the statues hoping to get pregnant,' said Michael Hirsch, General Manager of Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square. 'Some will rub every part of the statues multiple times. Others say a prayer while touching the statues.'

Other people keep their distance.

'We have people avoiding the statues at all costs because they don't want to get pregnant,' notes Hirsch. 'I'm

constantly getting questions from men wanting to know if they can help the process by touching it or are in danger if they actually do touch it.'

Some visitors dare their friends and family to stroke the statues. However, they may want to think twice about touching - given the statues track record.

Since their magical powers were discovered in 1994, 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.

The statues are on display through October 26 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 1993, 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 1995 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.

After New York City, the statues will spend a month each at Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums in Grand Prairie, Texas, Williamsburg, Virginia and Branson, Missouri. They will begin 2009 in Branson, Mo.

Visit www.ripleys.com/fertility for downloadable high resolution photos and additional press material. For a complete schedule or to set up an interview with a mother who touched the statues and became pregnant, contact Tim O'Brien at Obrien@ripleys.com

About Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square
Situated in the heart of Times Square in Manhattan, New York, Ripley's Believe It or Not! offers visitors the ultimate insight into the world of the odd and bizarre. Hundreds of weird and unusual artifacts are displayed in more than 20 themed galleries spanning two floors. Whether examining a six-legged cow, a lock of Elvis' hair, 24 shrunken heads (the most on public display anywhere on the planet), a section of the Berlin wall, or a life-size albino giraffe, the amazing Ripley's Believe It or Not! collection proves that fact is indeed stranger than fiction. Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square (www.ripleysnewyork.com) is located at 234 West 42nd Street and is open daily 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Call 212-398-3133.

About Ripley Entertainment Inc.

Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com), keepers of the venerable Ripley's Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 13 million guests visit its 65-plus attractions operating in 12 countries annually. The Orlando-based company also has divisions that oversee publishing, licensing and broadcast operations. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.

Contact:
Tim O'Brien
VP Communications
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
Obrien@ripleys.com

Office - 615-646-7465 - Cell - 615-496-5949