The Legendary Fertility Statues Arrive in Ocean City!
The Most Popular Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Touring Exhibit Begins Limited Engagement on Ocean City Boardwalk.
Ocean City, MD (September 11, 2019) – Legendary Fertility Statues that have been credited with helping thousands of happy couples conceive can be found at Ocean City’s weirdest spot – Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on the Boardwalk. These powerful statues are on display now and free for guests to see and touch.
While admission is required for entrance to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium and other attractions, the Fertility Statues have been positioned in the lobby allowing free access for those who wish to touch the legendary works of art.
Ripley’s acquired the statues, which measure 5-feet-tall and weigh more than 70 lbs each, in 1993. The statues are made from ebony wood and were hand-carved by craftsman of the Baulé tribe of the West African nation of Cote D’Ivoire in the 1930s.
THE LEGEND
According to tribal legend, to ensure a couple’s fertility, the statues should be placed on both sides of the doorway leading into the bedroom. If a woman or her spouse touches either statue as they enter the room, they will soon get pregnant.
While Ripley’s cannot loan the statues to prospective parents for their bedrooms, the power of the statues is still strong. Thousands of women have written to Ripley’s claiming that after years of trying to conceive, one rub of the statues soon brought a bundle of joy.
THE BABY BOOM
When Ripley’s first received the statues in 1993, they were displayed at their Headquarters. A few months later, Ripley’s experienced a Baby Boom! Six employees became pregnant after touching the statues, and word started to spread. Women requested to visit the office just to touch the statues.
Over the years, Ripley’s has received countless messages from couples. Here are a few of their very personal stories:
VICTORIA
I came to see the statues in London in November, and although it is in its early days, I am pregnant!
MELISSA
I had been unsuccessful for a few months trying to get pregnant through fertility treatments. I went on a two-week European vacation. Our last stop was London to touch the fertility statues. A few weeks later I returned to the States, and my next treatment was successful! We had a baby girl in March!
LAUREN
We had a long road trying to get pregnant. I went to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium and rubbed both statues, and within 48 hours we learned we were pregnant.
SAMANTHA
We were trying for about two years, and the doctors told us they didn’t think it would be possible for us to have children. The statues were something that we thought “Why not give it a try?” So we did, and here she is, and I would touch them again.
BACK ON TOUR
Take advantage of the opportunity to see Ripley’s most popular traveling exhibit before its too late. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Ocean City is located at Pier Building on the Boardwalk, 401 S. Atlantic Avenue, Ocean City MD 21842. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium as well as Ripley’s Impossible Laser Race and Ripley’s Mirror Maze are open 365 days a year, rain or shine. See website for attraction hours.
The statues are only in Ocean City for a limited time! Please contact the location before making your visit by calling 410-289-5600.
To keep up-to-date with future tour dates, please visit Ripleys.com/fertility-statues.
ORIGIN OF THE STATUES
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MEDIA CONTACT
Suzanne Smagala-Potts
Public Relations Manager
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
smagala@ripleys.com
Office: 407-345-8010 Cell: 727-439-0136
ABOUT RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. family of worldwide attractions, the global leader in location-based entertainment. More than 14 million people visit its 100-plus attractions in 10 countries each year. In addition to its 30 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the syndicated Believe It or Not! television show, best-selling books, and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in countries around the world. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the second-largest privately held company in Canada. Learn more about Ripley’s Believe It or Not! by visiting Ripleys.com and following them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
