San Francisco's Iconic Ripley's Believe It or Not! to Close After 59 Years

San Francisco's Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum, a long-standing tourist attraction on Fisherman's Wharf, is set to close its doors by the end of 2026, marking the end of a nearly six-decade run.

The museum, located at 175 Jefferson Street, first opened on February 2, 1967. It has served as a destination for visitors seeking oddities and curiosities, offering a contrast to the area's seafood restaurants and souvenir shops. Inside, the attraction housed over 400 artifacts, a mirror maze, and a collection of exhibits designed to embody Ripley's reputation for the strange and unusual.

The exact closing date has not yet been announced. Ripley's president Jim Pattison Jr. stated that the company expects the closure to occur sometime before the end of 2026. A spokesperson for Ripley's indicated that the decision was not tied to a single event but resulted from an evaluation of the changing landscape of Fisherman's Wharf and the company's future direction.

Ripley's operates 26 museums globally, and the San Francisco closure will not impact its other locations. Before its final day, the museum plans to offer a selection of exhibits with particular ties to San Francisco for sale. These items include a miniature Golden Gate Bridge constructed on the head of a pin, toothpick replicas of the landmark, crutches once used by Joe DiMaggio, and a chicken-wire portrait of Janis Joplin.

The museum's origins in San Francisco predate its current location. Founder Robert Ripley began his career in the city in 1909, working for the San Francisco Bulletin. Early versions of his collection were displayed at the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939 and 1940.

Ripley's has been a part of the Fisherman's Wharf area for decades, with the company also previously operating a Guinness World Records museum and a magic shop in the vicinity. Over the years, the museum has hosted notable visitors including Michael Jackson, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, and baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.

The closure of Ripley's follows a trend of longtime attractions departing Fisherman's Wharf. Madame Tussauds closed its wax museum in October 2024, and the San Francisco Dungeon shut down in 2021. The Cartoon Art Museum also closed its Fisherman's Wharf gallery in August, leaving the institution without a public gallery in the area.

The neighborhood itself is undergoing significant redevelopment, with several established businesses having closed. Alioto's, which opened in 1925, closed during the pandemic and its former building was demolished. The site of the former Fishermen's Grotto No. 9 is also slated for redevelopment after the restaurant was evicted.

The building that houses the Ripley's museum is currently being marketed for lease, with a listing suggesting its suitability for retail, restaurant, or entertainment uses. Despite the closure of this location, Ripley's has not ruled out a potential return to San Francisco in the future.