The home office of Ripley's is in Toronto if I remember correctly.
Many years ago a Niagara Falls Doctor bought the business although he
may have sold it since. Of course, there are many branches around the world.
I think that the Toronto phone no. is 489-4666. They are located at 90
Eglinton East, Toronto.

The reason that Ripley's are not listed in museum directories
(usually) is that they are for-profit enterprises, etc, etc. In fact,
Niagara Falls is a treasure trove of fringe, commercial museums which
I have visted since a wee baby  museologist.  The Niagara Falls Museum
claims to be the oldest in Canada, 1826; of course, it has always been
commercial and spent about 100 years across the river on the New York
side. It is still owned by the Sherman family from New York, New York,
who purchased it from its founders, father Thomas and son, Sydney
Barnett--Canada's answer to P.T. Barnum-- about 1880.

Niagara also boasts the Houdini Hall of Fame, Louis Tussauds Wax
Museum, etc. Clifton Hill is the location for these museum and has
always caused the municipal and provincial government some embarassement.

However, Ripley's are one of my favourites of this genre!


If you have any questions, e-mail me directly, please.

Lynne Teather, Ph.D.
Museum Studies Program,
Univ. of Toronto.
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