Ripley's Museum opens in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Ripley's Believe It or Not "odditorium" has opened here, with a display of more than 500 oddities from all over the world.

The museum, which was opened on Thursday, is located near the Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta. It covers an area of 2,500 square meters and is the 25th such museum in the world. It is said to be the largest of its kind in the world.

Entrance fees are Rp 10,000 (US$4.54) on ordinary weekdays and Rp 12.500 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Ripley's Believe It or Not belongs to Canada's Jim Pattison Group.

Melvin Salim, president director of PT Fantasi Geloranusa, the company which holds the franchise rights for Indonesia, told The Jakarta Post that he paid more than Rp 10 billion in franchise fees.

"I like the idea of Ripley's and it is good for Indonesian children to broaden their horizons," Melvin said.

He said all the museum's oddities had been imported from the U.S.

Among the exhibits are a genuine piece of the Berlin Wall, the biggest truck tire produced by Good Year, weighing over 6.500 lbs, and statues of the shortest and tallest men in the world. (01)