In 1978 Ripley's Believe It or Not owned by Ripley International played on Gooding's Million Dollar Midway. Since the first permanent Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum opened in St. Augustine, Florida in 1950. Millions of visitors have seen the exhibits collected by cartoonist Robert LeRoy Ripley in his travels to 198 countries across the world.
 

Ripley got his professional start in San Francisco, CA first as sports cartoonists for the Bulletin and later for the Chronicle. It was here in the early 1900's that his artistic curiosity and imagination were first stirred by the colorful sights and sounds of the "Wickedest City" beginnings of a career that at its height saw his daily cartoons seen and read by an estimated 80 million people in 38 countries and 17 languages.
 

A mobile exhibit went on the road in 1978. Routed to play major fairs and shopping centers in large Metropolitan areas, the attraction was composed of three 40 foot semi trailers set up in a triangle. One trailer served as the front while the other two equipped with air conditioning, contained the exhibits. A nylon tent with a 34 foot center pole covered the center area where wax and fiberglass figures were "displayed. There were a total of 137 exhibits, all priceless one-of-a-kind items.
 

Jimmy Doyle designed the exhibit and oversaw the display work. Bob Drumm was construction coordinator and Terry Hull did the actual construction. Bill Parrish, a former E. Strates Shows employee, was road manager.

Photograph

1-Ripley's Traveling Exhibit

2-Ripley's Traveling Exhibit