Ripley's Believe It or Not!

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Walking through Ripley's winding, two-story museum is like browsing the Addams Family's attic. More than 500 conversation starters propagate the morbid curiosity first franchised by Robert Ripley in the early fifties and now found in collections like this one around the world. But in addition to the taxidermy (a six-legged cow) and carnival fodder (shrunken human heads from the Jivaro tribes of Ecuador), you'll also see cultural relics (a Tibetan spirit catcher), historical artifacts (Napoleon Bonaparte's wax-cast death mask), and other less-than-bizarre pieces, like a collection of Olympic torches. Dimly lit for effect, the mazelike halls are more campy than creepy. And since everything is organized by rooms, the faint of heart can bypass exhibits on medieval torture devices or Egyptian mummies if they want. — Genevieve Leon