www.parkworld-online.com
Park Hoppin In association with Park Hoppin’with Susan Storey H
arrison Ford starred in “What Lies Beneath” in 2000, and while I don’t remember much about the film, I always liked the title. To me
it perfectly describes this industry. Guests see – and experience – incredible rides and attractions, but to “insiders” there’s so much more. Story development. Creative teams. Hidden meanings. And inspiration around every corner. No company explores what lies beneath more than Ripley’s Believe It or Not! On its surface,
it’s a company with an incredible collection of weird, odd, sometimes gross, yet memorable, items. It’s an eclectic, constantly evolving museum that connects history, special people and talents, and fun. Ripley’s always goes the extra mile – leaning into the story of what’s beneath the artifact, the display, the item at hand. Ripley’s has an incredible array of wreaths, braids, and other pieces of hand-
woven string art. At first glance, they are examples of fine craftsmanship from a time when people made their own clothes. Look more closely and you see the pieces are not made from string or yarn; rather each is spun from human hair. Human nature leads to the next question, the look beneath moment, the WHY? Ripley’s researched that long before photography was invented, it was a tradition for families to keep tangible pieces of those they lost. Locks of hair connected people with loved ones and became treasured mementos.
The trend ended in the 1800’s, due in part to George Eastman and Joseph
Nicéphore Niépce, inventors of the camera. However, Ripley’s has protected the tradition and shares it with guests around the world. Ripley’s recently earned attention for loaning reality star Kim Kardashian
Marilyn Monroe’s famous, “Happy Birthday” dress. Opinions aside, it was an incredible moment to share a 60-year-old dress with a new generation, and once again tell the story beneath the sheath. After all, glamour never goes out of style, and Ripley’s unfolded the tale of the dress, originally sketched by famed designer Bob Mackie, sharing the same awe and wonder that surround Marilyn’s original, and only, appearance in it. The night she wore it for JFK’s birthday, she missed her curtain call twice and had to be sewn into the dress, wearing (scandal!) nothing beneath the sheer, form-fitting fabric. Pop culture history was made as rumors swirled of an affair between her and the 35th president. Sixty years later, I watched the famed gown on the red Met Gala carpet. It
prompted conversations in my home about why I cared about “an old dress.” I quickly provided a brief history lesson, or rather an odd bedtime story about Marilyn, President Kennedy, life before social media, political scandals, and our fascination with Hollywood. Midway through my tale, my son perked up when I said, “JFK.” In school, he had been learning about the U.S. presidents – the good, the
bad, and the sad – those assassinated while in office. He connected his own dots, and began to talk about his favorite president,
Abraham Lincoln, which led to a knowledge share of his own - “Did you know there are two identical guns that could have shot President Lincoln? They are tiny! Remember – we saw it Ripley’s in Arizona!” He launched into his own lesson about seeing the famed derringer, along
with the Ripley’s collection about President Lincoln. That visit had prompted additional research with his grandparents when we got home. It is amazing what we remember, when we see and experience something that
goes deeper than the surface, and even more amazing how those moments can come full circle, unexpectedly. Mom watches a pretty dress on TV, and a boy connects it a moment in history that took place 157 years before. Believe it, or not.
SUMMER PART 1 2022
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