Ripley's Believe It or Not! announced on Tuesday that its 175‑Jefferson St. location will shut its doors on December 31, 2026, after 59 years of entertaining tourists with more than 400 oddities and a 2,000‑square‑foot mirror maze. The museum, which opened on February 2, 1967, has been a staple of Fisherman's Wharf, drawing families and curious travelers into a world of curiosities that challenged perception and imagination.
Suzanne Smagala‑Potts, Ripley's spokesperson, said the closure is the result of a strategic review of all U.S. sites amid rising operating costs and shifting visitor habits. "We are taking a broader look at the attraction, the changing landscape of Fisherman's Wharf, and what makes sense for the company’s future," she told reporters. The decision aligns with recent shutterings of Ripley's Scottsdale Arizona Boardwalk location in August 2025 and its Atlantic City, New Jersey site in 2022.
The 59‑year tenure at Fisherman's Wharf has seen the city evolve from a carnival‑style waterfront to a digital‑era destination. While the area welcomes new restaurants and boutique shops, the character of the waterfront is shifting, and Ripley's departure marks the end of an era that many locals still associate with the city's tourist identity. A few days after the announcement, a long‑time shop owner near the museum said the loss felt like "a piece of the neighborhood's soul was taken away."
Ripley's plans to sell several San‑Francisco‑specific exhibits—including a miniature Golden Gate Bridge on a pin head and Joe DiMaggio’s crutches—will be auctioned by mid‑2027. The company confirmed that 400 of its artifacts will be offered to private collectors and museums through an online auction platform, with proceeds earmarked for future expansion of its global network of 26 sites.
The final day at the museum will feature a closing ceremony for the 2,000‑square‑foot mirror maze, after which the space will be cleared for the next chapter of Fisherman's Wharf development. Local tourism officials expect the closure to pave the way for a new entertainment venue slated to open in early 2028, while Ripley's remains committed to revitalizing other locations worldwide.