Believe it or not, Ripley Entertainment Inc. has acquired two franchisee-owned museums, including the Ripley's Believe It or Not "Odditorium" in Branson.
Orlando, Fla.-based Ripley Entertainment acquired the franchise museums in Branson, at 3326 W. Highway 76, and in Orlando for an undisclosed amount in a deal announced Monday.
The company declined to disclose the name of the Branson franchise's previous owner. Filings with the Missouri Secretary of State list a fictitious registration for Ripley's Believe It or Not, owned by Branson Entertainment Concepts LP, which lists the museum as its address.
The Branson museum, which opened in 1994, has been one of the most successful of Ripley's 31 museums in 11 countries, according to Tim O’Brien, the company's vice president of communications. While he declined to disclose sales or attendance figures, he said both Branson and Orlando perform very well despite competing with several other entertainment options.
"Orlando is in the shadow of the mouse, and Branson is in the shadow of all the other wonderful theaters there," he said. "But both represent our company in a very positive manner in two very different markets."
Gary Daily, who has managed both locations for the past 10 years, will stay on to run the facilities. O'Brien said there are no immediate plans to expand the Branson facility, but he didn't rule out the possibility in the future.
"We don't have any specific plans in mind, but we have some land there and that wonderful museum that we can use as a base of operations to expand in that area," he said.[[In-content Ad]]
