One of the most unusual new exhibits is a massive 14- by 4-foot recreation of The Last Supper made entirely of dryer lint. The Michigan artist who made it estimates she spent nearly 800 hours doing laundry to get the lint and another 200 hours creating the portrait. All of the lint is as it came out of the dryer and has not been colored or dyed.
Other new exhibits include a portrait of Beyoncé made entirely from candy; a 25-foot-high mural of Jimi Hendrix made from more than 8,500 playing cards; and a rare fossil of a T-Rex foot and lower leg. There are also nine new life-size wax figures of iconic Ripley’s characters such as Lizard Man and the Cuban Eye Popper.
Through August the facility is hosting a temporary display of the company’s wooden fertility statues, which it purchased from the Ivory Coast in 1993. Ripley’s claims the statues have been credited with instigating more than 2,000 pregnancies while on display at its attractions around the world.
In addition to the new exhibits, the facility has added flat-panel TVs that broadcast video oddities and behind-the-scenes stories. The galleries are all fairly narrow and filled with displays, making the facility best suited to a reception with passed hors d’oeuvres. Ripley’s does not offer food or beverage service, but outside caterers are welcome for private events.
