Kids in London – Ripley’s Believe it or Not Odditorium

This was our second visit, having been last year just after it opened – but my 11 year old expressed a desire to return and my 17 year old appeared keen too.

I have to say that the cost is a big negative – nearly £70 for the three of us although this does include a ticket to the mirror maze which is really amazing and generated a huge amount of laughter for a good 20 minutes.

Anyway. Once past the ticket barrier you see a few examples of the many delights to follow as you wait for your photo to be taken in front of an old style London telephone box. I particularly admired the tiny red car and the Chinese money pillow (maybe these will come back into vogue now that the banks have disgraced themselves). Then we were despatched in the rainbow lights lift to the fifth floor to start our journey.

Not much has changed here since our first visit. You start in a fairly large open warehouse area with the overhead conveyor carrying a variety of intriguing objects. Your eyes don’t quite know where to go first. We all went in different directions – a quick look at some shark models (opposite a truly enormous set of mega shark jaws), admiration at the Mini Cooper covered in a million crystals depicting Hollywood and the huge rocking chair where you can take photos. Closer inspection reveals all manner of interesting objects – for example, a model of a barracuda (we didn’t know that their stripes disappear when they are awake or that they can swim at 130km an hour). And all around are screens showing clips from a somewhat irritatingly American TV show with dogs on skateboards and guys riding tiny bicycles.

The huge moving and roaring T Rex will be a firm favourite amongst the youngsters while the older kids will delight in all manner of creatures with extra legs and other appendages. There’s a nod to us Brits with a small display showing how much electricity and light bulbs are used by Buckingham Palace. You could spend a fair while in this area alone but, after watching some of the hologram of Ripley, we moved into the gallery area. Loved the huge raptor (eagle), the huge camel bone carving and pictures made from all sorts of things such as butterflies, stamps, lint and even gumballs. Press a number pad and the secret screen clears to show a painting of Kiss – on cow dung.

Then you go through into the Yellow Room – a nod to the Brits again with large portrait of Princess Diana, a matchstick model of Tower Bridge, a stuffed fox in hunting gear and a model of a man with a very large nose. And, inexplicably, a table and chairs mounted upside down on the ceiling. Then you move on to see a huge Jade pagoda and lots of dinosaur images made of wood (marquetry). And a display of buckles. Then there’s some art on leaves and a fabulous duck made of junk (a collectable amongst movie stars apparently). Then one of my favourites – a wooden carving that shows a girl on one side and is a devil on the other.

Then it’s inspiration for home craft days with lots of art made from all manner of things such as plasticene. A foretaste of the ghoulish things to come – a human skeleton with paintings showing the life of Christ. And a huge piece of the Berlin wall. And some vast penny portraits.

For those of a sensitive nature, the tour then gets a bit grim. Models of heads showing natural and created oddities – a crocodile hunter with crocodile teeth, champion gurners, Chinese men with a horn in their heads or a space for a candle in their skull. People with eyes that literally pop out. And it gets worse (better if you like this sort of thing). Models of dwarves, women with mule faces, half people (nothing below the waist) and videos showing these people achieving amazing sports and entertainment feats. And then a moment of history with a lifelike wax work of Winston Churchill delivering one of his famous speeches. Phew! Starting to flag now and a good time to visit the loos which are located here. But no signs of a seat for a quick rest.

As you walk on, you are on the upper balcony – at candelabra level – looking down on the library hall beneath and getting a sneak preview of some of the delights down there. Although the designers have placed a few of the exhibits near the ceiling so you can see them from this vantage point. I particularly liked looking down on the electronic pool and koi fish although the app on my iphone makes this less impressive now than when I first saw it last year.

Then you enter the punishment area which really isn’t suitable for small kids but which older children adore. Might be tricky explaining some of the chastity belts but the various instruments of torture need little introduction. Frankly, I found the noisy electric chair demonstration rather hard to stomach but my kids were fascinated. Then its through a graveyard area into a fashion area – all in pink (take care with the flashing lights) – and dominated by Marilynn Monroe memorabilia.

Finally found a chair to sit down here – in a film viewing area. Unfortunately, the film was of people doing fairly nasty things (swallowing swords, drilling their noses etc) so I didn’t stay long although my kids (and many others) appeared mesmerised by the celluloid gore-fest.

There’s loads more to see – women with rings round their necks, shrunken heads (and videos explaining how these are done), people with facial oddities and boards on the walls describing everything from pirates to vampires. There’s a nice underwater bit with more sharks and a tank of water at the temperature of the sea at the time Titanic went down (and a model of that great vessel) and then a space bit with cannisters that emerge from cylinders at the press of a button.

The Mirror Maze – which we hadn’t seen last year – was excellent. Even when you know you have to take care or you will walk into a mirror, you still manage to do it. A lot. Loads of laughter – especially as you are required to wear plastic gloves to avoid smearing the mirrors.

At the end of the tour is my daughter’s favourite bit – The Chicken Run – which is a rotating cylinder which you cross on a metal bridge. The dizzying impact of this optical illusion makes everyone laugh. Then you pass by a new model of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Toot Sweet making machine and are deposited into the shop – which wasn’t nearly as well stocked as when we first visited last year.

Apart from the cost, the other main moan is that there isn’t anywhere to stop and get a coffee or a drink. And you do need somewhere to rest as you do cover quite an area with all the displays and steps.

As we wandered around Leicester Square afterwards, we were handed leaflets advertising “Passaje del Terror” where 15 actors “bring to life the most shocking scenes and terrifying characters from your favourite horror films and literature”. Jack the Ripper and 3D HD cinema technology. I don’t think this one is for younger kids somehow but no doubt it will be a major attraction for the teens.