Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at Fisherman’s Wharf Closes December 1, With $1.50 Admission on the Final Day

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! at 175 Jefferson Street in Fisherman’s Wharf will close for good on Tuesday, December 1, 2026. On the final day, admission drops to the attraction’s original 1967 prices: $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for children, according to NBC Bay Area and USA Today.

Updated October 20, 2026: Ripley’s announced the December 1 closing date, final-day pricing, Thursday discount and a silent auction on October 15. This post first ran October 6, when no final day had been set.

Closing Prices and the Auction

Thursdays until closing: Admission is $19.67 every Thursday before the final day, a reference to the year the Wharf location opened, February 2, 1967.

December 1: Adults pay $1.50 and children pay 75 cents.

Silent auction: Ripley’s is selling some of its San Francisco pieces through a silent auction that runs until the location closes, according to USA Today. Items listed include a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge built on the head of a pin, Joe DiMaggio’s crutches, a chicken-wire portrait of Janis Joplin, toothpick models of the Golden Gate Bridge, and a 1989 Emmy tied to the World Series earthquake broadcast.

“We’ve had nearly 60 unbelievable years at Fisherman’s Wharf, and we want these final weeks to be a celebration,” said Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! World Entertainment, in a statement quoted by both outlets.

Why It Is Closing

The closing was first reported in late September by the San Francisco Chronicle and confirmed by Ripley Entertainment. Company spokesperson Suzanne Smagala-Potts said the decision followed a broader evaluation of the attraction and the changing Fisherman’s Wharf area, and that “after nearly 60 years at the location, the company concluded that it was the right time to close,” as quoted in a Times of India report. That report also cites changing visitor habits, rising operating costs and the investment needed to keep up with newer attractions.

Pattison said in September, as reported by Up and Away Magazine: “While we’re saying goodbye to this location, we’re not necessarily saying goodbye to San Francisco.” The company has not said whether it plans another San Francisco site.

What Is Inside

The Jefferson Street location has more than 400 artifacts and oddities plus a 2,000-square-foot mirror maze. It is Ripley’s second-longest-running attraction after its first permanent location in St. Augustine, Florida, according to USA Today. Robert Ripley’s link to the city predates the museum: he started his career at the San Francisco Bulletin, according to Up and Away Magazine.

Visiting Before It Closes

The Ripley’s San Francisco page lists hours of 11am to 6pm and sells tickets online. It has not posted final-day hours, so check the page before you go on December 1.

Ripley’s is on the Jefferson Street stretch of the Wharf, a short walk from Musée Mécanique at Pier 45. Our Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood guide covers the rest of the area, and the Wharf is also getting a new holiday ice rink this November.

Photo: Thomasfan1916, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.