Lay Your Hands On TheLegendary African Fertility Statues
Thousands of Babies Born
THE TOUR
NEXT STOP: EXPECTED TO ARRIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2023
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Gatlinburg
800 Parkway
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(865) 436-5096
[email protected]
Ripleys.com/Gatlinburg
The statues are only on display for a limited time and dates are subject to change. Please contact the location before planning your visit.
Our famous African fertility statues have traveled around the world to every Ripley Odditorium three times since 1996.
The fertility statues are back on tour! Follow us on social media for updates and to see when the statues are coming to a city near you!
We Need Your Stories!
We are looking for women who have been helped by the fertility statues! If you or someone you know became pregnant after touching our statues, please share your story!
Tell Us Your Story, or Sign Up for Fertility Statue Email Alerts
The Origin of the Statues
About the Statues
Although they were added to the Ripley’s collection in 1993, the statues actually date back to the 1930s, when they were hand-carved by Baulé tribesman from the West African nation of Côte D’Ivoire.
Crafted from ebony, the male and female figures stand five feet tall and weigh more than 70 pounds each. The male holds a mango and short sword—symbols of fertility—while the woman cradles a newborn baby. According to legend, the statues should be placed on either side of a bedroom doorway and touched by the hopeful couple as they enter the room.
However, it appears close proximity to a couple’s bedroom is not required, as is attested by those who have conceived after touching the statues at a Ripley’s Odditorium or have had images of their hands placed upon the sculptures
Coincidence or Something More?
When Ripley’s Believe It or Not! first acquired this pair of fertility statues in 1993, a remarkable rise in pregnancies occurred among Ripley’s employees who had been exposed to the sculptures. Wanting to share the joy and potential luck, we sent the statues on tour, visiting every Ripley’s Odditorium around the world!
More than 2,000 couples have attested to the potential power of the statues. Believe It or Not!, many have even experienced luck after having just a photo of their hand rubbed against the figures!
While we can’t guarantee that coming in contact with these sculptures will put a baby in your belly, we do hear so many beautiful testimonials in which it does happen!