Work has begun on a new Ripley’s Believe it or Not! museum and a Ripley’s Moving Theater in Panama City Beach in Florida, US.

The three-storey building has been designed to resemble a 1950s luxury cruise liner run aground on the beach, complete with two 75ft tall smokestacks, a 94ft tall mast and three huge, rotating propellers.

“These two new attractions in Panama City Beach are part of our growth plan that encompasses the globe,” said CEO of Ripley Entertainment, Bob Masterson. “We are always looking for destinations that are a top draw.”

While the museum will contain hundreds of strange and unusual oddities – such as an 11ft tall matchstick model of the Eiffel Tower – the moving theatre is a simulation ride.

Guests will sit in individual seats which react to the action on screen, while wearing 3D glasses and experiencing wind, water and other elements.

The complex is set to open in the spring, 2006. Details: www.ripleyspanamacitybeach.com