The Times Square Ball Drops Into Ripley’s

Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Times Square Ball

It’s a chilly evening. You’re standing in a crowd of millions, maybe even billions. You can hear cheers, laughter and the occasional sigh as people impatiently await a countdown. Ten… A wondrous, crystal ball, emitting fluorescent color patterns, begins to slide its way into Times Square. The roars of the masses flood New York City and three…two…one… It’s officially the New Year!

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The dazzling New Year’s Eve Ball has been a staple for longer than you might have realized. Standing five feet tall and weighing 700 pounds, the Ball made its debut in 1907. Built of wood and iron, it was embellished with one hundred 25-watt light bulbs—slim in comparison to today’s 2,688 Waterford crystals and 32,256 LEDs! Believe it or not, the Ball can display over 16 million hues!

Continually upgraded, the Ball has been lowered every year since its debut, except in 1942 and 1943 due to wartime lighting restrictions in New York City. Regardless, crowds still gathered in Times Square, not to celebrate, rather to share a moment of silence and “ring out the old, ring in the new” with chimes. Today’s spectacle is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 11,875 pounds!

See It for Yourself

Avoid the cold, the masses and the waiting! Ripley’s Times Square is the only place in the world where you can touch and interact with the original Ball from the 2007 centennial countdown, as well as the Waterford Crystal podium used from the 2002 through 2014 countdowns. Previously, only a select few high-profile individuals–including Lady Gaga, Christopher Reeve, Colin Powell and Muhammad Ali–have had the opportunity to ring in the New Year at the iconic podium. Now, it’s your chance!

Learn how you can relive the excitement of a New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, 365 days a year! Click here!

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