ORLANDO, Fla. — The dress Marilyn Monroe wore at President John F. Kennedy’s birthday bash in 1962 has returned to Orlando.


What You Need To Know

  • An iconic dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe is in Orlando

  • The dress is on display at the IAAPA Expo this week before going to Ripley's Believe It or Not! Orlando

  • The dress made headlines earlier this year when Kim Kardashian wore it to the Met Gala

Dubbed the “Happy Birthday” dress, the sheer, sequined gown is on display at the Ripley Entertainment booth during the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo this week.

The dress made headlines earlier this year when Kim Kardashian borrowed it from Ripley’s to wear to the Met Gala in May. After the event, Kardashian said she only wore the dress for the grand staircase walk before changing into a replica for the rest of the evening.

Kardashian’s Met Gala appearance was met with outrage after claims began circulating online that she had damaged the iconic dress.

Ripley’s officials were quick to squash those claims and have remained adamant that the dress was not damaged.

“We had it inspected before, we had it inspected when it came back,” said Ripley Entertainment Director John Corcoran. “There was no damage done to the dress.”

Corcoran said it takes special care to keep the dress preserved.

“It lives on the dress form, that’s the best way to maintain it,” he said. “That cuts down on the handling. Also, the dress form has acid-free fabric. We only use LED light. We do temperature and humidity control.”

After the expo, the dress will be moved to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum on International Drive for visitors to see.

Ripley’s purchased the dress in 2016 at an auction for $4.8 million. The company now estimates the dress is worth more than $10 million.

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