Ripley’s Acquires Forrest Gump’s Box of Chocolates, Among Other New Memorabilia

Conversation hearts and boxes of chocolates are synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but no ordinary candy for Ripley’s sweethearts will do. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has revealed that they are now the owner of the iconic prop chocolates used by Tom Hanks in the 1994 film Forrest Gump.

The prop, signed by Hanks himself, was purchased at auction for $25,000!

The Film

In 1994, the world was introduced to a warmhearted Alabama man named Forrest Gump and we instantly fell in love. The film, starring Tom Hanks, grossed a record-breaking $678.2 million worldwide during its theatrical run!  Forrest Gump won six Academy Awards and received nominations from the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild, among others.

The film, featured a variety of memorable props, including Gump’s Nike running shoes and bright red Bubba Gump Shrimp baseball cap. However, the movie’s most iconic prop was undoubtedly Gump’s box of chocolates.

Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates

Maybe the most cherished scene of the film is Forrest explaining his mother’s life philosophy to a stranger on a bus stop bench over a white chocolate box.

“My mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

This quote holds true, even for the prop! Believe It or Not!, the box is not filled with chocolates, but with sand! This was so Hanks could keep it on his lap properly during filming. Marked 23-ounces, the sand-filled prop actually weighs in at over four pounds.

All-New Pop Culture Exhibits

Other recent Ripley’s acquisitions include:

• Darth Maul’s legendary double-sided Lightsaber® used in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace ™ during the epic “Duel of the Fates.”

• Prince’s signature purple coat worn during the artist’s “Purple Rain” stage performances

• Beatles manager Brian Epstein’s personal hand-notated address book, featuring the addresses and phone numbers of the band and even Mick Jagger