On display

Iconic Marilyn Monroe 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress comes to Dallas

Marilyn Monroe's iconic 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President' dress is going on display at Ripley's in Grand Prairie.

Photo by Eric Kayne, AP Images for Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

The dress worn for the most famous (or, infamous) rendition of "Happy Birthday" in American history is going on display in Dallas-Fort Worth. Marilyn Monroe's iconic "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" gown will be showcased at Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Grand Prairie for a limited time, beginning Friday, June 5.

The display coincides with what would have been the legendary actress and pop culture icon's 100th birthday. Monroe was born June 1, 1926 as Norma Jeane Mortenson.

The sparkling gown became part of entertainment lore on May 19, 1962, when Monroe wore it while singing "Happy Birthday" to U.S. President John F. Kennedy at his 45th birthday gala and fundraiser at Madison Square Garden. She shimmied onstage, shed a white fur coat to reveal the sparkly skin-tight dress, and delivered a sultry, breathy "Happy Birthday."

Afterwards, JFK said to the crowd, "I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet, wholesome way."

Many historians believe Kennedy and Monroe had a romantic relationship.

Notably, Ripley's in Grand Prairie is just about 12.5 miles from the JFK Memorial and Sixth Street Museum in downtown Dallas.

Designed by French-born costume designer Jean Louis, the sheer dress was embellished with more than 6,000 hand-sewn rhinestones and created the illusion that Monroe was wearing almost nothing at all — a daring fashion statement that helped cement the "Happy Birthday" moment in pop culture history.

The dress is considered one of the most famous garments ever worn. In 2016, Ripley's purchased it for $4.8 million, a price that at the time made it the most expensive dress ever sold at auction.

In 2022, they loaned it to Kim Kardashian to wear to the Met Gala. It was reportedly returned with some missing crystals and stretched seams.

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Visitors to the Grand Prairie museum will be able to see the gown up close, along with additional memorabilia tied to Monroe's life, career, and legacy, an an exhibition called "Happy 100th Birthday, Marilyn Monroe."

"Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most recognizable icons in pop culture history," Ripley Entertainment regional manager Rachel Rotella said in a statement. "With visitors looking for unique experiences across North Texas this summer, this is a rare opportunity to see Marilyn Monroe's dress that represents one of the most unforgettable moments in Hollywood history."

The Monroe display is included with regular admission to Ripley's, which features hundreds of oddities, artifacts, and interactive exhibits. The exhibit opens June 5 and will be on display for a limited time.

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On Their Toes

Dancing with the Stars tour shimmies into 4 Texas cities, including Dallas

Photo courtesy of Disney

Dancing with the Stars: Live will come to American Airlines Center in Dallas on March 16, 2027.

The reality competition show Dancing with the Stars will once again go on tour in 2027, bringing their moves to more fans than ever in arenas, including a stop at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Tuesday, March 16.

The tour will feature many of the professional dancers seen on the current season of the program, including Brandon Armstrong, Rylee Arnold, Alan Bersten, Hailey Bills, Sharna Burgess, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Jenna Johnson, Emma Slater (returning as co-host), Ezra Sosa, Britt Stewart, and Adele Zaikman.

The dancers will travel to a potentially exhausting 60 cities in the U.S. and Canada over the course of three months, starting in Manchester, New Hampshire on January 21.

In addition to Dallas, the tour will make three other Texas stops: Austin on March 12, San Antonio on March 13, and Houston on March 14.

This will be the first time the show has been performed in arenas; previous tours have utilized smaller, mid-sized venues.

In addition to the professional dancers who are partnered with celebrities on the TV show, the tour will feature the DWTS troupe for the first time, including Kamri Peterson, Onye Stevenson, Jaxon Willard, and Carter Williams.

The tour will be directed by Emmy Award-winning choreographer Mandy Moore (La La Land, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour).

The 35th season of Dancing with the Stars, which started on September 24, is now in its fourth week. Celebrities still competing after elimination night on October 6 include Tatyana Ali, Tyler Cameron, Jenna Dewan, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Maura Higgins, Jackson Olson, Guillermo Rodriguez, Harry Shum Jr., Julia Stiles, and Connor Wood.

Tickets for Dancing with the Stars: Live! go on sale to the public on Tuesday October 13 at 10 am at DWTSTour.com. Fans who want first access to the best seats and VIP can sign up for the presale for free at DWTSTour.com. The Mirrorball Presale starts on Thursday, October 8 at 10 am local time.

Dancing with the Stars: Live! Dates:

January 21: Manchester, NH - SNHU Arena
January 22: Buffalo, NY - KeyBank Center
January 23: Cincinnati, OH - Heritage Bank Center
January 24: Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
January 26: Cleveland, OH - Rocket Arena
January 27: Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
January 28: Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
January 29: Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
January 30: Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
January 31: Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum
February 3: Allentown, PA - PPL Center
February 4: Philadelphia, PA - Xfinity Mobile Arena
February 5: New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
February 6: Hartford, CT - PeoplesBank Arena
February 7: Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
February 9: Baltimore, MD - CFG Bank Arena
February 10: Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
February 11: Boston, MA - TD Garden
February 12: Albany, NY - MVP Arena
February 13: Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
February 17: Hershey, PA - GIANT Center
February 18: Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
February 19: Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
February 20: Moline, IL - Vibrant Arena at The MARK
February 21: Des Moines, IA - Casey's Center
February 23: Omaha, NE - CHI Health Center
February 24: Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center
February 25: N Little Rock, AR - Simmons Bank Arena
February 26: St. Louis, MO - Enterprise Center
February 27: Knoxville, TN - Food City Center
February 28: Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
March 2: Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena
March 3: Norfolk, VA - Chartway Arena
March 5: Sunrise, FL - Amerant Bank Arena
March 6: Orlando, FL - Addition Financial Arena
March 9: Tampa, FL - Benchmark International Arena
March 10: Birmingham, AL - Legacy Arena at the BJCC
March 11: New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
March 12: Austin, TX - Moody Center
March 13: San Antonio, TX - Frost Bank Center
March 14: Houston, TX - Toyota Center
March 16: Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
March 17: Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
March 19: Denver, CO - Ball Arena
March 20: Salt Lake City, UT - Delta Center
March 22: Seattle, WA - Climate Pledge Arena
March 23: Abbotsford, BC- Rogers Forum
March 24: Portland, OR - Moda Center
March 26: Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
March 27: San Jose, CA - SAP Center
March 31: San Diego, CA - Viejas Arena
April 1: Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
April 2: Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena
April 3: Las Vegas, NV - Michelob ULTRA Arena
April 4: Phoenix, AZ - Mortgage Matchup Center
April 7: Mobile, AL - Regions Arena
April 8: Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena
April 9: Raleigh, NC - Lenovo Center
April 10: Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center
April 11: Duluth, GA - Gas South Arena

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