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The Biggest Tourist Traps Worldwide (2023 Data)

If you’ve ever been on vacation, you’ve likely found yourself compelled by travel books, tour guides or even a bucket list to check out a popular or world-famous attraction. But some of the most popular attractions in a tourism hotspot are known as ‘ tourist traps ’ — establishments that target tourists with overpriced experiences and souvenirs.

With a notorious reputation for long lines, colossal crowds and bank-breaking gift shops, one survey revealed that two in three American travelers will avoid visiting attractions known as tourist traps. Those that have visited one can be left feeling underwhelmed, as the same survey revealed that 67% of travelers have experienced tourist traps that led to an inauthentic experience.

But with so many sights to see and so little vacation time, how can we tell which attractions might not be worth the visit after all? To find out, our analysts at Casago figured there was no better place to turn than TripAdvisor, where we scoured thousands of reviews left for attractions in the U.S. and all over the world for the opinions of visitors gone before. Read on to discover what we found out…

We Found the Biggest Tourist Trap in Every Country and State

We searched for the phrase ‘tourist trap’ on TripAdvisor (with no location filter applied) to find the global attractions with the most mentions of ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying reviews. We then searched for the biggest tourist traps in each country and U.S. state by customizing the location settings and carrying out the same search, ranking the attractions by the number of ‘tourist trap’ mentions.

Key Findings

• Four of the top 10 biggest tourist traps in the world are located in the U.S.
• Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is the biggest tourist trap in the U.S. and the world , counting 1,049 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews
• Edinburgh’s Royal Mile beats out top London attractions to be the UK’s most notorious tourist trap (with 505 mentions )
• Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street ( 793 mentions ) is the second-biggest tourist trap in the world, followed by Hawaii’s Dole Plantation ( 708 mentions )

Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco Is the Biggest Tourist Trap in the World

Our map reveals the biggest tourist trap in every country, based on the number of times the phrase ‘tourist trap’ is mentioned in accompanying TripAdvisor reviews. Attractions range from restaurants and markets to geological features and world-famous landmarks. Still, the biggest of all is Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California, which counts more ‘tourist trap’ mentions (1,049) than any other attraction in the world.

Situated on the northern waterfront of San Francisco, the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood is home to souvenir shops, restaurants and attractions. It receives around 12 million visitors annually as one of the city’s top tourist destinations. But not only do the locals steer clear, with SFGate calling it “the most universally derided neighborhood in all of San Francisco,” it also attracts the ire of tourists online.

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Reviews mentioning the phrase ‘tourist trap’ highlight the district’s “​ ​overpriced restaurants​ ​” and “​ ​tacky touristy tat​ ​,” while others take issue with the local wildlife (“​ ​a desperate seagull attacked my fried calamari​ ​”). On the plus side, some reviewers interpret the phrase ‘​ ​tourist trap’ positively​ ​.

Meanwhile, the “ soooo crowded ” Eiffel Tower comes up top in France, as does Niagara Falls in Canada, where one reviewer complained that “ every attraction dumped you into a gift shop .” The Trevi Fountain in Italy’s capital also takes the tourist trap title, with write-ups describing the crowds and expensive shops and restaurants nearby.

The Biggest Tourist Trap in Every U.S. State, According to Reviews

You may associate tourist traps with bustling city centers, but the U.S. has a long history of unusual roadside attractions all over the country designed to tempt drivers off the road and into the gift shop. If you’ve driven across America, you may have encountered the ‘world’s biggest’ monuments or attractions that stoke your curiosity with endless billboards. We’ve mapped the biggest tourist trap in each U.S. state according to TripAdvisor reviews.

Among the tourist traps with the most mentions are restaurants, monuments, museums, marketplaces and malls. Some attractions are entire streets or districts, like Times Square in New York, the Albuquerque Old Town in Albuquerque, and the Historic River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Two Elvis Presley-related attractions also feature on our map: the Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum in Mississippi and Graceland in Tennessee, with one reviewer leaving the following message about the latter on TripAdvisor: “ Say no to Graceland the tourist trap from hell. ”

San Francisco, Barcelona and Hawaii Home to the World’s Most Notorious Tourist Traps

Our data reveals the top 10 biggest tourist traps in the world, ranked by the number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying TripAdvisor reviews. Four of the top 10 tourist traps can be found in the U.S., among them the world’s biggest ( Fisherman’s Wharf ) and the Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans.

In second place after Fisherman’s Wharf comes Las Ramblas ( 793 mentions ), a bustling boulevard in Barcelona that sees more than 200,000 people walk it every day. One TripAdvisor reviewer called it “crowded with tourists and vendors selling cheap trinkets … and pickpockets,” no doubt referencing that the street is Europe’s worst pickpocketing hotspot . According to one expat blog, locals avoid this street “ like the plague .”

Dublin’s popular Temple Bar ranks fourth, attracting TripAdvisor reviews with titles like “ The Tourist Trap to kill all Tourist Traps ” and scathing write-ups of the district’s “ overpriced, terrible Guinness .” Two German attractions also appear: Berlin’s historic Checkpoint Charlie and the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, where one reviewer experienced long waiting times and expensive food.

Times Square and the Hollywood Walk of Fame Among the Biggest Tourist Traps in the U.S.

We know by now that Fisherman’s Wharf is the most notorious tourist trap in the U.S. and the world at large, but which other attractions rank as the biggest tourist traps in America? Our analysis reveals that after Fisherman’s Wharf comes the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii, counting 708 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in TripAdvisor reviews.

This historic pineapple plantation boasts its own Pineapple Express miniature railway and one of the world’s largest mazes. Still, the attraction left a bitter taste in many reviewers’ mouths, with one labeling it “ the worst attraction in Hawaii ” and another deeming it “ shlock-city, one overpriced touristy item after another .”

Among the other top 10 biggest tourist traps in the U.S. are New York’s world-famous Times Square , which sees 330,000 people pass through every day, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame , which a 2019 study named the worst tourist attraction in the world . One underwhelmed visitor to LA’s most iconic sidewalk warned : “if there aren’t lots of tourists in the way, there’ll be people trying to make you part ways with your money.”

Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and Top London Attractions Rated Biggest Tourist Traps

Counting 505 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews, our research reveals that the biggest tourist trap in the UK is the Royal Mile , a stretch of cobbled road in Edinburgh spanning 1.81 km (or one Scots Mile ). Connecting Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, two of the Scottish capital’s top tourist destinations , it’s no wonder this street receives a footfall of over four million people every year.

With great footfall, however, comes a great many souvenir shops, and the Royal Mile is lined with them — much to the chagrin of the Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) trust, which in 2019 warned that the historic road was in danger of becoming a “ tourist ghetto .”

The next two attractions in our ranking are both in London: the London Eye and Covent Garden . Drawing 3.75 million visitors annually, the London Eye is one of the city’s most popular attractions, despite being an “ overpriced tourist trap ,” according to one review. Meanwhile, the famous shopping district Covent Garden is labeled a “ tourist trap of expensive designer outlets ” on TripAdvisor.

The Biggest Tourist Traps in Every Country and State

If you’re planning a trip and have a particular attraction on your itinerary, use our interactive table below to find out whether it ranks as one of the biggest tourist traps in the country or U.S. state based on the opinions of tourists gone before.

How to Not Fall Into a Tourist Trap

Our analysis reveals that some of the world’s biggest tourist traps, according to reviewers, are also among the world’s most iconic landmarks, like the Eiffel Tower, which some tourists may center their entire trip around visiting. Others are popular points on the bucket list , like Niagara Falls or the Taj Mahal.

If you’re heading to one of these must-see places, shop around for discounts if there’s a steep ticket price and research the quietest times to go (tickets may be cheaper for off-peak periods). See if you can buy a ticket in advance as well to save on long lines and crowds at the ticket booth.

To avoid tourist traps altogether, Insider recommends avoiding places with long lines, crowded areas and gift shops, and attractions that are popular on Instagram and have their hashtag (e.g., #LondonEye). When it comes to getting something to eat, you should steer clear of restaurants with employees outside trying to draw you in.

One of the best ways to have an authentic experience of a new place is to go off the beaten track, dining where the locals recommend and taking a scenic walk through quieter streets. If you’re on the lookout for a souvenir, consider skipping the keychain and scoping out locally made crafts instead.

Methodology & Sources

To find the biggest tourist traps in the world, we first searched for the phrase ‘tourist trap’ on TripAdvisor without setting a location filter, which defaults the search setting to ‘worldwide.’ We were then able to gather the names of attractions/places, addresses and the number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying reviews. The world’s top 10 biggest tourist traps are those with the highest number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews.

We then repeated this process by changing the location filter on TripAdvisor for each country and each U.S. state. We removed entries that indicated that the attraction/place was not a tourist trap, e.g., if the review contained word combinations such as ‘not a trap,’ ‘not a tourist trap,’ ‘not tourist trap,’ ‘not trap,’ ‘wasn’t a trap’ etc.

For our world analysis, we set a minimum threshold of 10 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap.’ For each country and U.S. state, the threshold was set at five or more mentions.

Please note that tourist traps can refer to a range of experiences and impressions about a place, including how it looks, where it’s located, the general atmosphere or the style of the service. Not all mentions of ‘tourist trap’ necessarily equate to a poor experience from the person who reviewed the attraction.

The data was collected in January 2023.

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Top 100 biggest tourist traps worldwide

Glen Luke Flanagan

Robin Saks Frankel

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Published 7:25 a.m. UTC Nov. 21, 2023

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Allika, Getty Images

When you’re planning the perfect vacation, you don’t want to spend your time or money on a tourist trap that disappoints. To help you avoid a case of destination letdown, we turned to the treasure trove of data found in online reviews that can help savvy travelers make the most of their vacation planning.

In July 2023, we analyzed 23.2 million Google reviews of the 500 most popular tourist attractions in the world, spanning 65 countries in six continents. For each attraction, we asked a simple question: How frequently do the reviews mention the terms “tourist trap,” “overrated” or “expensive”?

We compared attractions to one another by measuring the relative frequency of these mentions, dividing the number of mentions in each case by the total number of reviews for that attraction. We break down our findings, so you are armed with the information you need before planning to visit a popular tourist destination, and offer tips on how to travel in a way that’s good for your wanderlust and your wallet.

Key findings

• The Four Corners Monument (in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah) is the No. 1 tourist trap in the world, according to our analysis.
• The Blue Lagoon in Iceland and Penang Hill in Malaysia are the top tourist traps in Europe and Asia.
• The Great Mosque of Mecca in Saudi Arabia had 397,905 reviews on Google, as of our analysis, and not a single one mentioned “tourist trap.”
• The California Academy of Sciences, Elvis Presley’s Graceland and the South Carolina Aquarium are the most overpriced attractions in the United States.
• Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon, is the most overrated tourist attraction in the world.

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Top 100 tourist traps worldwide

With the distinction of being the only place where four states meet — Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah — the Four Corners Monument sounds pretty cool. It’s also 30 miles from the closest gas station, so it might appeal to travelers seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. However, this attraction also topped our list in terms of the percentage of disgruntled reviews. Of 10,839 reviews analyzed, 139 flagged this spot as a tourist trap.

Meanwhile, Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin got the most mentions of “tourist trap” in the reviews we analyzed of any tourist attraction in the world, with 400 out 76,269 reviews flagging it as one. This spot is a popular stop for travelers because of its historical significance as a border crossing during the Cold War, when the city was split in half between West Germany and East Germany.

Top 25 tourist traps in the U.S.

Eight of the top 10 tourist traps in the world, as determined by our analysis, are in the U.S. Three of the top tourist traps involve paranormal phenomena — witches, ghosts and UFOs.

Those spots are the Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts, Calico Ghost Town in California and the International UFO Museum and Research Center in New Mexico. Each location had a number of reviews mentioning "tourist trap," so it seems some visitors left feeling disenchanted.

Most overpriced attractions worldwide

The U.S. is home to the third most overpriced attraction in the world, according to our analysis of reviews mentioning the word “expensive,” with spots in Iceland and Canada taking first and second places. Coming in at most overpriced is the Blue Lagoon in Grindavik, with prices starting at $67 per person but nearly doubling during peak times. This is followed by the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver where tickets are $69.95 per person when you purchase them at the ticket window. The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco comes in third for an entry fee that makes consumers grumble at $49.75 for an adult ticket during a peak visiting time.

It seems that Americans feel aquariums are overpriced in general, with aquariums in South Carolina, Maryland, California and Georgia making the top 50 in our list.

California has seven of the top 25 most overpriced attractions, with Tennessee coming in next with three spots in the top 25 — including Elvis Presley’s Graceland, at No. 5 in the world.

Most overrated attractions worldwide

Unless you just really love doughnuts, one spot you might want to skip on your next vacation is Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon. At least, you might want to skip it if you care about reviews, because our analysis found it to be the most overrated attraction in the world.

Rounding out the top five most overrated attractions are the following:

• The Little Mermaid in Denmark.
• The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Japan.
• The Manneken Pis sculpture fountain in Belgium.
• The Hollywood Walk of Fame in California.

Tips on how to avoid tourist traps

Get recommendations from your travel card concierge.

Your travel card may provide access to a concierge which can help with travel research, planning and booking. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees ) is a luxury travel card (as evidenced by its $695 annual fee) with a slew of perks and protections, including a highly regarded concierge service. Contact your concierge early on in your vacation planning and tell them you want to go off the beaten path and enjoy unique experiences rather than known tourist traps.

Consider where your rewards can take you

It’s no secret that credit card rewards can help you see the world. But are you getting the most out of your stash? Let’s consider an example using American Airlines miles.

As of the time of this writing, a flight from New York to Honolulu and back at the end of October 2023 might run you anywhere from about 53,000 AAdvantage miles to well over 100,000 AAdvantage miles. By contrast, if you were to fly from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico and back in the same time period, you might find deals in the ballpark of 24,000 or 31,000 miles. While many variables impact the exact cost, being flexible with your vacation options can save you substantially.

Plus, when opting for destinations with less sticker shock, you can still find activities and sites that are every bit as amazing as you'd find in a pricier locale. Continuing our example from above, if Hawaii's stunning rainforests initially attracted you to Honolulu, consider that Puerto Rico is home to El Yunque National Forest — the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System.

If you’ve piled up the points on a card that earns transferable rewards, rather than one that’s specific to a certain airline or hotel chain , you can do even more shopping around. Compare the cost of booking award travel on the loyalty transfer partners your card offers before you commit, because the number of points or miles required can vary dramatically between different airlines.

Plus, savvy travelers know that travel credit cards sometimes offer deals, such as double value when transferring points from your card to a specific airline partner. For instance, the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® offered a deal on Aug. 1, 2023 where cardholders with Bilt Silver Status could get double the number of Virgin Red points for their Bilt points when transferring their rewards to the airline. Keeping a sharp eye out for deals like this could help your earnings take you farther than you’d normally go.

Finally, great deals on award travel aren’t just for people willing to pay an annual fee for luxury cards, either. See our list of best travel cards with no annual fee for budget-friendly options.

If you’re going abroad, it’s best to use a credit card without foreign currency surcharges. Check out our picks for the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees .

Follow a trusted travel newsletter

What better way to avoid tourist traps than by getting curated recommendations from a trusted source? By getting a travel newsletter in your email inbox, you can make note throughout the year of enticing destinations and enriching activities, and plan your next vacation accordingly.

For example, people with an Amex Platinum or the invite-only American Express Centurion Black Card * The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. can receive the Departures newsletter, which the issuer describes as a “lifestyle resource”. Examples of the content you can expect, based on a recent issue of Departures, include "7 Hotels Worth Planning Your Whole Trip Around" with recommendations for stays in Paris, New York City and more, and "How I Escaped City Life and Moved My Family to a Mexican Surf Town".

All information about American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.

In short, smart travel recommendations are just a few clicks away — and can help you craft the dream vacation while avoiding tourist traps that might not leave you feeling fully satisfied.

Seek out lodging that isn’t part of a mega-chain hotel collection

If you have a travel rewards credit card , check if it grants you special access to a hotel collection. For example, Capital One announced the Lifestyle Collection in mid-2024, designed to be exclusively available via Capital One Travel for people with specific Capital One cards .

The Lifestyle Collection is a list of curated boutique hotels allowing guests to stay in popular destinations but avoid the crush of an overcrowded megahotel lobby.  While your choice of lodging won’t necessarily prevent you stopping by a tourist trap, finding a great stay can make it easier for you to have a wide selection of possible vacation activities.

If picking the right credit card has you overwhelmed, we’ve got you . Here are our picks for the best credit cards for every type of person.

Methodology

In July 2023, we analyzed 23.2 million Google reviews of 500 popular tourist attractions in the world, spanning 65 countries in six continents.

We focused our analysis on mentions of certain keywords that indicate a common negative sentiment among visitors. Those keywords are: “tourist trap”, “expensive”, and “overrated”.

It’s true that a few uses of these keywords do not fit in a negative context (e.g. “It’s kind of a tourist trap but we loved it!”). Based on our analysis, these positive instances of usage were not frequent enough to be statistically significant, and in any case, they are consistent enough across attractions to cancel each other out.

We began with a list of 1,600 tourist attractions for consideration, before narrowing to our final 500. We removed from this list, with only a few exceptions, all national parks, state parks, lakes, and mountains. We also removed sports stadiums. The list was further reduced based on the total number of reviews submitted for each attraction.

All reviews analyzed were written in English.

For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page .

*The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Glen Luke Flanagan is a deputy editor on the USA TODAY Blueprint credit cards team. Prior to joining Blueprint, he served as a deputy editor on the credit cards team at Forbes Advisor, and covered credit cards, credit scoring and related topics as a senior writer at LendingTree. He’s passionate about helping people understand personal finance so they can make the best decisions possible for their wallet. Glen holds a master's degree in technical and professional communication from East Carolina University and a bachelor's degree in journalism from Radford University.

Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards lead editor at USA TODAY Blueprint. Previously, she was a credit cards and personal finance deputy editor for Forbes Advisor. She has also covered credit cards and related content for other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, NASDAQ's Trade Talks and has appeared on or contributed to The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. She holds an M.S. in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks.

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The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World, According to TripAdvisor

Personally, I adore South of the Border, but I’m into kitschy stuff like that. I know that many other people are not fans, because it’s just a big ol’ tourist trap.

With the advent of the internet, it’s pretty easy to find out what tourist attractions should be decent and which are tourist traps. All you really need to do it look at a huge site like TripAdvisor.

With all of its millions upon millions of reviews, have you ever wondered what places are the biggest tourist traps? Casago did – they’re a vacation rentals a property management company. They decided to see which places around the U.S., as well as the world, were labeled at “tourist traps” by Trip Advisor members.

Their methodology

From Casago:

To find the biggest tourist traps in the world, we first searched for the phrase ‘tourist trap’ on TripAdvisor without setting a location filter, which defaults the search setting to ‘worldwide.’ We were then able to gather the names of attractions/places, addresses and the number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in accompanying reviews. The world’s top 10 biggest tourist traps are those with the highest number of mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews. We then repeated this process by changing the location filter on TripAdvisor for each country and each U.S. state. We removed entries that indicated that the attraction/place was not a tourist trap, e.g., if the review contained word combinations such as ‘not a trap,’ ‘not a tourist trap,’ ‘not tourist trap,’ ‘not trap,’ ‘wasn’t a trap’ etc. For our world analysis, we set a minimum threshold of 10 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap.’ For each country and U.S. state, the threshold was set at five or more mentions. Please note that tourist traps can refer to a range of experiences and impressions about a place, including how it looks, where it’s located, the general atmosphere or the style of the service. Not all mentions of ‘tourist trap’ necessarily equate to a poor experience from the person who reviewed the attraction. The data was collected in January 2023.

Key findings

Talk about spoilers! Here were Casago’s key findings:

• Four of the top 10 biggest tourist traps in the world are located in the U.S.
• Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is the biggest tourist trap in the U.S. and the world, counting 1,049 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap’ in reviews
• Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street (793 mentions) is the second-biggest tourist trap in the world, followed by Hawaii’s Dole Plantation (708 mentions)

The biggest tourist traps in the U.S.

Hey, I’ve only been to one of those! (Fisherman’s Wharf. At least 3 different vacations LOL). But San Francisco’s tourist mecca of restaurants and crap shops isn’t the only winner for tourist traps in the U.S. Every state has ’em, and Casago listed them all. You can click here to see them all , but here’s an idea of the touristy trappiness in other states:

• Florida – Duval Street (Key West)
• Georgia – Historic River Street (Savannah)
• Hawaii – Dole Plantation (Wahiawa)
• Illinois – Navy Pier (Chicago)
• Louisiana – Cafe du Monde (New Orleans)
• Michigan – Mystery Spot (St. Ignace)
• New York – Times Square (New York City)
• Tennessee – Graceland (Memphis)
• Texas – Big Texas Steak Ranch (Amarillo)
• Washington – Pike Place Market (Seattle)

The ten biggest tourist traps worldwide

Of course, there are plenty of tourist traps all around the world. These are the top ten ( you can also click here to see them ).:

• Fisherman’s Wharf (San Francisco, CA, USA) (1,049 mentions of being a tourist trap)
• Las Ramblas (Barcelona, Spain) (793 mentions)
• Dole Plantation (Wahiawa, HI) (708)
• Temple Bar (Dublin, Ireland) (673)
• Blue Lagoon, Grindavik, Iceland (669) (we skipped that one and went here instead . THAT one was definitely NOT a tourist trap)
• Checkpoint Charlie (Berlin, Germany (664)
• Times Square (New York City, NY, USA) (661)
• Cafe du Monde (New Orleans, LA, USA) (643)
• Hofbrausaus (Munich, Germany) (522)
• Guinness Storehouse (Dublin, Ireland) (516)

So I may or many not have gone to 5 of these (#1, 4, 7, 8, and 10). Some of them more than once. Times Square MANY times. How about you?

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Ok here’s a defense of a few:

1) Las Ramblas: if you’re walking south toward the Gothic Quarter or port anyway, why not? It’s not so bad. 2) Temple Bar: it was great in the late 80s before the rest of you were born and later showed up there. 3) The Big Texas Steak Ranch in Amarillo: Great (and free) if you can eat the whole damned thing. 4) Pike Place Market: you can actually find a few ‘markety’ things there.

Just watch your wallet/watch/iphone etc. Las Ramblas is as notorious for pickpockets as Termini Station in Rome. Having said that, a visit to Boqueria Market is a must if you’re in Barca. I’ve been to all 10 of the international ones, and agree with 8. Las Ramblas is absolutely worth it, and if you walk up, then past the Place de Catalunya, you’ll pass two of Gaudi’s famous buildings-La Pedrera and Casa Batilo. Hang a right at La Pedrera and walk a bit, and you get to the Sagrada Famila, so there’s one day of your sightseeing done. The Blue Lagoon may be a bit touristy, but it’s also brilliant and so close to Keflavik that why wouldn’t you stop in there and hang out for a couple hours? Yes, there are other less visited lagoons that are great too, but Blue Lagoon is hardly in the top 10 tourist traps! What about: The Blarney Stone The Temple of the Tooth (Sri Lanka) Le Mannequin Pis in Brussels Champs-Elysses Carnaby Street in London-it’s nothing but tourist tat these days

1,3,6,7,8 and would probably go to only 7 & 8 again.

Le Mannequin Pis in Brussels is hands down the worst from my travels. And I also agree with Fishermans Wharf….ALTHOUGH the last time I was there we walked down the road a bit and found a fantastic farmers market which we really enjoyed.

Vegas Strip is definitely a tourist attraction

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Are These Really The Biggest Tourist Traps In The United States?

Researchers compiled a list of major tourist traps to avoid. You decide if they’re right.

Has there ever been a stop on your summer vacation that you totally regretted? Say, that over-crowded visit to Times Square? Or that incredibly long line to get beignets at Café Du Monde, in New Orleans? Or are you planning a vacation now and questioning whether to visit certain attractions or landmarks ?

Vacations ideally give you great family memories that will last a lifetime. But some stops were made to be skipped. A report from vacation rental company Casago (via Digg ), ranked the destinations in the U.S. that are, at least according to visitors, the biggest tourist traps in the world.

Casago asked, “With so many sights to see and so little vacation time, how can we tell which attractions might not be worth the visit after all?”

To find the answers, researchers analyzed the phrase “tourist trap” on TripAdvisor to find the attractions in the U.S. that had the highest mentions of that phrase in reviews from visitors. There had to be at least five mentions of the attraction being a “tourist trap” in order for it to be considered.

Casago then compiled a list of the top tourist traps in the U.S. (and in the world) and found some deeply interesting results. For global results, the researchers found that four of the top 10 biggest tourist traps globally were in the U.S. — and that Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco was No. 1 in both the U.S. and the world.

The researchers also revealed the biggest tourist traps in each state and found some that may be surprising to visitors and full-time residents alike. For example, Graceland was the biggest tourist trap in Tennessee and Mystic Pizza (of Mystic Pizza movie fame) was the biggest in Connecticut. Meanwhile, Pike Place Market in Seattle (home to the famous, albeit gross, Gum Wall ) and the Mall of America in Minnesota are also deemed tourist traps.

It’s important to note that your mileage may vary. First of all, some tourist traps may still be more than worth it or have provided a great time and memories for you and your family. These places are generally popular for a reason. And yes, sometimes places are overcrowded, expensive, and a little stressful, but they’re pieces of American history.

What do you take from a vacation? What matters to you? And when does something feel like a tourist trap, and when does if not? What’s worthy of our free time and family time is, of course, highly subjective. Maybe you like to do a little bit of exploring off the beaten path and a little bit of tourist-trap travel. That’s valid, too!

And although Casago ranked the biggest tourist traps by state, it also ranked the overall top 10 biggest traps nationwide. Here’s what the company found:

The 10 biggest tourist traps in the U.S. based on online mentions:

• Fisherman’s Warf in San Francisco, California
• Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota
• Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii
• Times Square in New York City, New York
• Café Du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois
• Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
• Hyman's Seafood in Charleston, South Carolina
• Historic River Street in Savannah, Georgia
• Union Oyster House in Boston, Massachusetts

Anyway, do whatever you want. Have fun visiting the Alamo, or the Elvis birthplace museum in Tupelo, or every overpriced seafood joint on the East Coast. Do you!

To see more on tourist traps, including other ones across the globe, check out the full report from Casago .

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travellers beware

The Biggest Tourist Traps In The World, Mapped

Summer is (slowly) approaching, and you might be thinking of getting away somewhere nice — but before you book, make sure you're picking your destination wisely. Some of the most popular vacation spots worldwide are also "tourist traps" — attractions or locations that appeal to holiday-goers, but come with overpriced experiences and souvenirs, long queues or crowds so big you can't even see the thing you traveled all that way to visit.

In one survey , as many as 67 percent of travelers said tourist traps resulted in "inauthentic experiences" during their holidays. To find out where on earth the biggest tourist traps are, Casago searched for the phrase "tourist trap" on TripAdvisor reviews and ranked the global attractions with the highest number of mentions.

Key Findings:

Of the world's ten biggest tourist traps, four are located in the US.

Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is the biggest tourist trap in both the US and the world overall, with 1,049 mentions of "tourist trap" in its reviews.

The UK's biggest tourist is Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, counting 505 mentions of the phrase.

The world's second-biggest tourist trap is Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street, with 793 mentions, followed closely behind by Hawaii’s Dole Plantation, with 708.

Click images to enlarge

Liked this? Check these out:

• The World's Most Overpriced Tourist Attractions
• The Most Overrated (And Underrated) Tourist Attractions In America
• The Most Expensive Airbnbs In The World

Via Casago .

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Don't get me wrong, Times Square is absolutely a tourist trap... it's ALSO somewhere like, everyone should go at least once. I live just outside of NYC and I end up in Times Square quite a bit. It really is quite a site and it's fun to hang out around for awhile.

Think twice about all this -- i have heard heard people saying they plan to skip really fabulous sights because they are "too famous". But they are famous because they are actually wonderful! I guess the Royal Mile in Edinburgh doesn't impress people who don't know its history. But a few minutes reading and you can walk a little bit of it accompanied by some amazing ghosts.

For the love of god, just don't go there. These are expensive places to live and people who work there need to be able to earn a living wage. If you want a cheap vacation go to Missouri. Its warm and the minimum wage is about what you would expect.

HUH? What about the miracle mile on South Beach, Miami? Huge crowds and everything is priced 3x what it should be. Been to Cafe Du Monde... not bad! Lines were long but the food is cheap and its a wonderful atmosphere. Nigara Falls on the Canada side - a blast! The food was slightly over priced, but other than that we had a blast.

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The world's 10 biggest tourist traps

If you've ever been on a holiday and found yourself looking for where to go, one might give it a quick Google search and to find the top recommendations.

While these spots are great, they're often crowded with hundreds of people, long lines and every second person trying to get the perfect selfie for their Instagram feed.

A recent survey revealed two in three American travellers tend to avoid visiting these so called 'tourist traps.'

To find the biggest tourist traps in the world, Casago first searched for the phrase 'tourist trap' on TripAdvisor without setting a location filter, which defaults the search setting to 'worldwide.'

Read on to see which worldwide destinations are the biggest tourist traps across the globe. 

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10. Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, Ireland

With 516 mentions, the Guinness Storehouse located in Ireland fell into the top 10.

Named after founder Arthur Guinness, the storehouse brewery has been visited by 22.2 million people since opening in 2000.

9. Hofbrauhaus, Munich, Germany

In ninth place with 522 mentions is Hofbrauhaus in Germany.

As one of the Munich's oldest beer halls – dating back to 1589 – it's understandable why anyone, especially beer lovers, would want to visit.

8. Cafe du Monde New Orleans, USA

Up next is the Cafe du Monde in the one and only Crescent City, New Orleans, with 643 mentions.

This delightful coffee stop in the heart of the French quarter is considered an iconic landmark known for their café au lait and delicious beignets.

7. Times Square New York City, USA

Of course Times Square, in the heart of the Big Apple, had to make the list with 661 mentions.

It's the concrete jungle where you'll find something new around each corner.

From street artists, to Broadway shows and giant neon billboards, we can definitely understand why Times Square made the list.

6. The Checkpoint Charlie Memorial, Berlin, Germany

It's the reminder of the former border crossing during the Cold War and the partition of Berlin – and Checkpoint Charlie had 664 mentions.

Located on Friedrichstraße, it now attracts many of tourists from Germany and abroad.

5. Blue Lagoon, Grindavík, Iceland

If we told you that you could relax in geothermally heated waters in a famous spa, which is renowned for is skin healing properties, wouldn't you say yes?

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland, which had 669 mentions, receives more than 500,000 visitors each year, and we understand why.

4. Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland

Famous for all its different types of alcohol including beer, liquor, and over 450 different kinds of rare whiskeys, Temple Bar is the most well known bar in Ireland.

Making it to fourth spot on the list with 663 mentions, it houses Ireland's largest whiskey collection.

3. Dole Pineapple Plantation, Wahiawa, USA

Kicking off the top three is the Dole Pineapple Plantation with 708 mentions in Wahiawa, USA.

Dole Plantation is one of Oahu's most popular tourist attractions, with over one million visitors per year.

2. Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain

In second place with 793 mentions is Las Ramblas located in Barcelona, Spain.

Famous for its street performers as well as cafés, shops, galleries and bars, we can fully understand why it's a tourist hotspot.

1. Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, USA

Taking out the top spot as the biggest tourist trap destination in the world with 1049 mentions is the one and only Fisherman's Wharf.

Located in the heart of San Francisco, the wharf is home to bustling stores, the famous Boudin Bakery and is a short ferry ride away to Alcatraz Island.

Read on for the biggest tourist trap destination in Australia. It didn't make the top ten across the globe but it may surprise you. 

Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia

According to Casago's resarch, Darling Harbour in Sydney is the biggest tourist trap in Australia.

Lucky for us, they've provided some tips on how to avoid these so called 'traps.'

• If you're heading to one of the world's most iconic landmarks, shop around for discounts and research the quietest times to go.
• Avoid places with long lines, crowded areas and gift shops, and attractions that are popular on Instagram and have their hashtag (e.g. #LondonEye)
• When it comes to getting something to eat, you should steer clear of restaurants with employees outside trying to draw you in.
• Have an authentic experience by going off the beaten track – dine where the locals recommend, take a scenic walk through quieter streets and scope out locally made crafts.

These Are America’s Biggest Tourist Traps

A new survey reveals that which famous restaurants and markets make people grouchy..

Tourist traps: people love to hate them. USA Today has published the results of a Google review analysis of the 500 most popular tourist destinations in the world to pinpoint the spots that people described as “tourist traps,” or places that are otherwise “overrated ” and “expensive.” Naturally, a lot of the spots that end up on such a list are the restaurants, snack shops, and other locations tourists visit when they could use a bite to eat.

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The big data search combed through 23.2 million Google reviews, with   USA Today noting that its methodology “compared attractions to one another by measuring the relative frequency of these mentions, dividing the number of mentions in each case by the total number of reviews for that attraction.” If too many people called out a destination for being somehow not worth the hype, voila, it becomes a tourist trap.

The top “tourist trap ” restaurants and food destinations

Though the list includes all kinds of tourist destinations, from Graceland to Blarney Castle, a handful of the top 25 tourist traps are food destinations,, and the highest ranking one is Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon , which comes in seventh place overall.  

I must say, this one surprises me a bit. I visited Portland earlier this year , and we hit up one of Voodoo’s locations to see what it was all about. It wasn’t the original location, but t he place is enjoyably kitschy, and the doughnuts are, too— there’s a red jelly-filled doughnut shaped like a voodoo doll , and we ordered a penis-shaped doughnut called the Cock N’ Balls, which was a really fun thing to say out loud to the person behind the register. We thought the doughnuts were pretty good, but maybe a lot of visitors grow frustrated by the long lines.

Next food destination on the list, coming in at 10th place, is Pike Place Market in Seattle. It’s famous for having a seafood counter where workers hurl massive fish at each other whenever an order is placed. A side from the occasional flying fish, it’s got tons of stalls to wander past and purchase from. Maybe the tourists weren’t expecting it to be so crowded on weekends ?

In 13th place is   Guinness Storehouse in Dublin —finally, a tourist trap that’s not thoroughly American. I’ve   visited this place before , and, okay, I can kind of see why people might get grouchy about this one . T he brand fashions the S torehouse as a tourist attraction, complete with a flashy, Instagram-ready walk-through tour, and that might rub some people the wrong way if they were expecting to see something more, I don’t know, ancient or rustic. But Guinness is upfront about what the St orehouse is intended to be for its visitors, and you’re able to drink Guinness straight from the source, which is an inarguable delight.

In the 15th spot is Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, which I can personally attest is a tourist trap, through and through. Tons of people, overly expensive food, and yes, I did get clam chowder in a bread bowl there one time.

The attraction in 17th place is one that the staff of   The   Takeout has visited many times over the years:   Navy Pier in Chicago, our Lake Michigan boardwalk that’s home to dozens of restaurants and shops. The food is fine , but overpriced to compensate for the high cost of operating a business on the Pier, and you aren’t ready to hear what the bars charge for drinks.

In 22nd place is Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury, Vermont , which rounds up the food locations in the top quarter of the list. While nearly all of the tourist destinations mentioned above are in the United States, there are more international spots mentioned besides Guinness , such as the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan (34th place).

I recommend sifting through the whole list , just because it’s fun to see the travel spots that people are apparently most crabby about. Have you been to any of them , and if so, do you have the same opinion that so many Google reviewers do? Sound off in the comments.

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The Biggest Tourist Trap In The United States Isn't What You Think

Tourist traps are everywhere, especially in Los Angeles and New York, the country's most populous cities (via Investopedia ). Think the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty, to name a few. However, according to data gathered from Tripadvisor in 2023 by Casago , a vacation rental agency, the biggest tourist trap in the country is neither of these. It's also not found in LA or NYC. It's Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The city is a pricy but popular vacation destination in the U.S.  

Fisherman's Wharf is near various landmarks in the city, including the Presidio of San Francisco and Coit Tower. The waterfront neighborhood became a hub for San Francisco's maritime industry in the late 1800s. Per the San Francisco Chronicle , it did not evolve into a tourist destination until the 1960s. Now, Fisherman's Wharf is home to various attractions designed to lure in tourists, such as Madame Tussauds, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, and the Museum of 3D Illusions. 

The same can be said about its dining options, like Boudin Bakery Cafe, known for serving clam chowder in a bread bowl. That said, some reviewers on Tripadvisor say that Fisherman's Wharf is trashy, busy, and expensive. Others praise its distinctiveness. Nevertheless, visitors continue to pour into Fisherman's Wharf yearly, perhaps with good reason. 

Fisherman's Wharf is nostalgic

Even with its negative reputation, one thing's for sure: Fisherman's Wharf is a quintessential San Francisco destination. Visitors are met with ocean views, classic cable cars traversing the neighborhood, and old-school charm. Several attractions make Fisherman's Wharf noteworthy. This includes Musée Mécanique on Pier 45. It has vintage arcade games, music boxes, and more on display. Think of it as an antique arcade; yes, visitors can play with these games. Musée Mécanique is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free. 

Per Tripadvisor, Pier 39 is one of the top-rated things to do in the city and in Fisherman's Wharf. At Pier 39's K-Dock, visitors can view sea lions lavishing in the often gloomy San Francisco weather. Likewise, Magowan's Infinite Mirror Maze provides visitors with a colorful and trippy experience. This attraction costs $10 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Uniquely, Pier 39 has daily performers that include everything from jugglers to rope-walkers.  

Head to The Buena Vista for a comfort meal like corned beef and cabbage or fish and chips. This classic Fisherman's Wharf eatery has been around since 1916 and is known for serving Irish coffee, which combines coffee with Irish whiskey. Another Fisherman's Wharf staple is the Ghirardelli Square. It includes an ice cream and chocolate shop housed in an old Ghirardelli factory dating back to the 1800s.

Alcatraz Island: a must-visit San Francisco tourist trap

While opinions on Fisherman's Wharf are divided, this is not the case with San Francisco's Alcatraz Island. The former prison is less than two miles from the mainland and famously housed Al Capone and other notorious names. It also inspired "Escape from Alcatraz" starring Clint Eastwood, regarded as one of the best island movies . While it is technically considered a tourist trap, publications like USA Today, Business Insider, and more have written that it should not be missed during a trip to the city. Alcatraz is historical and, most importantly, educational. 

Visitors must take a 15-minute ferry from Pier 33 at Fisherman's Wharf to get to the island. Likewise, they can choose between three tours: a Day Tour, a Night Tour, and a Behind The Scenes Tour. Visitors can expect a similar experience on Alcatraz regardless of their choice. This includes exploring the cell house, viewing exhibits, listening to audio guides, and more. 

However, the Behind The Scenes Tour is regarded as the most exhaustive option of the three, and with tickets costing over $100, it is the most expensive. On the other hand, visitors can expect to pay around $45 for the Day Tour and around $56 for the Night Tour at the time of this writing. 

According to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy , Alcatraz Island receives 1.4 million visitors annually. Simply put, this is a highly coveted attraction, and you should book a tour as far out as possible to secure your spot. All three tours are available on City Experiences . 

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The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World (and How to Avoid Them!)

Posted by Amazing Traveler | Apr 3, 2023 | Travel Tips | 0 |

Welcome to “The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World,” where we look at some of the most overhyped, overcrowded, and overpriced holiday destinations around the globe.

The data comes from the travel home experts at Casago. They analyzed data from TripAdvisor to find the highest number of tourist trap mentions, then put together some charts and graphics ranking The Biggest Tourist Traps in the World.

Let’s check them out.

What is a tourist trap?

We’ve all heard (and probably used) the term tourist trap. But what does it actually mean?

A tourist trap is like a Venus Flytrap for unsuspecting visitors. You’re lured in by promises of excitement, adventure, or memorable experiences, only to find yourself trapped in a web of overpriced restaurants, cheesy photo ops, and endless lines.

It’s like a never-ending cycle of “oohs” and “ahhs” followed by “ouch, my wallet!”

Europe’s worst tourist traps

Europe’s biggest tourist traps draw visitors in with promises of excitement and adventure, only to leave them feeling like they’ve been conned by a smooth-talking used car salesman.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is a shining beacon of high culture for tourists looking to take a romantic selfie. But the lines are longer than a French bakery’s baguette, and the prices are higher than the Arc de Triomphe.

Then there’s the Colosseum in Rome, where you can witness the glory of ancient Rome…and the horror of modern-day crowds.

Let’s not forget Amsterdam. It’s great – if you can avoid the boozed-up stag parties and don’t mind paying Ritz prices for the top bunk in a hostel dorm.

Biggest tourist traps in the USA

Times Square in New York City is the crossroads of the world and one of the busiest places on Earth. It’s like a neon jungle, with skyscrapers and billboards as far as the eye can see. But beware – the tourist crowds are much thicker than a New York slice of pizza. And given the price of some of the restaurants around the Square, you’ll be eating lots of $1 slices.

Then there’s Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, where tourists come to see the stars – on the ground, that is. It’s the walk of fame. But it quickly becomes a walk of shame for anyone who gets suckered into buying a $50 map of the celebrity homes.

Niagara Falls is an iconic tourist destination. It’s also real tourist trap territory, where a helicopter ride offering spectacular views of the falls will cost hundreds of dollars.

You can soak up the falls for free, of course, but you’ll be jostling for the best view among a sea of tourists elbowing each other out of the way for that perfect Instagram shot.

How to avoid a tourist trap holiday experience?

Looking for an authentic holiday experience instead? Then follow these tips:

Research: Read up on your destination and look for recommendations from locals or travel experts. This helps you avoid overhyped attractions and find hidden gems.

Look beyond the tourist areas: Explore surrounding neighborhoods, where you can often find authentic local experiences (and lower prices.)

Ask locals: Strike up a conversation with a local, ask for recommendations, and get their insider tips on the best places to eat, shop, and explore.

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The worst tourist trap in every state

• There's tons of sightseeing to do in the US but some spots have become tourist traps .
• Avoiding overcrowded landmarks like New York City's Times Square and New Orleans' Bourbon Street is recommended.
• Offbeat attractions like Nebraska's Carhenge or Maine's "desert" also aren't worth the hype.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Maybe you're touring the US as a citizen out to see your homeland. Or maybe you're coming from afar to see what America has to offer. Either way, you probably want to make the most of your travels . 

While some tourist spots across the country have become legendary landmarks that everyone should see , others are just disappointing tourist traps . Some are blatant attempts to make money, others are plain weird, but either way, they should be avoided at all costs.

Save your time, money, and sanity by skipping these 50 tourist traps. 

Amy Daire contributed to a previous version of this piece.

ALABAMA: Ave Maria Grotto

This miniature city was built out of cement and trash by brother Joseph (formerly Michael Zoettl), a hunchbacked Benedictine monk. The little village is often referred to as  "Little Jerusalem," and features 125 tiny religious statues, grottos, and holy locations.

It's essentially a wacky, four acre holy shrine — you might be better off going to Legoland.

ALASKA: The North Pole

Did you really come this far, to one of the most beautiful, untouched, wild and untamed states , to see a fake little Christmas village?

On top of that, the North Pole is freezing in the winter, and actually really hot in the summer, and swarming with mosquitos.

ARIZONA: The Four Corners

Of course it sounds cool to technically be in New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, all at the same time , but you'll find yourself in the middle of nowhere, far away from anywhere you'd ever want to be, in a sweltering desert, and all you'll have to show for it is a cheesy photo. EVEN BETTER, it's really just a brass, CD-like disk that's allegedly 1,800 feet from the actual intersection of those four states.

ARKANSAS: Crater of Diamonds State Park

While the idea of digging for diamonds sounds cool — the park is apparently the  only source of natural diamonds in the US that's open to the public —  the reality is a 3 7 ½-acre plowed field  of dirt. It's been open since 1906, so the chances of finding a diamond seem pretty slim to us.

CALIFORNIA: Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Hollywood walk of fame has become one of the biggest hotspots for tourists visiting California. Sadly, the stars that celebrities are so proud of are on a dirty, crowded sidewalk, surrounded by tacky street performers, and far from anything else worth a visit. 

COLORADO: Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum

Sure, it's the grave of one of the world's most famous cowboys — and outstanding hunter and accomplished showman — but a grave is a grave is a grave.

Plus, the  Buffalo Bill Grave and Museum  opened in 1921, and hasn't changed much since.

CONNECTICUT: Wild Bill's Nostalgia Store

People from all over the country stop at this quirky roadside pop culture  reliquary , which is most famous for being home to a (terrifying) Jack-in-the-Box that's said to be the world's largest. A sort of cabinet of curiosities where most curiosities are for sale, the shop is a little like a hyped-up flea market.  

DELAWARE: Rehoboth Beach boardwalk

Not technically overrated, but certainly overcrowded, Rehoboth Beach's boardwalk makes this list for being jam-packed with tourists, and chock-full of tchotke's aimed at them. Apparently, finding a parking spot is about as rare as spotting a unicorn, and many complain about inflated prices, and call the boardwalk "average," or even "extremely average."

FLORIDA: Epcot

Of the four Disney parks in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Epcot is easily the most underwhelming. Unless you're a college student looking to "drink around the world" (for hundreds of dollars nonetheless), this theme park offers nothing. 

The experiences at each country in the park focus only on the most basic stereotypes of each culture, and the few rides this park has are disappointing to most children. 

GEORGIA: World of Coca-Cola

This huge tourist attraction in the middle of Atlanta brings in millions of visitors every year. Guests can see how the soda is bottled, take their picture with the famous polar bear, and taste several of the company's other drinks. 

The tickets aren't too costly, with adult prices at $17 and children's at $13, but battling the overwhelming crowds and long lines just to walk through what is essentially a huge advertisement, is downright silly. 

HAWAII: Waikiki Beach

Waikiki was basically designed with tourists in mind, and is a strip of luxury hotels, expensive stores, and chain restaurants flanked by an overcrowded beach. It looks like most of the rest of America, and is not representative of the stunning, tropical island paradise Hawaii really is.

IDAHO: Craters of the Moon

While the name evokes a surreal, alien-like landscape, the reality does not quite live up to it.

While it is quite pretty, it's only interesting for about 10 minutes. After all, how much time can you spend ogling volcanic rocks?

ILLINOIS: Chicago's Magnificent Mile

We're not sure what's so magnificent about a street that has a few shops and restaurants, but hey.

INDIANA: NCAA Hall of Champions

With surprisingly little memorabilia on display and in dire need of a renovation, you'll be in and out of this museum , which pays homage to student athletes, in 30 minutes or less. If you want to learn about Hoosier basketball, you're better off heading 50 miles east to the  Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame  in New Castle.

IOWA: Captain James T. Kirk's future birthplace

Trekkies the world over make the trek to this tiny town in Iowa, to a private yard behind a small house, to look at a gravestone-like plaque commemorating the "Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk, Karch 22, 2228."

Now obviously that's not true, since "Star Trek" is fiction, but to add insult to injury, it was really just the doing of an intrepid Trekkie mayor who, upon reading "Making of Star Trek," saw that Kirk would be born in an unnamed small town in Iowa. He figured, 'Why not Riverside?' and plopped the plaque in the middle of town, declared it Kirk's future birthplace, and the rest, as they say, is history (or the future).

KANSAS: The World's Largest Ball of Twine

It’s a ball of twine.

KENTUCKY: Ark Encounter

Last year, this life-size arc and biblical theme park opened in Williamstown, Kentucky. The grounds feature a zip line, because what would a biblical theme park be without one?

The fact that this attraction is an ode to one of the most famous biblical stories ever isn't the trap, though. It's their outrageous prices that should make you think twice: tickets are $40 per adult and $28 per child, and zip lining costs at least $50 on top of that.

LOUISIANA: Bourbon Street

New Orleans is a beautiful, historic town filled with culture, and Bourbon Street just doesn't do it justice. It's essentially like Cancun during Spring Break — neon signs advertising cheap, tacky bars line a street that's full of drunk people throwing plastic beads at your head — when they aren't throwing up.

You're better off going to a jazz bar or something that will let you drink and experience a little local culture.

MAINE: The Desert of Maine

Despite its appearance, this block of land is not actually desert. The empty plot is a glacial silt surrounded by thousands of Maine's pine trees. People can gawk at the natural phenomenon that created a desert in the middle of New England, but with plaster camels and plastic sand-related souvenirs, it's hard to imagine what draws in 30,000 tourists every year . 

MARYLAND: Ripley's Believe It or Not!

There are several Ripley's Believe It or Not! "museums" all over the country. However, in a historical city like Baltimore where there is actual art and history to see, it's baffling why anyone would spend time in a place full of replicas and gimmicks. 

MASSACHUSETTS: Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market

Sure, it's been open since 1742, but these days it's a glorified food court teeming with tourists that sells mediocre food and tacky souvenirs. Do like a local and avoid it.

MICHIGAN: Mystery Spot

There's a maze, mini golf, and a zip line, but their main attraction is several crooked shacks built into hillsides that trick kids into thinking everything is gravity defying. It's a cheap roadside tourist trap with gaudy billboards along the highway to prove it.

MINNESOTA: Mall of America

This mall is the largest shopping center in America, with 520 stores and so many square feet that the Yankee Stadium could fit inside of it nine times. But there's much more to do than just shop — there's an indoor theme park, a miniature golf course, and and aquarium — but all that adds up to is sensory overload.

The fact that it is crowded with hundreds of tourists each and every day ( 42 million visitors each year)  makes it all the worse. 

MISSISSIPPI: Birthplace of Elvis

It's a two room shack. The King may have been born there, but it's no palace. 

MISSOURI: Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum

This giant pile of rocks is essentially a mound of nuclear waste.

To be precise, it's 1.5 million cubic yards of hazardous waste entombed to create a small mountain that marks the spot that was home to the country's largest explosives factory turned uranium ore processing plant until 1966. After being left abandoned for over two decades, the US Department of Energy decided to cover it with rocks. Now, it features a museum and covered up  TNT, asbestos, mercury, radium and radioactive uranium. Enjoy!

MONTANA: 50000 Silver $ Bar

This Montana bar is home to over 50,000 silver dollars, and thus one of the largest coin collections in America. There's also a motel, tons of RV parking, a casino, and Montana's largest gift shop.

NEBRASKA: Carhenge

This quirky roadside site is  one of the highest-rated attractions in the state , though it's little more than 39 cars stacked to resemble England's famous Stonehenge. 

Sadly, this isn't the only ode to Stonehenge you'll see on this list.

NEVADA: The Venetian gondolas

While the entire city of Las Vegas could arguably be considered a tourist trap, the one place you should really steer clear of while you're there is The Venetian's gondola rides .

It might sound romantic, but once you see the gamblers and shoppers strolling by as you float through what is essentially a shopping mall in a chlorine blue pool water for less than 15 minutes, you might think differently. Even worse,  a p rivate gondola for two will set you back $116.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Clark's Trading Post

Locals who have been going here for years seem to love it (and the fact that it hasn't changed at all). However, tourists who don't feel the nostalgia will likely feel differently. 

Their lackluster attractions include bumper boats, Segways, and a steam train, but their money maker is the trained bear shows, which many consider ethically questionable. 

NEW JERSEY: Atlantic City Boardwalk

Like a second-rate Vegas, Atlantic City's good ole days are long gone. All that's left are gaudy casinos, tacky souvenirs, and overpriced taffy.

NEW MEXICO: Roswell

The town of Roswell prides itself in being the alleged site of an alien crash landing in 1947, and has created an entire tourist industry around it.

The town is now a giant gimmick, where everything that could possibly be shaped like an alien or UFO, is. It's full of creepy alien toys, and all of them pretty low budget.

NEW YORK: Times Square

Locals avoid this spot at all costs, and so should you. Not only is it overcrowded, it's also full of expensive souvenirs and tacky chain restaurants that you can find anywhere else in the country.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Blowing Rock

The views of the  Blue Ridge Mountains are beautiful, to say the least. People rave about the sights you can see from your car or on trails throughout the many parks. However, The Blowing Rock, which gets a lot of praise for its stunning views and interesting rock formation, is a miss. 

It costs $10 dollars per person to visit, which might not break the bank, but why pay anything at all for a view you could see for free? 

NORTH DAKOTA: The Enchanted Highway

This collection of scrap metal sculptures stretches across 32 miles on a southern North Dakota highway. You'll see giant grasshoppers, families of fish, towering humans, and an all-seeing eye made of geese (yup). If you happen to be driving down the road, it might ease some road trip boredom, but it's certainly nothing to drive out of the way for.  

OHIO: "A Christmas Story" House

There are hundreds of ways you can celebrate the holidays. Waiting in a line and paying money to see the filming location of "A Christmas Story" should not be one of them. While the movie may be great, the basic house it was filmed in and the museum dedicated to it aren't anything to stop your car for. 

OKLAHOMA: J. M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum

A majority of the ~50,000 artifacts in the museum are firearms from a private collection that dates back to the 14th century. The West might have been wild, but this glorified gun museum is wilder.

OREGON: Undersea Gardens

This underwater room holds tourists for about half an hour as they watch divers interact with the natural wildlife. The realistic view (murky water and five fish, if you're lucky) is hardly worth paying for, especially when there are sea lions right above the surface that you don't even need to pay to see. 

PENNSYLVANIA: The Liberty Bell

This American history classic is the definition of underwhelming. After learning about it year after year in school, you'd think it'd be a large, spectacular bell. In reality, it's small and broken (obviously), not to mention surrounded by tourists. 

RHODE ISLAND: Mysterious Viking Tower

If you have an affinity for mysterious landmarks, then you might enjoy the tiny tower that sits in the middle of Newport. 

Unfortunately for most, these mysterious remains aren't that exciting. No one really knows who built it, but legend says that it was the Vikings, which would make it one of the oldest buildings in America. Most beg to differ. Either way, the speculating gets old quick.

SOUTH CAROLINA: South of the Border

South of the Border is nothing more than a large gift shop and adjoining restaurant. The "attraction" sits right below the border that separates North and South Carolina, and is intentionally tacky.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Wall Drug

This blatant tourist trap  makes over $10 million a year , but how they do it is a mystery. The drugstore turned makeshift mall became famous for offering free ice water back in 1931, and doesn't charge for attractions such as their snake pit and giant road side sculptures (see the dino, above). They do reel in tourists and road trippers with over 300 billboards throughout the state, though. 

TENNESSEE: Graceland

Elvis was a true prodigy, but touring his house for a minimum of $30 is a strange way to honor him. While the grounds are beautiful, there are far better ways to spend your time in Tennessee. 

TEXAS: The Big Texan Restaurant in Amarillo

The Big Texan restaurant is crawling with so much Texas décor you may go into sensory overload. With dead animals all over the walls, a souvenir shop with every kind of tacky Wild West memorabilia you can think of, and, of course, a Texas-sized   72 ounce steak eating challenge , this place is one big Texas cliché .

The food is also extremely mediocre, and many customers have   complained on Yelp   that the steak is tough and dry. For a real, authentic Texas experience, head to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where you can shop for genuine Texas souvenirs, watch bull riding, and chow down on delicious fair food.

UTAH: Moqui Cave

The sandstone erosion "cave" is touted as an ancient landmark and natural history museum, but it's not even a cave that was built or used by Native Americans. 

Even if you don't mind the ruse, people who have been claim that it's just a glorified gift shop. 

VERMONT: Rock of Ages

You can tour this giant granite quarry for a small price, but looking down into a hole that isn't the Grand Canyon is hardly worth it. The tour is provided by a company that mostly makes tombstones, which puts a damper on everything, and their gift shop sells overpriced granite gifts and jewelry.

VIRGINIA: Foamhenge

Like Stonehenge, but styrofoam. No further explanation necessary.

WASHINGTON: Gum Wall

This brick wall attraction near Seattle's Pike Place Market was covered in 15 years worth of gum until 2015, when it was removed to preserve the brick. The tradition of sticking used, germy chewing gum on the wall picked back up shortly after, and it is now almost back to its original, grimy glory. 

WEST VIRGINIA: The Congressional Bunker

For $34 a person, you can see where all the beloved (and not so beloved) politicians in America would have lived post-apocalypse. The bunkers, which were hidden in a hotel  at first, opened for tours in 1995 after someone spilled the beans about the secret hiding place. 

The idea is pretty cool, but there's no real need to spend 90 whole minutes and over $30 for a tour of wooden bunk beds, canned food, and white cinder block walls. 

WISCONSIN: Mars Cheese Castle

Wisconsin is known for its amazing cheese, and really, anything involving cheese can do no wrong. However, Mars Cheese Castle, which beckons tourists driving down I-94, is a pretty obvious trap. The gaudy building should be warning enough, but if it isn't, the inflated prices on the hundreds of cheeses, sausages, condiments, and crackers they sell might be.

Despite it being an obvious tourist trap, tourists and locals alike don't seem to mind at all .   

WYOMING: Frontier Prison

This old prison is basically a museum of torture the whole family can enjoy. It's no Alcatraz, but tour guides do let you sit in old gas chambers and see the "Punishment Pole," both of which will likely cause nightmares. 

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• Main content

U.S. Tourist Traps That Are Actually Pretty Great

U.s. tourist traps worth the price of admission.

You know the feeling. You’re midway through a long road trip. Your eyes are tired, and you wouldn’t mind a chance to stretch your legs. Suddenly, you see a sign along the side of the road, beckoning you to the “World’s Only Corn Palace” or “Largest Ball of Twine” or a museum inexplicably dedicated to a single, mundane product — like mustard.

These roadside attractions are often referred to as tourist traps because they tend to charge exorbitant entrance fees for ho-hum attractions that only an out-of-towner would be suckered into checking out. Except that sometimes the fees are reasonable (or non-existent), and the attractions are genuinely interesting. And you pull away with a renewed sense of energy and an impressively encyclopedic knowledge of mustard.

So, why not embrace the idea of the tourist trap and set aside some time to visit at least one on your next road trip? Any of the U.S.-based attractions included here are particularly worth the stop.

Dollywood, Tennesse

At the largest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee, the hairstyles (and cowboy hats) here are nearly as tall as the rides. While this theme park has been around since 1961, attendance numbers soared in 1986 when the park was rebranded with a little help from country music icon Dolly Parton. Now, it pulls in more than 3 million visitors a year.

Most of the rides don’t obviously relate to Parton or her career, but she makes regular appearances, and she’d probably approve of the visitors who bedazzle their jean jackets and cowboy boots in a delightfully Dolly manner.

The park closes in the winter, so plan to visit in the warmer months.

Hearst Castle, California

In his own lifetime, media mogul William Randolph Hearst typically referred to his California homestead as a ranch, but castle is an apt descriptor.

Construction began in 1919 and continued until 1947, a few years before Hearst’s death. In between, he regularly hosted celebrities and politicians — from Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill — at the estate. Guests could roam the grounds during the day, taking a dip in one of the estate’s two gigantic pools or wandering through its private zoo, then the world’s largest. At night, they’d dine with Hearst in an ornately decorated dining hall, where he’d ply them with wine (even during Prohibition) that he typically kept locked tight inside a subterranean vault.

Today’s revelers can explore the beautifully preserved grounds, pools and dining room as well — though, alas, the animals have left the zoo, and wine is no longer part of the experience.  

International UFO Museum and Research Center, New Mexico

Even if you’re not inclined to believe that tiny green men make frequent visits to Earth, you could still enjoy this out-of-this-world museum.

In 1947, an unidentified flying object crash-landed on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Government officials say that it was a surveillance balloon, but ufologists had other ideas. In the years since, Roswell has become a hotbed for extraterrestrial enthusiasts, many of whom make regular pilgrimages to this museum, which occupies a historic theater near the town’s center.

Some of the exhibits on display (like a jumbled timeline of what supposedly happened in Roswell in the 1940s) are more likely to inspire confusion, or boredom, than wonder. But all in all the museum is a fun place to while away an afternoon, and worth its modest entrance fee.

Robert’s Western World, Tennessee

If Nashville is the queen of American honky-tonk culture, this historic establishment is the jewel in her oversized belt buckle. Some of the best country-western singers of our time have passed beneath the neon guitar that hangs above its doorway, and even the lesser-known musicians that play here are often stellar.

Visitors can hear live music at Robert’s seven nights a week, all while snacking on fried bologna sandwiches or moon pies. And the establishment never charges a cover.

The House on the Rock, Wisconsin

While the House on the Rock is located only a few miles away from Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous Wisconsin homestead, it bears more resemblance to a nightmarish theme park than an iconic work of mid-century architecture.

The interior of the vast house, perched atop a 60-foot-tall column of rock, is filled with architectural oddities, dubious antiques and strange exhibits. A 200-foot sculpture of a sea monster is suspended from the ceiling of one of its rooms. An animatronic symphony dominates another. And, deep within the bowels of its basement, the world’s largest carousel features 269 animals but not a single horse.

If you go, plan to spend several hours wandering through the wonderfully weird space.

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

It’s a national memorial now, but at one point, Mount Rushmore was just a great marketing gimmick. South Dakota resident Doane Robinson figured that the state might entice more people to visit if it created an intriguing tourist attraction, like famous faces carved into the side of a mountain. And Robinson was right.

Some 2.5 million people now visit the attraction — which depicts the likenesses of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln — each year. And, in spite of its lackluster origin story, it’s become a symbol of American ingenuity and progress.

Madonna Inn, California

Travelers have been rolling into this California inn for decades, some of them enticed by its proximity to Route 101, others by its outlandish decorations. Each of its 110 rooms boasts a different name — Love Nest, Rock Bottom, Caveman Room — and theme. Rooms start around $100, but cash-strapped travelers can get most of the Madonna experience simply by booking a reservation at the steakhouse.

After all, the steakhouse is festooned with thousands of yards of pink fabric, making it look a bit like a real-life version of Barbie’s Malibu Dream Home. And in the men’s restroom adjoining the restaurant, guests can relieve themselves at an oversized urinal designed to look like a naturalistic waterfall, rocky outcroppings and all.

The City Museum, Missouri

Don’t let its name fool you. The City Museum, which spans 600,000 square feet of space on the site of a former warehouse in St. Louis, isn’t just some sad old repository for civic memorabilia. It’s more like a gigantic playground that appeals as much to adults as children, built largely from architectural remnants and discarded industrial objects.

On the first floor alone, there’s a life-sized replica of a Bowhead Whale, a slinky big enough to crawl through and a labyrinthine series of tunnels that can be reached via a 10-story slide. Elsewhere, there’s an on-site bar (yes, the alcoholic kind), a Ferris wheel and a massive rope swing dangling from the center of the building’s domed roof.

The Vegas Strip, Nevada

Where can you see Roman temples, Parisian landmarks and New York City skyscrapers stationed along the same street? The Vegas Strip, baby. The roughly 4-mile stretch of asphalt in the Nevada desert is the site of some of the largest and best-known hotels in the world.

And, contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to gamble to have fun at the Sin City attraction. Window-shopping and people-watching are both free, and if you work up an appetite, you could easily work through several plates of greasy goodness at one of its all-you-can-eat buffets.

Winchester Mystery House, California

This sprawling San Jose mansion was once owned by Sarah Winchester, the widow of millionaire firearm magnate William Wirt Winchester. According to local lore, Sarah moved to California in 1884 to build a home large enough to house the ghosts of all those gunned down by Winchester rifles, and she kept construction crews working around the clock on the property until her death in 1922.

Whether or not that’s true, her house — which has been open for tours since 2017 — is well worth its admission fee. Inside, there are roughly 161 rooms, many of them full of stairways that lead to nowhere, windows that open into interior walls and other architectural oddities.

Pineapple Garden Maze, Hawaii

No, it’s not in Versailles — the world’s largest maze can actually be found in Hawaii, on the grounds of the Dole Plantation. Fittingly, the maze, which stretches across 3 acres and was crafted from 14,000 species of indigenous plants, takes the shape of a gigantic pineapple.

Tickets cost about $10 for adults, a bargain when you consider that a drink in a hip Honolulu coffee shop could set you back about as much and that you could easily spend at least an hour navigating the maze’s nearly 2.5 miles of paths.

Bearing that in mind, you might want to buy your Dole Whip frozen dessert befor e stepping inside.

Pike Place Market, Washington

Seattle’s most popular tourist destination is a gigantic farmer’s market full of food. What’s not to like?

Spend an hour or two noshing on free samples while admiring the public art (including a 550-pound sculpture of a pig named Rachel that many visitors rub for good luck) on display. Or settle in for a full meal at a sit-down restaurant like Lowell’s, a seafood spot that’s been a mainstay of the market since 1957.

Before you leave, be sure to visit the fishmonger’s stall, where employees toss fresh fish to one another to cut down on the handling time. Impressive when you consider that the salmon they sell can grow to be three feet long.

Disney World, Florida

Yes, it’s overpriced and overcrowded — more than 17 million people visited it in 2022 – but if the smiles on visitors' faces are any indication, Disney World may actually be the happiest place on earth. You could easily spend a full day in any one of its four parks or zip back and forth between them by bus or monorail.

Highlights include the classic rides at Magic Kingdom (Splash Mountain is still a must), the history of animation offered up at Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom safari experience. 

Don’t forget: There’s a second Mickey Mouse mecca in the U.S. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, isn’t quite as bright and shiny and new as its Floridian sibling. But it’s equally charming.

Coney Island, New York

For the better part of a century, Coney Island was the largest amusement park in the United States, a place where travelers could sunbathe, ride roller coasters or even visit a brothel built inside a seven-story wooden elephant. A fire tore through the park in the 1940s, and the real estate developer Fred Trump (father of You Know Who) had one of the boardwalk’s three original amusement parks, Steeplechase Park, demolished in the 1960s to make way for planned Miami-style apartments. (He threw a demolition party in honor of the razing.)

Still, you can still see touches of Coney’s former glory here and there. Three of the rides — the Wonder Wheel, Cyclone and Parachute Jump — have been open for the better part of a century. 

Wall Drug, South Dakota

In 1931, Ted Hustead opened a drug store in the tiny town of Wall, South Dakota. But business didn’t really pick up until his wife suggested putting up a few signs along the highway, advertising free ice water for travelers en route to nearby Mount Rushmore. The signs brought in so many thirsty tourists that the Husteads began expanding on the ad campaign and the store itself — eventually erecting hundreds of signs and constructing additional attractions, like a cowboy-themed department store, a western art museum and an 80-foot-tall sculpture of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

There’s something strangely endearing about the earnestness of the exhibits, though. As famed travel writer Bill Bryson once wrote: “It’s an awful place, one of the world’s tackiest tourist traps, but I loved it and I won’t have a word said against it.”

Bourbon Street, Louisiana

This street in the Big Easy was named for a French royal family. But it’s fitting that the word bourbon doubles as a type of booze because the crowded thoroughfare is lined with dozens of bars and restaurants.

Many straddle the line between classy and tacky (like the Channing Tatum-owned club Saints and Sinners, which attracts hordes of tourists nightly in spite of the fact that it looks like a seedy antebellum brothel). But there are authentic gems to be found along the glittering, bead-strewn avenue, too.

One of them, Pat O’Brien’s Bar, has been open since 1933 and is believed to be the first business to hire dueling pianists to serenade its clientele. It was also the first to serve the now-classic hurricane cocktail.

Cloud Gate, Illinois

On paper, the idea of plopping a gigantic, blob-shaped sculpture in the middle of one of the country’s busiest pedestrian thoroughfares is a terrible idea. In reality, “The Bean” is actually pretty great.

It lies in the middle of Millennium Park, directly between one of the most picturesque stretches of the Chicago skyline to the west and the glittering, green-blue expanse of Lake Michigan to the east. As visitors approach the 42-feet-tall artwork, they’re treated to distorted views of themselves and the surrounding scenery. And anyone who walks all the way underneath the seamless, stainless-steel plated sculpture will find multiple images of themselves stretching funhouse-style across its concave surface.

In other words, if you’re going to snap a selfie, you might as well do it in front of an internationally renowned work of public art that makes your legs look impossibly long.

Niagara Falls, New York

In recent years, Niagara Falls has become synonymous with the phrase tourist trap . And it’s easy to see why. There are several slightly sleazy casinos within the surrounding city, plus the expected hodgepodge of wax museums, indoor waterparks and all-you-can-eat buffets.

But the falls themselves — the most powerful in North America — are still one of the world’s most majestic natural landmarks. And if you drive around to the Canadian side of the river, you can enjoy unobstructed views of the water, and its staggering 160-foot drop, while walking through stately Queen Victoria Park.

Cadillac Ranch, Texas

Most people consider rusted-out cars abandoned along the side of the road an eyesore. But not Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez or Doug Michels. The three men — members of an art collective called Ant Farm — convinced an eccentric millionaire named Stanley Marsh to help them partially bury 10 cadillacs, nose first, in a field in Amarillo in the 1970s.

Today, the cars, which are visible from the nearby highway, are a popular target for aspiring graffiti artists. And that’s just fine with the members of Ant Farm. “We wanted it to be an interactive monument,” Doug Michels once said, “so people could express themselves.”

Fittingly, all 10 cars were painted a flat black when Michels died in 2003. The first taggers arrived less than 24 hours later.

Dinosaur Kingdom, Virginia

Some people believe that dinosaurs coexisted with humans for thousands of years. But Mark Cline of Glasgow, Virginia, might be the first to suggest that dinosaurs A) were still alive during the Civil War and B) fought for the Confederacy.

In 2005, Cline opened a theme park that asks its visitors to imagine that paleontologists discovered dinosaurs in the South in 1863 and that, when the Union Army tried to weaponize them, they turned on the troops. The park is full of alarmingly detailed dioramas depicting animatronic dinos attacking or eating Union soldiers. It’s weird as hell and well worth its modest admission fee.

Dinosaur Kingdom isn’t the only off-the-wall tourist attraction that Cline has created. He’s also responsible for Foamhenge, a full-scale styrofoam replica of the ancient English monument Stonehenge.

Times Square, New York

New Yorkers love to hate it. But that’s only because the novelty of the bright lights and bustling street traffic that make Times Square the most-visited destination in the world fades over time.

If you’re visiting the Big Apple for the first time, or even the fifth, you should absolutely add it to your must-see list. Some of the best theaters in the country are within spitting distance of the square, and there’s a non-zero chance that you may see a famous actor if you hang around long enough.

Just be sure to avoid it during the New Year’s Eve ball drop, unless you’re into the idea of standing in close quarters with more than a million other people, without any way to relieve yourself, for hours on end.

Mall of America, Minnesota

The heyday of the American mall has come and gone. But in the suburbs of Minneapolis, the 1990s mallrat ethos still seems alive and well. Here, in the nation’s largest retail mecca, you can find more than 500 stores, from Auntie Anne’s to Zara. You can also find some decidedly less traditional attractions, like an indoor theme park that features a full-sized roller coaster and a 1.3-million-gallon aquarium.

All told, the mall encompasses nearly 3 million square feet, allowing visitors to spend hours strolling through a climate-controlled shopping oasis even while in the midst of one of America’s most notoriously chilly cities.

The best thing about the mall, though? You’re never more than a few hundred feet from your next meal.

Salvation Mountain, California

About 100 miles south of Joshua Tree National Park, in one of California’s inland deserts, a strange mountain of sorts rises above an otherwise flat landscape. In the 1980s, outsider artist Leonard Knight began hauling large quantities of straw and adobe over to the site, mixing them together to create an artificial mountain range. He then painted his creation, covering it with inspirational — often biblical — quotes and imagery.

Knight passed away in 2014. But a public charity was established to maintain the site, which has become a popular pilgrimage for folk-art aficionados and adventurers alike. Former California Senator Barbara Boxer has described it as “a national treasure ... profoundly strange and beautifully accessible, and worthy of the international acclaim it receives.”

Biosphere 2, Arizona

Someday, humankind may begin to terraform other planets in our solar system. Until then, we’ve got Biosphere 2, the largest closed ecological system ever created.

In the early 1990s, a group of scientists volunteered to spend two years living inside the sprawling artificial ecosystem, intent on proving to the world that they could create all the food, water and air they’d need to live. When the experiment ended, their oxygen levels were low, and their morale, even lower. But they managed to (more or less) achieve what they set out to do.

Now, visitors can sign up for tours of the space to see where the scientists lived and how they maintained the seven distinct biomes — among them a rainforest and miniature ocean complete with its own coral reef — located within the biosphere.

Reading Terminal Market, Pennsylvania

Newer isn’t always better. Philadelphia’s most famous public market opened in 1893 and quickly became famous for its state-of-the-art refrigerated storage spaces, which allowed merchants to keep seasonal products in stock year-round.

These days, it’s better known for its contemporary, home-cooked fare — DiNic’s roasted pork sandwich was voted the “Best Sandwich in America” by the Travel Channel. But you can still find traces of its early history in its ornamental exterior and in the names of the businesses that occupy its older stalls (two of the current vendors are direct descendants of original tenants).

Strangely, like another destination included in this list (Seattle’s Pike Place Market), it also features a sizable sculpture of a pig. His name is Philbert, and he’s the market’s unofficial mascot.  

Enchanted Highway, North Dakota

Midwesterners are acutely aware that their coastal neighbors often complain about how boring it can be to drive through the vast plains and prairies of Middle America. With that idea in mind, the artist Gary Greff began constructing enormous scrap-metal sculptures along a sleepy, 32-mile stretch of road in North Dakota. Since he began working on the project in 1989, he’s completed seven sculptures — most of which depict enormous animals, like pheasants, geese and grasshoppers — and is currently working on an eighth.

In 2012, Greff also opened the Enchanted Castle, an eccentrically decorated inn (completely with its own drawbridge) near the highway in the town of Regent. Greff hopes to drive more tourism to small towns in rural America that have suffered since many of the country’s scenic two-lane highways were abandoned in favor of much larger and less picturesque freeways.

The Willis Tower, Illinois

As a rule of thumb, tourist attractions of the observation-deck-at-the-top-of-a-tall-tower variety tend to disappoint. After all, if you’ve ridden an elevator to the top of New York City’s Empire State Building you probably have a pretty good idea of the sort of view that’s waiting for you atop Seattle’s Space Needle.

That being said, the Willis Tower (still commonly called the Sears Tower in Chicago) is worth a trip for two reasons. One, it’s still one of the tallest buildings around. And two, it’s 103rd-story Skydeck features a glass bottom that extends four feet beyond the edge of the skyscraper, allowing visitors to imagine (maybe a little too vividly, for some) what it would be like to walk among the clouds.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Ohio

The Louvre it isn’t. But since opening in 1995, Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has outgrown its reputation as a glorified Hard Rock Cafe and become a legitimate bastion of music history. In 1997, the museum began showcasing special exhibitions (the first being “I Want to Take You Higher: The Psychedelic Era, 1965 – 1969”). And to date it’s inducted hundreds of musicians into its Hall of Fame.

It’s worth noting that the museum receives its fair share of criticism from music insiders, many of whom believe that the Hall of Fame nomination process is opaque and unfair. But that sense of controversy doesn’t make the museum any less worthy of a visit — just bear in mind that the selection process is more subjective than scientific.

Hole N’ The Rock, Utah

Its name couldn’t be more accurate. About a century ago, Albert Christensen began carving a small hole into the side of a sandstone cliff in Moab, intent on providing his boys with a fun place to camp out at night. His ambitions grew along with the hole, though. And over the course of about 12 years, he chiseled out 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone, transforming the space into a 14-room home for him and his wife, Gladys.

When Albert died in the 1950s, Gladys converted the home into a gift shop of sorts and began inviting travelers inside to tour the unique homestead. Gladys is no longer around either, but the tours are still available.

Golden Gate Park, California

You’d be hard-pressed to spend more than a few hours in San Francisco without setting foot inside Golden Gate Park. The 1,017-square-foot green space stretches east to west and is significantly larger than New York City’s Central Park.

It’s not nearly as well known as its northeastern neighbor, though. And that’s a shame because some of the city’s best tourist attractions— the De Young Museum. and the California Academy of Sciences — can be found nestled within its borders. It’s also home to both the oldest Japanese garden and the oldest wooden conservatory in the United States. Both make great destination choices for travelers who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon.

This Ontario city was just named the biggest tourist trap in Canada

Niagara Falls has been deemed Canada’s top spot for attracting tourists who have money to burn.

According to a newly released report  by U.S.-based vacation home rental and property management company Casago, the kitchy Canadian border town is the country’s biggest tourist trap. On a global level, Niagara Falls came in seventh place.

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Back in January, the team at Casago started doing unfiltered worldwide searches of the phrase “tourist trap” on TripAdvisor.

They then gathered the names of attractions/places, addresses, and the number of mentions of “tourist trap” in thousands of accompanying reviews.

The world’s top 10 biggest tourist traps were deemed to be those with the highest number of mentions of “tourist trap” in their reviews.

Casago then repeated this process by changing the location filter for each country and each U.S. state removing entries that indicated that the attraction/place was not a tourist trap.

Worldwide, they set a minimum threshold of 10 mentions of the phrase ‘tourist trap.’

In both cases, the threshold was set at five or more mentions.

The data found that four of the 10 biggest tourist traps in the world are located in the United States with San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf topping the list with 1,049 mentions of the phrase in reviews. Each year, the west coast city’s Fisherman’s Wharf neighbourhood attracts roughly 12 million visitors.

Barcelona’s Las Ramblas street, which received 793 mentions, was found to be the second-biggest tourist trap in the world, followed by Oahu, Hawaii’s overpriced Dole Plantation (708 mentions).

The Dole Plantation was also the second place finisher in the U.S, followed by New York’s Times Square.

Casago is offering a number of tips to visitors so they don’t fall into a tourist trap.

The first piece of advice was to shop around for discounts when ticket prices for “must-see places” are exorbitant and to research when the quietest times to visit are as admission to events and attractions may be cheaper in off-peak periods.

“See if you can buy a ticket in advance as well to save on long lines and crowds at the ticket booth,” they said, pointing to advice from Insider that suggests tourists avoid places with long lines, crowded areas, and gift shops, and attractions that are popular on Instagram and have their own hashtag.

When it comes to getting something to eat, Casago is urging visitors to keep away from restaurants with employees outside trying to draw you in.

“One of the best ways to have an authentic experience of a new place is to go off the beaten track, dining where the locals recommend and taking a scenic walk through quieter streets,” they urged.

“If you’re on the lookout for a souvenir, consider skipping the keychain and scoping out locally made crafts instead.”

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Watch Out for These Tourist Traps in All 50 States

Cheapism / TripAdvisor

Inside Trap

For better or worse, tourist traps are part of the American landscape. Countless overhyped, colorful, quirky, and sometimes downright mystifying spots draw sightseers nationwide — at least, when a pandemic isn't making travel too dangerous and complicated for such silliness.

Whether an attraction qualifies as a tourist trap is often in the eye of the beholder, and some are still beloved by locals . Travel blogger David James of The GypsyNesters  has his own test: whether visitors leave feeling a little swindled. "But we love tourist traps," says his wife and fellow blogger, Veronica James. "David cannot pass them by. Boomers are really into this stuff because, when we were kids, that's where we went. We would pack up our station wagon and go to these places."

Some are iconic locales now overrun or overrated. Others lure road trippers out of the way of their intended destinations. They might be cheesy, inauthentic, overpriced, crowded, boring, ugly, or just plain not worth the time. We talked to travel bloggers and industry professionals and read online reviews to identify tourist traps in every state.

Related: Off-Limits Destinations That Could Reopen to Tourists (and Some That Already Have)

Alabama: McDonald's Visited by Reagan

At the McDonald's in Northport, a bronze bust and a photo commemorate the day in 1984 when President Ronald Reagan came by for a photo op with a Big Mac. (The goal was to make him look like an average Joe, which he made clear he was not, by asking an aide what he was "supposed" to order.) Although a plaque reads, "President Reagan ate here," Roadside America  reports that the restaurant where the Gipper ate was demolished, and the original memorabilia is gone. A new McDonald's was built on the same site in 2006.

Alaska: Gold Dredge 8

When open,  Gold Dredge 8  provides a window into Fairbanks' gold-mining days and gets generally good reviews, but there are plenty of tourist trap tactics at play. It cost $55 for adults and $35 for children to take a narrated train ride to the dredge, visit the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and pan briefly for gold — emphasis on "briefly." It seems the chief purpose of the tour is to steer people to the extensive gift shop.

Arizona: O.K. Corral

Deriding staged gunfights lasting only 30 seconds and declaring the O.K. Corral  just OK, critical reviewers say the town of Tombstone is worth a visit only for true cowboy fanatics. And even they might want to rethink this destination, which detractors label gimmicky and overpriced.

Related: The 40 Best Places in America to Travel Back in Time

Arkansas: Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park  in Murfreesboro is said to be the world's only diamond-bearing site open to the public. Some reviewers scoff that they could find the same variety of rocks in their driveways, and that kids lose interest quickly in digging in the hot sun and hard dirt. Better to skip the fee of $15 for adults and $7 for children.

Related: The Best State Park in Every State

California: Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf  traces its history to the 1800s, when it was the home base of San Francisco's fishing fleet, but it has evolved over the years into tourism central. When it's possible to visit again, expect it to be riddled with overpriced junk for sale, with street vendors preying on unsuspecting tourists and too many people to make it comfortable to walk around. Check out these fun, budget-friendly options in the Golden State , instead.

Related: 20 Free and Cheap Things to Do in San Francisco

Colorado: 16th Street Mall

A pedestrian and transit space covering about 1.3 miles in downtown Denver, the 16th Street Mall  is a tourist trap akin to Times Square in New York City and Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. It's overrun with chain stores and restaurants, offering very little that's unique to Denver.

Connecticut: Pez Visitor Center

The Pez Visitor Center  in Orange doesn't draw the same adoration as its namesake candy dispensers. A "self-guided tour" entails mainly access to a gift shop and a peek through a window at a factory that may not be running. For some visitors, though, a look at the staggering variety of dispenser heads made since 1948 may be worth the $5 price of entry for adults ($4 for children). It comes with a $2 credit for use in the gift shop — hint, hint.

Delaware: 'Fountain of Youth'

It seems a tad unfair to continue calling a well in Lewes a "Fountain of Youth" when it has dried up (particularly given how crazed people are about preserving their youth ). It's said to have been discovered in 1631 by the area's Dutch colonists, but it's unclear what made locals believe the water had such magical powers, or what makes tourists believe the well is worth a visit. Furthermore, it appears it’s private property now .

Florida: Skunk Ape Research Center

Never heard of a skunk ape? You're not alone. According to the website of the Skunk Ape Research Center , it's a large, hairy, bipedal mammal that calls the Florida Everglades home and may be a distant relative of Bigfoot. Reviewers point out that the facility in Ochopee is not a "research center" at all — just a gift shop with a small museum devoted to an obscure mythological creature. There is also an animal exhibit. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for kids, which may leave some folks feeling "skunked."

Georgia: World of Coca-Cola Museum

While some may find the history of Coca-Cola  and its various flavors interesting, Georgia finance writer David Bakke calls out the World of Coca-Cola  museum in Atlanta as plagued by long lines, mediocre exhibits, and pricey souvenirs. Visitors, allowed back in July, pay $21 (for adults) or $17 (for children) to enjoy what amounts to a giant Coke commercial.

Hawaii: Waikiki Beach

A retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s, Honolulu's world-famous Waikiki Beach has long been plagued by crowds and trash. It has attracted both a large homeless population and the likes of Hermès, Gucci, and Prada. Visitors have described the commercialized beach as a cross between New York City and Miami Beach, and not in a good way.

Related: 20 Tips for Visiting Hawaii on a Budget

Idaho: Oasis Bordello Museum

Tour guides talking about the day-to-day lives of prostitutes, represented by tarted-up mannequins? The Oasis Bordello Museum  in Wallace seeks to provide an authentic glimpse into the colorful past of the mining district where this brothel is located, but some visitors say the museum is sad and creepy — perhaps not worth the $5 admission.

Illinois: Navy Pier

Between the $18 price to ride the Ferris wheel, crowds, mediocre bars, and cafeteria food, locals often steer clear of Chicago's Navy Pier , leaving it for the tourists, resident Rachel Cooper says. Still, there are a few redeeming attractions, such as performances by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (although tickets aren't cheap) and epic fireworks displays over Lake Michigan. 

Indiana: Largest Ball of Paint

What started as an ordinary baseball has grown into the world's largest ball of paint and one of Indiana's most visited roadside attractions, as hard as that might be to believe. After about 40 years of painting, the ball has more than 23,000 layers and weighs more than 4,000 pounds. Tourists passing by Alexandria can call to make an appointment to view the ball — but why?

Iowa: Spook Cave

There's not a whole lot to see here, folks — that's one of the primary criticisms of Spook Cave . An escorted boat tour of a flooded cave in McGregor (May through October) does give visitors a chance to learn about the history of limestone in the region and view stalactites. Whether that's worth $16 for adults and $11 for children is the question. There's also a pricey gift shop.

Kansas: Largest Ball of Twine

Cawker City's claim to fame: the world's largest ball of twine. Apparently there's been some competition  for that title since the ball was started in 1953. Although it's often cited among the country's best roadside attractions, it hardly seems worth a detour of more than two hours round-trip off the nearest interstate.

Kentucky: Ark Encounter

Opened in July 2016, Ark Encounter  promises to bring the Biblical story of Noah's Ark to life. The recently completed, wooden replica of the ship was built according to dimensions provided in the Bible — 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high. Some visitors find the admission prices big as well, especially after construction won government tax breaks: An adult ticket is $60, admission for youngsters is $32, and visitors also pay for parking and activities inside the park, such as a $60 zip line experience. "I don't see how families can afford it," one reviewer writes on TripAdvisor .

Louisiana: Bourbon Street

It's an iconic destination, yes, but Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, has become increasingly known for strip clubs, wild parties, tacky offerings, and scammers seeking to separate visitors from their money. Don't want to avoid the historic street altogether? Just do some research, pick your spots ahead of time, and take care to avoid the con artists. Remember, there’s plenty of free fun in the Big Easy . 

Maine: Land's End Gift Shop

Geared entirely toward tourists, the Land's End Gift Shop  sells everything from lobster-print pants to lobster keychains and bumper stickers. There are also calendars featuring idyllic New England images, plush animals (including, of course, lobsters), mugs, hats, and other miscellaneous gifts to help visitors remember Maine. Save your money for some real lobster .

Maryland: God's Ark of Safety

The sign for God's Ark of Safety  proclaims, "Noah's Ark Being Rebuilt Here!" The plan, more than 30 years in the making, is to build a replica with the same dimensions listed in the Bible. But the ministry building it in Frostburg has managed to erect only a tangle of steel beams so far — and even that's in hold during COVID-19. In the meantime, someone else beat them to it in Kentucky.

Massachusetts: Salem

Wizard schools, ghost tours, and oddball Frankenstein and Dracula "museums" have taken over Salem, once a truly intriguing town. It dates to 1626 and is notorious for holding witch trials that led to the hanging of 19 innocent people. Tourist trap economics have come to trump historical charm, say travel bloggers David and Veronica James, although the Salem Witch Museum  is an exception.

Related: The 25 Most Terrifying Places in America

Michigan: Mystery Spot

 Said to have been discovered in the 1950s by surveyors who became lightheaded and couldn't get equipment to operate there, the Mystery Spot  in St. Ignace (reopening in the spring) seems to mess with gravity, make tall people seem smaller, and cause plenty of other confusing phenomena. Or so they say. You might say it leans heavily on kitsch. It led one Yelper to remark, “The mystery is why did I pay for this?”

Minnesota: Mall of America

The Mall of America  attracts 40 million visitors in a typical year with chain stores that most people probably have near their hometowns. Some of the biggest draws have high prices: $50 for a day at Nickelodeon Universe, around $24 at the aquarium, and $28 a person for the Crayola Experience. One saving grace: No tax on clothing in Minnesota.

Mississippi: Mammy's Cupboard

The sight of a roadside restaurant in the shape of a 28-foot-tall woman draws many tourists intrigued at the prospect of eating inside her skirt. But the building is based on an offensive archetype: Mammy's Cupboard dates to 1940, a time not exactly focused on political correctness. Although it was repainted a lighter skin tone during the civil rights era , it remains the subject of much criticism and social debate.

Missouri: Silver Dollar City

A theme park in Branson that opened in 1960, Silver Dollar City  is no Disney World. It has 40 rides and plenty of detractors who say it's run-down, not kid-friendly, and not laid out well. At 2020 prices of $89 for adults, it's overpriced to boot.

Montana: 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar

The collection of silver dollars on display at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar  in Haugan was started in 1952, and by now there are coins covering the walls, bar, and ceiling. There's also a family-run restaurant, a motel with free RV parking, a convenience store, casinos, and "Montana's largest gift shop." If you'd like to marvel at other people's money while spending your own, this is the tourist trap for you.

Related: 40 Hole-in-the-Wall Bars That Have Survived the Decades

Nebraska: Carhenge

With the real Stonehenge often labeled a tourist trap , it's hard to see the appeal of a replica made from vintage American automobiles painted gray to look like giant stones. Those who have visited Carhenge  in Alliance describe it as everything from a step above a junkyard to the perfect Griswold family moment.

Nevada: Area 51 Alien Travel Center and Brothel

It's probably not helpful to name the entire city of Las Vegas, even though it's certainly one of the most deliberately designed tourist traps in history. We'll offer up this little gem instead: the Area 51 Alien Travel Center and Brothel  in Amargosa Valley. A name that baits tourists with both "alien" and "brothel" really speaks for itself. Close encounters, indeed.

New Hampshire: Ice Castles

These human-made ice caverns  operate in several locations, including Lincoln, during the winter months. While praised by many for its beauty and fun quotient, many Yelpers have dinged the attraction for having rude staff and others said it just didn’t look as impressive as advertised.

New Jersey: Atlantic City Boardwalk

Tacky. Not a good place for children. In need of refurbishing. These are just some of the downsides of the present incarnation of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, reviewers say. The iconic boardwalk, lined with stores, restaurants, and casinos, dates to 1870 and unfortunately has seen far better days.

Related: 40 Iconic and Beautiful Boardwalks in the Country

New Mexico: International UFO Museum

The town of Roswell has become synonymous with UFOs (thanks to an alleged crash in 1947), but it doesn't have much to offer aside from that claim to fame. The primary highlights for alien fans are the International UFO Museum and Research Center ($7 for adults, $4 for children) and an annual festival.

New York: Times Square Museums

In a city with countless one-of-a-kind museums, tan overpriced chain museum in Times Square draws wide disdain from travel bloggers. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum  costs about $44 to get into, and has nothing unique to offer visitors to the Big Apple, though many other places do offer cheap amusements . 

North Carolina: Largest Chest of Drawers

It's fitting for High Point, known as the home furnishings capital of the world, to be home of the world's largest chest of drawers . Built originally in the 1920s, complete with knobs and giant dangling socks, it served as an information bureau — pun undoubtedly intended. Then a furniture store in Jamestown, a 10-minute drive away, built what looks like an 80-foot chest on the outside of its showroom, somehow diminishing the value of both.

North Dakota: Casinos

Don't leave the choice of a North Dakota casino to chance. From Spirit Lake Casino in St. Michael to 4 Bears Casino in New Town and Dakota Magic in Hankinson, visitors complain of a general lack of quality and professionalism at smaller tribal casinos, citing run-down machines, unpleasant atmospheres, and very few winners. "ATM pays out," one customer snarked in an online review. "That's about it."

Related: The 15 Best Casinos NOT in Las Vegas

Ohio: Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen

Criticism of the cooking at Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen, Bakery, and Gift Shop  in Middlefield is all too common. Reviewers say the food is bland, unappetizing, and overpriced. The gift shop is also expensive, they say, with a warning to stop only if there's nothing else open. But that's easier said than done when the tour bus stops at the restaurant.

Oklahoma: Cherokee Trading Post

With a tepee out front and a KOA campground, Cherokee Trading Post  near El Reno has "tourist" written all over it. But, hey, if you're in the mood to shop for moccasins and Native American "art," this is the place.

Oregon: Prehistoric Gardens

Like many tourist traps, Prehistoric Gardens  in Port Orford is likely to be irresistible to children, with a life-size Tyrannosaurus at the front gate. But some visitors say it's overpriced, at $14 for adults and $10 for children, and provides less than 15 minutes of entertainment. In an age of "Jurassic Park" films and the dinosaur robots of the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park in Utah, steel and concrete sculptures may not cut it.

Pennsylvania: Rivers Casino

Philadelphia isn't Las Vegas — it isn't even Atlantic City, which is just an hour away — and tourists shouldn't go to the Rivers Casino (formerly the SugarHouse Casino) expecting a high-rolling experience. Reviews are filled with complaints about slow service in a cramped, cheap-looking structure. "A lackluster, dirty slots barn," one Yelper says.

Rhode Island: Big Blue Bug

The Big Blue Bug  is a 58-foot termite — 928 times the size of a real one. Designated the world's largest bug, it cost $20,000 to build out of steel and fiberglass. But don't make the mistake of stopping in Providence just to see it. The bug can be appreciated well enough from Interstate 95.

South Carolina: South of the Border

Travel review sites are full of mediocre reviews of this cluster of restaurants and shops  offering everything from fireworks, knickknacks, and bumper stickers to leather, antiques, and hats. Its towering statue of a sombrero is well-known to road trippers as a place to stretch your legs on a long drive — but nothing more.

South Dakota: Wall Drug Store

Wall Drug  may have started as a drugstore in 1931, but it has morphed into a classic American tourist trap with a sprawling souvenir shop and eateries that are collectively "crowded, overpriced, and stupid," say travel bloggers David and Veronica James. Countless signs along Interstate 90 make travelers feel as though they absolutely have to stop, but many who do regret it.

Related: 77 Attractions to See While Driving Across the Country

Tennessee: Graceland

Elvis has long since left the building, yet his Memphis home continues to rake in oodles of cash from devoted fans . Tickets to Graceland  start at $82 for adults and $47 for children and cost at least $140 for a VIP tour. That's not to mention the multiple gift shops on the grounds selling Elvis-themed tchotchkes.

Related: Elvis Had a Pet Chimp and More Fun Facts About Graceland

Texas: Devil's Rope Museum

Devil's Rope Museum  in McLean has an intriguing name and free admission, but it may become less interesting when visitors find out that "devil's rope" is barbed wire. That's right: This quirky museum (due to reopen in March) showcases the 450 patents that apparently exist for barbed wire, as well as more than 2,000 variations that have been found by collectors. For some visitors, it's fascinating. For others, it's just fencing.

Utah: Moqui Cave

While $5 for adults is not a lot to pay, for some it's just too much for a "tour" of Moqui Cave  that lasts only a few minutes. The cave near Kanab is billed as a natural history museum, but visitors complain that the collection of Native American artifacts, dinosaur tracks, and minerals is paltry at best. They say the attraction is mostly a gift shop — and why pay an entrance fee to shop?

Vermont: Rock of Ages

It's not worth going far to look at a very pretty hole in the ground that isn't the Grand Canyon. For $9 for adults and $5 for children, Rock of Ages (a company that makes "enduring art" — its euphemism for headstones) takes visitors to a granite quarry and on a factory tour. The visitors center peddles granite gifts and jewelry.

Virginia: Foamhenge

What's the obsession with recreating Stonehenge, exactly? Foamhenge is made entirely of Styrofoam. It was put up on April Fools' Day in 2004, and a dozen years later, when the kitschy sight was falling into disrepair, got picked up and packed up. Foam worshippers will not be denied, though, and  Foamhenge  was resurrected a year later as an ongoing attraction for Cox Farms in Centreville — for limited hours, on private property. 

Washington: Seattle Children's Museum

Visitor reviews of Seattle Children's Museum , along with local media, say the exhibits are far from innovative, many of the toys are similar to what's at home, and exhibits are poorly maintained. For children older than 4, it could easily be deemed a tad boring and not worth the cost of admission, which is $14 for adults and children. 

West Virginia: Farnham Colossi

A perplexing collection of statues at Farnham Fantasy Farm  in Unger, the "Farnham Colossi" run the gamut from a 25-foot-tall fiberglass muffler man to a beach dude statue and a Big John bag boy. It's a half-hour off the Interstate (whether 70 or 81) to get to the site of these massive figures. 

Wisconsin: The Dells

The Wisconsin Dells  area is a tourist trap to end all tourist traps, with tacky water parks and wacky attractions now divorced from the namesake rock formations that originally drew sightseers. Even a breathless write-up on Roadside America  admits, "At times the Dells seems like a ravenous snake, swallowing tourists whole, digesting their lump of vacation energy and disposable income."

Related: The 20 Best Water Parks Across America

Wyoming: Wyoming Frontier Prison

Tours of the abandoned and crumbling Wyoming Frontier Prison  in Rawlins, which opened in 1901 and closed in 1981, include viewing the Punishment Pole, where prisoners were whipped with rubber hoses, and the chance to sit in a real gas chamber. The cost is $12 for adults and $10 for children — in other words, around $40 to $50 for a family with small children to endure weeks of nightmares afterward.

Related: 18 Towns Where You Can Still Experience the Wild West

Buc-ee's just might meet some of the criteria of a tourist trap

Say what you want about tourist traps , but plenty of Americans have visited one more than once in their recent travels. 

A survey by software company PhotoAiD asked about 1,000 people about their experiences visiting tourist traps , finding that almost 90 percent of Americans have been to a tourist trap at least twice in the past two years. The survey also asked respondents about the qualities that make a place fit the description of one and to consider which attractions in the U.S. and abroad are the most “trappy.” 

No places in Texas ultimately made the list, as survey respondents mostly called out places including Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco , the International UFO Museum and Research Center in New Mexico, and Elvis Presley’s Graceland. One site tied to a beloved brand also made the list: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in Vermont, known for its “flavor graveyard.” 

But that doesn’t mean Texas lacks tourist traps. 

Insider has called out The Big Texan Restaurant in Amarillo—home of the free 72-ounce steak challenge—as a place that can induce “sensory overload” and has “extremely mediocre” food. The Alamo, San Antonio River Walk , and NASA’s Johnson Space Center have also gotten reviews marking them as overrated and expensive . 

On top of those sites, Buc-ee’s is also starting to attract the “tourist trap” title . While it isn’t a standalone attraction and is no longer unique to Texas given its roughly 50 locations throughout the U.S., a Buc-ee’s travel center is still its own destination rather than a stop along the way for some people visiting the Southern U.S. 

So, does Buc-ee’s satisfy the factors that survey respondents said are representative of a tourist trap? 

One of the factors that might not apply to Buc-ee’s in the view of some Texans is a lack of cultural or historical authenticity. Offering up barbecue at gas stations is a practice that goes back to at least the 1920s , and Buc-ee’s is regularly stocked with goods fitting for the location such as crawfish baskets .  

Some of the other qualities, however, could apply to certain Buc-ee’s locations. 

For example, the factor that the most survey respondents said apply to tourist traps is low attendance or avoidance by local residents. Lately, residents of towns that Buc-ee’s is bringing new locations to, including Johnstown, Colorado, Mebane, North Carolina and Boerne, Texas, have shared mounting criticism of Buc-ee’s . Their protests argue that Buc-ee’s is contributing to urban sprawl and hurting local business or conservation efforts, and many have taken their concerns to local city councils without success in stopping permit approvals for the beaver-themed store. 

Other factors include high levels of foot traffic, aggressive promotion or sales tactics, and an abundance of souvenir shops or gift stores. Now, Buc-ee’s doesn’t have a gift store and famously doesn't sell its items online. But the travel center itself is full of Buc-ee’s apparel and trinkets. There's also a trend of fans clamoring for goods such as limited-edition tumblers or the beaver suit. 

The aggressiveness of the store’s promotion is debatable, and a significant share comes from fans themselves. Still, Buc-ee’s has put up quirky billboards in the hopes of drawing in travelers, including ones advertising a store almost 1,000 miles away and another with a made-up word that was then put on a T-shirt . 

Still, Buc-ee’s doesn’t attract crowds the way a place more traditionally seen as a tourist trap would by making it part of a tour package or itinerary. That’s not the top reason people visit tourist traps, however, since most survey respondents said they got reeled into visiting because friends or family wanted to go or glowing recommendations on social media .

So whether it’s a typical tourist trap or Buc-ee’s, word of mouth and online hype could ultimately be what brings people through the door.

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Travel expert shares warning signs of ‘tourist trap’ beach destinations

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Starting to plan your summer getaway? Listen up.

Tourist traps can be hugely busy (and expensive), so they’re best avoided wherever possible. But they’re not always easy to spot – particularly when it comes to beach destinations.

Now, an expert has warned of the ‘telltale’ red flags that’ll help you to identify locations blindly capitalising on innocent tourists who may not know any better – and avoid unnecessarily spent time and money on your holiday.

‘From creating a sense of urgency to using manipulative sales techniques, these tactics aim to exploit visitors’ vulnerability and maximise profits for the vendors,’ Jason Higgs, senior deals strategist at  Bountii , told The Express.

According to Jason, a major sign to look out for is shops or restaurants failing to outline proper, clear guidance on pricing.

‘In tourist traps, vendors may not display prices prominently or may provide misleading information about the cost of goods or services,’ he added.

So, the next time you’re abroad, pay close attention to the price list. If there isn’t one, you know where you stand.

That’s not the only thing to be aware of either. The way that employees behave towards customers can also indicate whether it’s a classic ‘tourist trap’ location.

‘One of the telltale signs of a tourist trap is encountering aggressive salespeople who employ high-pressure tactics to persuade travellers to make purchases. Whether it’s offering souvenirs, tours, or other services, these salespeople often target tourists in crowded areas and resorts,’ Jason outlined.

Fear not, though: you’re not powerless. If you do encounter pushy salespeople while on holiday, it’s okay to walk away. Better to do that than to regret an impulse buy when you arrive back at the hotel.

In other news, if you’re in search of the beach with the sparkliest waters, look no further than Pasqyra Beach in Albania.

Around 13 minutes’ drive from the resort of Sarandë in the southwest, the beach beat out the likes of Bondi Beach, Bora Bora and  even the Maldives  in securing the title.

It’s nicknamed ‘Mirror Beach’, thanks to its clear, turquoise water that visitors say has a ‘magical’ quality.

Determined by the travel experts at CV Villas, the research took unedited Google Maps screenshots of 200 beaches across the world and used a colour dropper tool to find the RGB code of each body of water.

This was then cross-referenced with the world’s bluest shade of blue to work out which location’s water had the closest match.

Albania’s Pasqyra Beach was just 12.4 points off, with its mirror-like appearance widely considered to be a highlight of the country’s coastline.

See you at the shore!

This is the biggest mistake you’re making on your all-inclusive holiday according to a travel expert

When you’re on an  all inclusive holiday , of course you want to get what you paid for.

But according to travel writer  Kelly Magyarics , who’s been on a total of 35 of the package breaks, most first-timers don’t know how to make the most of their stay.

One of the most common mistakes is getting your all inclusive  drinks  at your hotel’s main or pool bar, as top-shelf alcohol is normally served elsewhere.

In an article for  Business Insider , Kelly said: ‘Not all drinks at all inclusive resorts are created equally.’

Instead, she recommends heading to the lobby bar, where you’ll likely have a wider range of spirits to choose from, including branded options like Aperol and Campari for a spritz.

‘Upgrade your piña colada by requesting it with dark or aged rum instead of white, which gives it much more flavour,’ she added.

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Get in touch by emailing [email protected] .

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The cutest tourist trap in town. A look at the popular Myrtle Beach Boardwalk cats

Along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, tourists stop, stare and pull out their phones to take pictures of a tabby cat with a missing ear tip sitting on the railing.

She stares at them as they talk among themselves about her cuteness, basking in their attention.

After a minute, she jumps down and walks up to the tourists, rubbing against their legs as they reach down to pet her.

The tabby cat, known by locals as “Mama” or “Green Eyes,” is one of around 10 cats that live along the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. All of the cats are feral and have made the tourist-ridden area their forever home.

Stacey Marlow, a Lead Gold Cap Ambassador along the boardwalk, said that there have been cats on the boardwalk since she started in 2020. The main cats she sees are Mama, a tan cat named Sandy, and a colony of black and white cats near the SkyWheel.

The cats have built themselves a small community that includes the Gold Cap Ambassadors, the Jehovah’s Witnesses who stand along the boardwalk and the retirees that keep the cats well-fed.

‘The whole boardwalk takes care of the kitties’

The cats’ main caretaker is a man known as Bob, Marlow said. The Sun News was not able to get in contact with Bob before publication.

He typically comes to the boardwalk once a day and feeds the cats wet food, dry food and milk, Marlow said. He places containers around the area and once the cats have eaten, he picks up all the dishes but leaves one filled with food for Mama.

The man will bring cat toys and try to play with the cats in an attempt to socialize them. Most of the cats along the boardwalk are skittish and won’t let people near them, except Mama. Marlow said Bob is the reason Mama is friendly with people.

Bob isn’t the only food source for the cats. Marlow said snowbirds love to feed the cats and employees at various businesses will also put out food. One woman will sometimes put a can of wet food outside during her shift and picks up the empty can before she leaves for the day.

“The whole boardwalk takes care of the kitties,” Marlow said.

Cats adopted out when possible

Although some boardwalk cats are too feral to live with people, cats are adopted out when possible, said Grand Strand Humane Society Director Jess Wnuk.

The Humane Society has captured cats along the boardwalk to “trap-neuter-release” the animals. This process is commonly called TNR.

Once in the shelter, veterinarians will perform spays or neuters, give cats shots and hold them for a few days for recovery, Wnuk said. If the cats are friendly, young or old, the shelter will then adopt them out.

If the cats are too feral, they will clip off the tip of the cat’s left ear to signify it has been fixed and received shots. Then they are released back to where they are caught. TNR allows the shelter to control the cat colony by preventing reproduction.

Marlow said a Canadian woman who spends her winters in Myrtle Beach caught a boardwalk cat and adopted it a few years ago. She brought it back to Canada with her and showed Marlow pictures the following winter. She named the cat Myrtle.

Feeding cats — even when it’s illegal

According to Myrtle Beach city ordinances , it’s illegal to feed any feral animals along the boardwalk. It does not state what the penalty is for breaking the law.

Marlow said Bob has had a run-in with officers before and it did not go well. Despite that, he will continue to feed the cats.

When asked about it being illegal to feed the cats, Wnuk said the animals need to be taken care of in a humane way. She said the best way to take care of the cats is to feed them privately at the same time everyday.

“It’s unfair to be cruel to animals that didn’t ask to be put there,” Wnuk said. “It’s our responsibility to help them.”

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