Whether you are travelling the US as a citizen to explore your homeland or a tourist to see what it has to offer. In both cases, you would want to make the most of your trip.
US has a mix of legendary landmarks and disappointing tourist traps which seem overrated when visited in person.
With no intentions to belittle the significance of any of these places, here are some of the worst tourist traps in the US according to The Insider. You may like to skip these save your time, money, and sanity.
A 4-acre park in an old quarry on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey, Ave Maria Grotto is a miniature city built out of trash and cement. With over 125 miniature reproductions of grottos, religious statues, and holy locations, it is often referred to as "Little Jerusalem". A better alternative to this could be Legoland.
The northernmost point on the Earth, the North Pole is freezing in the winter, and really hot in the summer. The place is undeniably the most beautiful, untouched, wild and untamed places but is often referred to as a bad tourist trap due to its extreme weather condition.
The Four Corners marks the quadripoint where the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. It may sound cool to get a picture clicked at the point but what else is there to do? You will find yourself in the middle of nowhere.
One of the most renowned landmarks in California, Hollywood walk of Fame is among the worst tourist traps in the US. Swarmed by locals, street vendors, performers, tour guides, the place promises too little for someone coming from a faraway place. You may feel excited for a while but many visitors admitted they wanted to leave after spending five minutes there.
It is the grave of one of the world's most famous cowboys William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who is known as an outstanding hunter and accomplished showman. Though there is plethora of information available at the site, it has not changed much since it opened in 1921 and is literally only a grave.
Though quite popular among locals and tourists alike, Wild Bill's Nostalgia Store was named as one of the worst tourist traps in the state by The Insider. The quirky roadside pop culture reliquary is home to world's largest Jack-in-the-Box. The place is at times described as a hyped-up flea market.
World of Coca-Cola is undoubtedly a major tourist attraction in the middle of Atlanta and attracts huge number of tourists. Visitors love to get a photo clicked with the famous polar bear and taste a variety of drinks by the company while they also get a chance to see how the drink is bottled. Definitely, it’s an experience one would like to have at least once but “battling the overwhelming crowds and long lines just to walk through what is essentially a huge advertisement, is downright silly.”
The site mentions it to be interesting only for “about 10 minutes” despite evoking surreal, alien-like landscape. This may upset some but Craters of the Moon may feel really boring to tourists visiting first time. From its appearance, it looks like a bunch of rocks.
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