There are tourist attractions in countless U.S. cities that are worth your time and hard-earned cash. But, unfortunately, some attractions can best be described as tourist traps, designed only to extract as many dollars out of your wallet as possible. An article was recently published examining these American tourist traps, and about half of them can easily be marked as a total waste of money!
1. Waikiki Beach
While this Hawaiian beach is pristine and beautiful, it’s surrounded by an endless stream of high-rise hotels. There are better representations of the Hawaiian islands. So do yourself a favor and visit the beaches of Maui or Kauai instead!
2. Santa Claus House
Since it’s located in Alaska, I shudder to think how expensive it would be to visit Santa Claus House – primarily because it’s an overpriced gift shop. If you want to buy a customized “letter from Santa,” more power to you, but there have to be better ways to spend your money. Â
3. The Space Needle
As one of the most exciting and naturally-gorgeous cities in the United States, there are plenty of reasons to visit Seattle. Unfortunately, waiting in line to walk through the Space Needle is not one of those reasons. Like other entries on this list, it’s expensive – and the view isn’t even that great!
4. Plymouth Rock
Don’t pay money to look at a rock. I repeat: don’t pay money to look at a rock. Massachusetts is full of American history; your tourism dollars are better spent elsewhere.Â
5. Four Corners
A small placard notes the precise location where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. Upon arriving, you have bragging rights saying you have stood in four states simultaneously. The amount of time and money it took you to reach this tourist trap (it’s in the middle of nowhere) will be nothing to brag about, however.Â
6. Bourbon Street
New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street is known for one thing: debauchery. So while you’ll undoubtedly have a memorable time strolling the streets and taking in the sights and sounds of New Orleans, it will come at a price, and your wallet will hurt once morning comes!
7. Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame is in a rather seedy part of Los Angeles and is strewn over endless dilapidated city blocks. Skip visiting here and take a free hike to the fabled Hollywood sign instead. You’ll take much more impressive photos than close-up shots of dirty sidewalks.Â
8. World of Coca-Cola
If you’re a die-hard fan of the soft drink, there’s no stopping you from wanting to visit this Coca-Cola paradise, but I’m going to try to stop you anyway. Atlanta’s World of Coca-Cola is a larger-than-life gift shop aiming to extract as much money from your wallet as possible. Support the company in other ways – like buying their product in stores.Â
9. The Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center
Before visiting New York City, ask yourself if you’d be interested in the idea of paying an excessive amount of money to ice skate nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of other people. But, then, be honest with yourself: the answer is no.Â
10. Graceland
Although this is a rite of passage for Elvis fans, Graceland, found in Memphis, Tennessee, is yet another example of a gift shop taken to the extreme. There are much better ways to pay respects to “The King” than pay the exorbitant admission fee to Graceland.Â
11. Beale Street
Even though there’s fun to be had on Beale Street in Memphis, the good times come at the expense of your common sense: you’ll be paying an arm and a leg for drinks and food throughout your visit. I advise spending money at some lesser-known local establishments instead of the touristy restaurants and bars located up and down Beale Street.Â
12. Times Square
New York City‘s Time Square shocks the senses: it is an overwhelming square of lights, sounds, billboards, restaurants, and tourist attractions. It’s truly a sight to behold, but it’s also a shock to your wallet – especially if you’re considering visiting during New Year’s Eve.
13. The Corn Palace
The pride and joy of South Dakota, The Corn Palace, is exactly what it sounds like; a palace made entirely of corn. With that information now firmly entrenched in the logic center of your brain, I’ll leave it up to you to decide if it’s worth paying any amount of money to visit.Â
14. The Las Vegas Strip
Don’t get me wrong, some of the most fun I’ve ever had has come on the Las Vegas strip. But, coincidentally, I’ve never been more broke than when I left the Las Vegas strip – and I’m far from being the only person to experience this.Â
15. World’s Largest Ball of Twine
Based on the name of this tourist trap, you would think people would know to avoid it. Sadly, that’s not the case, as thousands of travelers visit this literal ball of twine in Kansas annually. It’s just a big ball of string – nothing to see here, folks.Â
This thread inspired this post.Â
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