Tourist Traps to Avoid in Every State

As much as we inherently like to travel and see new things, sometimes we get caught up in the excitement. While it’s easy to identify the top tourist attractions in every state, it’s not as easy to know the tourist traps. There are far too many locations in the world that attempt to lure you in with the promise of a great experience only to disappoint. 

The good news is that you can try and avoid tourist traps with a little bit of research. Better yet, you can trust that we have done all the right research for you. With that in mind, let’s to take a look at the tourist traps you should avoid in every state so you can save both time and money.

Alabama

• Ave Maria Grotto: A 4-acre miniature religious city. 
• Point Mallard Park: Skip this water park and visit a beautiful Alabama beach. 
• Vulcan Statue: The largest cast iron statue in the world.

Alaska

• North Pole: North Pole, Alaska celebrates Christmas year round and it’s one giant money pit. 
• Gold Dredge 8: Historic gold mine that pushes you into an expensive gift shop. 
• Red Onion Saloon: A brothel museum with expensive food.

Arizona

• Four Corners: Long lines make this location difficult to enjoy. 
• The Thing: Any tourist trap that needs hundreds of billboards is worth skipping. 
• Sedona Jeep Tours: You don’t need a jeep tour to see Sedona’s beauty.

Arkansas

• Crater of Diamonds State Park: Diamond Mine, open since 1906, where you likely won’t find anything. 
• Eureka Springs: The laid-back town is gone and now it’s difficult to park with too many people. 
• Josephine Tussauds Wax Museum: Expect to overpay and be incredibly disappointed. 

California

• Hollywood Walk of Fame: Essentially an overcrowded sidewalk with too many tourists.
• Fisherman’s Wharf: Historically important but an overcrowded tourist trap for years. 
• Venice Beach: A popular but overcrowded beach and boardwalk.

Colorado

• Buffalo Bill Grave: It’s essentially a grave that hasn’t changed since 1921. 
• Four Corners Monument: Continues to be an overrated location for tourists.
• 16th Street Mall: The Times Square of Colorado is now overrun by chain restaurants. 

Connecticut

• Wild Bill’s Nostalgia Store: Home to the world’s largest Jack-in-the-Box. Fun!
• Olde Mistick Village: According to TripAdvisor, tourists are catching on this is a tourist trap. 
• Mystic Pizza: Mediocre pizza destination still drawing tourists three decades after a so-so movie. 

Delaware

• Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk: It’s overcrowded, difficult to find parking, and prices are inflated for the tourists. 
• Dover Air Mobility Command Museum: Undoubtedly a niche stop for most people.
• Tax-Free Shopping Outlets: These are tourist traps in every sense of the phrase. 

Florida

• Ripley’s Believe It or Not: It’s a smaller museum with mediocre attractions right by Disney. 
• Coral Castle Museum: Essentially a giant rock collection.
• International Drive: A street full of random shops and IHOP restaurants.

Georgia

• World of Coca-Cola: Unless you love Coca-Cola, you can skip this trip. 
• CNN Center: It’s a big name in the news, but it’s not a building worth visiting. 
• Underground Atlanta: This area now has more chain stores than independent shops. 

Hawaii

• Waikiki Beach: Great postcard but too expensive to truly enjoy Hawaii. 
• Luau Shows: A lot of luau shows have become too commercialized. 
• Polynesian Cultural Center: There have been complaints for a while that it’s inauthentic. 

Idaho

• Craters of the Moon: Spend 5 minutes looking at volcanic rocks.
• Idaho Potato Museum: There is no need for a potato museum.
• Shoshone Falls: Depending on the month, this is less of a waterfall and more of a trickle. 

Illinois

• Magnificent Mile: The Mag Mile is essentially just shopping and dining. 
• Navy Pier: The ideal tourist trap in Chicago, especially during warmer months. 
• Super Museum: Only die-hard Superman fans will enjoy 70,000 plus themed items. 

Indiana

• NCAA Hall of Champions: It’s a great idea that needs a massive overhaul. 
• World’s Largest Ball of Paint: A baseball with 23,400 layers of paint weighing 4,000 pounds. 
• Indianapolis Zoo: Compared to other zoos, you can skip this one. 

Iowa

• James T. Kirk Birthplace: Only Star Trek fans will love this.
• Antique Archeology: Famous for the American Pickers TV show, but it’s not worth the trip. 
• Spook Cave: A cave tour that has become the definition of a tourist trap. 

Kansas

• Cawker City Ball of Twine: It’s a ball of twine, that’s all you need to know. 
• Dorothy’s House: A tourist trap that resembles the house from the beloved film. 
• Old Cowtown Museum: Unless you love late 1880s life, you won’t find much to enjoy here. 

Kentucky

• Ark Encounter: It’s great if you love the religious side, but wildly inflated prices make it hard to recommend. 
• Churchill Downs: Unless it’s Kentucky Derby weekend, you can skip this tour.
• Bourbon Trail: A tour that has become more commercialized than about history. 

Louisiana

• Bourbon Street: Pretty much just bars and bright neon lights.
• Swamp Tours: Most swamp tours feel too crowded and rushed. 
• Mardi Gras: Unless you absolutely love partying and drinking, this isn’t a lot of fun. 

Maine

• Desert of Maine: Little more than just a natural phenomenon. 
• Red’s Eats: Skip this and enjoy a true independent seafood eatery.
• L.L. Bean Flagship Store: Instead of visiting the store, just shop online. 

Maryland

• Ocean City Boardwalk: Like most boardwalks, it caters to tourists with high pricing. 
• Maryland Renaissance Festival: Recent TripAdvisor reviews indicate it’s too crowded and expensive. 
• Annapolis City Dock: Locals will tell you to avoid and head downtown instead. 

Massachusetts

• Plymouth Rock: For many tourists, this location is overrated and underwhelming. 
• Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market: Generic brands have replaced the historical shops making it a true tourist trap. 
• Duck Tours: There are better ways to see the sights of Boston. 

Michigan

• Mystery Spot: There’s nothing mysterious about this place, it’s just a cheap optical illusion. 
• Soo Locks: Just a bunch of boats moving through a lake.
• Detroit Casinos: Anyone who loves gambling should head to Vegas or Atlantic City. 

Minnesota

• Mall of America: If you love shopping, the mall is great but overcrowded. 
• Split Rock Lighthouse: Too expensive for a few photos. 
• Minnesota State Fair: Like any state fair, costs add up quickly as do the crowds. 

Mississippi

• Birthplace of Elvis: A two-room shack, there’s very little to see. 
• Gulf Coast Casinos: The Gulf Coast casinos lack the thrill and panache of Las Vegas. 
• Historic Natchez Cemetery: It’s a beautiful location, but still just a cemetery. 

Missouri

• Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum: Have fun walking on rocks and sitting on nuclear bombs and other radioactive materials. 
• Titanic Museum: An absolute money grab about the Titanic.
• Missouri Wine Country: If it’s wine you want, try Napa.

Montana

• 50,000 Silver Dollar: Unique, but it’s essentially just a collection of silver dollars. 
• Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park: More of a classroom lesson than an attraction.
• Montana Grizzly Encounter: This tourist trap feels like little more than a paid photo op.

Nebraska

• Carhenge: 39 cars stuck in the ground paying homage to England’s Stonehenge. 
• Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge: A bridge photo with your feet in Nebraska and Iowa.
• Pioneer Village: You pay a big admission price for a limited experience. 

Nevada

• Venetian Gondolas: You’re in the wrong city and hotel to enjoy a romantic ride. 
• Adventuredome: Adventuredome and Circus Circus need a massive overhaul. 
• Alien Research Center: This is little more than a souvenir shop on the way to Area 51. 

New Hampshire

• Old Man of the Mountain: Partially collapsed in 2003, this is a trip you don’t need to make. 
• Mercury-Redstone Rocket: Visit the Kennedy Space Center instead. 
• Salem-Witch Museum: According to USA Today, this is the second biggest tourist trap in the world. 

New Jersey

• Adventure Aquarium: Reviews indicate this place is so crowded that breathing is tough. 
• Lucy the Elephant: It’s a multi-story home that’s shaped like an elephant.
• Atlantic City Boardwalk: Like any other boardwalk, it’s overcrowded and dangerous at night.

New Mexico

• Roswell: The centerpiece of UFO rumors in America, it’s a giant tourist trap. 
• Billy the Kid Museum: It’s a trip back in time to the old west before you get bored. 
• Tinkertown Museum: Unless you have a love affair with bottles, you can skip this destination.

New York

• Times Square: It’s great on New Year’s Eve, but otherwise avoid at all costs. 
• Statue of Liberty: While symbolic, many say a trip here is overrated. 
• Empire State Building: Instead of this location, try One World Trade Center. 

North Carolina

• Blowing Rock: Why pay for a view you can get for free? 
• Mary’s Gone Wild: If you like weird glass art, this might be the place for you. 
• World’s Largest Frying Pan: For some reason, people flock to see a giant frying pan. 

North Dakota

• Enchanted Highway: 32 miles of metal sculptures that you don’t need a dedicated trip for. 
• Rugby: The geological center of North America, in a restaurant parking lot.
• Dakota Thunder: For some reason, it’s the world’s largest buffalo statue.

Ohio

• Christmas Story House: The movie is a classic, but the home has long lines and isn’t worth the wait. 
• Cheese Haven: It’s hard to compete with Wisconsin as the best state for cheese. 
• Dresden: The world’s largest basket is cool but also weird. 

Oklahoma

• Route 66 Museum: Route 66 is a fun drive but doesn’t require a museum.
• The Blue Whale: Some say too many people stop to grab a picture of a whale statue. 
• Eskimo Joe’s: Locals call it the most overrated restaurant in Oklahoma. 

Oregon

• Prehistoric Gardens: Great for fans of dinosaurs and Jurassic Park, but that’s about it.  
• The Oregon Vortex: Yet another weird roadside attraction that’s just a cheap trick. 
• Peterson Rock Garden: Too small and not worth the admission. 

Pennsylvania

• Betsy Ross House: Still no official documentation proving this is where Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. 
• Haines Shoe House: It’s the story of the old lady who lived in a shoe, but a real home. 
• Rocky Statue: Too many fake “staff” members try to get you to pay for a picture. 

Rhode Island

• Mysterious Viking Tower: It’s a definite mystery who built this site, but it’s still just a small rock tower. 
• Newport Cliff Walk: Locals say to skip the cliff walk and visit Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge. 
• Mohegan Bluffs: Skip the painful Mohegan Bluff stairs and try Whale Rock Trail. 

South Carolina

• South of the Border: Between the border of North and South Carolina, it’s a shameless tourist trap. 
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not!: There is no reason to stop at any Ripley’s location anymore. 
• Broadway at the Beach: An overcrowded location with chain restaurants and no character. 

South Dakota

• Wall Drug: This is a tourist trap passing itself off as a shopping center. 
• Crazy Horse Memorial: Visitors complain you can see everything from the road. 
• Corn Palace: No pun intended, but it’s the corniest place many TripAdvisor reviews have recently visited. 

Tennessee

• Hard Rock Cafe: There is far too much to do in Nashville to stop at a generic Hard Rock Cafe. 
• Gatlinburg: Gatlinburg is enjoying a surge of visitors for the moment, which means prices have skyrocketed. 
• Nashville Murals: You’ll stand in line for hours for a few photos. 

Texas

• Big Texan Restaurant: Texas overload in a state full of incredible places to eat big steaks and BBQ. 
• San Antonio RiverWalk: There is a big divide between this location being the biggest tourist trap and an outstanding photo opportunity. 
• Santa’s Wonderland: Unless you are nearby, don’t go out of your way as it’s not aging well. 

Utah

• Moqui Cave: Tripadvisor reviews easily peg this “ancient” museum as a tourist trap. 
• Hole ‘N The Rock: This is just a 14-room home built in 1945, into the side of a rock.
• Metaphor – Tree of Utah: It’s a 90-foot tree on the side of a highway, that’s all you need to know. 

Vermont

• Museum of Everyday Life: This is weird Vermont at its best.
• Shelburne Farms: Another popular tourist destination that now charges for everything. 
• Rock of Ages: A unique destination heavily geared toward the gift shop. 

Virginia

• Virginia Beach Boardwalk: Yet another overpriced boardwalk that caters to tourists with trinket shops. 
• Dinosaur Land: The gift shop is the best part of this attraction. 
• Natural Bridge: Long considered one of the most overrated tourist stops in Virginia. 

Washington

• Gum Wall: It’s a wall of gum on a wall that nobody ever needs to see. 
• Original Starbucks: The lines here are insane.
• Fremont Troll: A photo-op of a troll sculpture, you can definitely take a pass.

West Virginia

• The Congressional Bunker: An overrated and expensive way to see how politicians would have enjoyed doomsday. 
• Mothman Museum: It’s a museum about a mythical creature that you have to pay for.
• Mystery Hole: Another shameless illusion-focused tourist trap according to TripAdvisor. 

Wisconsin

• Mars Cheese Castle: Out of all of the places you can get cheese in Wisconsin, don’t make this your first stop. 
• Top Secret: The fun exterior hides the super disappointing interior of this upside-down tourist trap. 
• House on the Rock: Most visitors agree with one TripAdvisor review that says only 15% of this visit is worth it. 

Wyoming

• Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport: Nothing taking off from this location has ever gone to space. 
• Wyoming Dinosaur Center: For the admission price, this location should take longer than an hour. 
• Devils Tower Trading Post: Devils Tower is incredible but the gift shop is a money grab. 

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