Skip to main content

The worst tourist trap in every U.S. state, according to new data

How many have you been to?

By Amanda Teague Jul 19, 2025 4:00 AM

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco — Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco randy andy / Shutterstock

If you’ve ever walked away from a popular attraction wondering if it was worth the hype (or the price), you’re not alone. New research from Nomad eSIM has crunched the numbers on TripAdvisor reviews to uncover the worst tourist traps in every U.S. state based on how many times visitors actually used the phrase “tourist trap.”

Topping the national list with 1,000 mentions each are Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California, and Wall Drug in South Dakota, two iconic stops that draw millions but leave many feeling duped. Despite their popularity, both are now officially ranked the most disappointing tourist traps in America (and the world).

Recommended Videos

Wall Drug, a roadside attraction that began as a humble pharmacy in 1931, has built a reputation on free ice water, 5-cent coffee, and over-the-top Western kitsch, including an 80-foot dinosaur and a giant jackalope. Meanwhile, Fisherman’s Wharf lures visitors with sea lions, seafood, and souvenir shops, but some reviewers call it “dirty, run down and overcrowded.”

The study also looked at the priciest tourist traps globally, and Tennessee’s Graceland took the crown, charging $84 for entry, with 206 reviewers branding it a tourist trap. Biltmore Estate in North Carolina wasn’t far behind, with 99 mentions and a steep $130 ticket.

The worst tourist trap in every state

Alabama: Point Mallard Water Park
Alaska: Goldbelt Tram
Arizona: Grand Canyon Skywalk
Arkansas: Ka Do Ha Indian Village
California: Fisherman’s Wharf
Colorado: Royal Gorge Bridge & Park
Connecticut: Olde Mistick Village
Delaware: Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk
Florida: Duval Street
Georgia: Historic River Street
Hawaii: Dole Plantation
Idaho: Yellowstone Bear World
Illinois: Navy Pier
Indiana: Motor Speedway Museum
Iowa: Antique Archeology
Kansas: Boot Hill Museum
Kentucky: Louisville Mega Cavern
Louisiana: Bourbon Street
Maine: Perkins Cove
Maryland: Ocean City Boardwalk
Massachusetts: Salem Witch Museum
Michigan: Mystery Spot
Minnesota: Mall of America
Mississippi: Elvis Presley Birthplace
Missouri: Titanic Museum
Montana: Montana Vortex and House of Mystery
Nebraska: Fort Cody Trading Post
Nevada: Fremont Street
New Hampshire: America’s Stonehenge
New Jersey: Atlantic City Boardwalk
New Mexico: McGinn’s PistachioLand
New York: Times Square
North Carolina: Biltmore Estate
North Dakota: Enchanted Highway
Ohio: House From a Christmas Story
Oklahoma: National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum
Oregon: The Oregon Vortex House of Mystery
Pennsylvania: Pat’s King of Steaks
Rhode Island: Thames Street
South Carolina: Hyman’s Seafood
South Dakota: Wall Drug
Tennessee: Graceland
Texas: The Alamo
Utah: Four Corners Monument
Vermont: Ben and Jerry’s Factory
Virginia: Virginia Beach Boardwalk
Washington: Pike Place Market
West Virginia: Tamarack Marketplace
Wisconsin: Mars Cheese Castle
Wyoming: Devils Tower National Monument

Amanda, an accomplished freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio, is a dedicated explorer of both the world and the written word… Read Full Bio

Topics

Destinations

Carl Friedrik and Williams F1 launch limited-edition luxury travel collection

Carl Friedrik

Shopping for the frequent flyer, motorsport enthusiast, or person who seems to have everything? Holiday gift-giving is never easy—especially for the person who already seems to have more than they want or need. Luckily, Carl Friedrik has us covered this year with the launch of its limited-edition collaboration with Williams Racing, which brings together luxury travel essentials and racing heritage for a gift that’s anything but ordinary.

Inspired by Williams’ racing heritage and F1’s 1990s golden era, the new Grove Collection brings a vintage, motorsport twist to travel pieces that people use every day. Fronted by 1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill, this collection features rich chestnut leather, vintage-inspired racing stripes, and Williams’ signature “Forward W” logo, making each piece a standout gift for travelers who appreciate thoughtful design and a little racing history.

The Art of Doing Nothing in Kyoto

the art of doing nothing in kyoto hanami street

My first trip to Kyoto was an exhausting three-day bender. I rose at 5 a.m. to see the sunrise from Fushimi Inari, spent a small fortune Ubering between temples, and probably snapped a terabyte’s worth of photos of geiko, monks, and monkeys. I departed the ancient city with the nagging feeling that I had simultaneously seen everything and nothing—a regret akin to rushing through a magnificent dinner.

When I returned this past summer with my girlfriend, I kept in mind Kipling’s advice to the traveler: “The first condition for understanding a new country is to smell it.” With the UNESCO sites safely ticked off, I wanted to savor Kyoto slowly. Mornings in coffee shops with a book. Afternoon strolls through Gion to admire art, watches, and antiques. Dinners at out-of-the-way izakaya, perhaps followed by nightcaps at bars recommended by waiters. Like a Heian roué, I would lounge, loiter, and lollygag my way through Kyoto.

Canyon de Chelly: A Beautiful Place With a Powerful and Tragic History

Peter Horan

From the rim of Canyon de Chelly, the view is almost impossibly beautiful. Sheer red sandstone walls plunge hundreds of feet toward a green ribbon of cottonwood trees and cultivated fields. Ancient stone dwellings cling to narrow ledges high above the canyon floor. It’s the sort of landscape that makes you reach for your camera before you’ve even begun to understand what you’re looking at.

But Canyon de Chelly is much more than another spectacular Southwestern landscape. People have lived here for nearly 5,000 years, and unlike most of the great archaeological sites of the Southwest, this is still a place where families live, farm, and maintain deep connections to their ancestral homeland. It’s also the setting for one of the most tragic chapters in American history.