Here Are the Most Overrated Tourist Spots in the US

Plus, 10 underrated gems, courtesy of HawaiianIslands.com
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 5, 2022 11:30 AM CDT
Here Are the Most Overrated Tourist Spots in the US
In this May 25, 2019, file photo, a lifeguard stands watch near the Krakatau volcano, the centerpiece water attraction at Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay, in Orlando, Fla.   (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP, FIle)

Looking to book your next getaway and take in the sights? If you've ever been disappointed during past visits to American tourist magnets, you might want to check out HawaiianIsland.com's list. The site analyzed upward of 17,000 Tripadvisor reviews for destinations in all 50 states, searching for the specific labels "overrated" and "underrated." Universal Orlando's Volcano Bay water park in Florida turned up as the most overrated US tourist spot, with nearly 40 out of 1,000 reviews claiming an "overrated" marker, while DC's Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens was the biggest hidden gem, with 83 out of 1,000 reviews gushing it was an "underrated" destination. Check out how other spots fared in the rankings:

Most Overrated

  1. Universal's Volcano Bay (Orlando, Fla.)
  2. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York)
  3. Crazy Horse Memorial (Crazy Horse, SD)
  4. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (Santa Fe, NM)
  5. Salem Witch Museum (Salem, Mass.)
  6. Magnolia Market (Waco, Texas)
  7. Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park (Wisconsin Dells, Wis.)
  8. Grand Canyon Skywalk (Hualapai Indian Reservation, Ariz.)
  9. SeaWorld (San Antonio)
  10. Legoland Florida Resort (Winter Haven, Fla.)

Most Underrated

  1. Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens (Washington, DC)
  2. National Postal Museum (Washington, DC)
  3. Richard H. Driehaus Museum (Chicago)
  4. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
  5. Grounds for Sculpture (Hamilton, NJ)
  6. Morgan Library & Museum (New York)
  7. Green-Wood Cemetery (Brooklyn, NY)
  8. Japanese Tea Garden (San Antonio)
  9. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (Medora, ND)
  10. Fort Point National Historic Site (San Francisco)
HawaiianIsland.com's complete list here. (More tourist sites stories.)

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