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Travel is a subjective art. While the majority may be disappointed by an attraction or think it is overrated, others may still love it–putting it at the top of their itinerary.
As the world’s third-most famous country for international travelers, the U.S. has an enormous variety of tourist destinations.
But if online reviews are anything to go by, not everyone is a fan of America’s most iconic travel attractions. Some tourist spots are worth the ticket, and others, seemingly, are not.
Visitors to New York are welcomed by the Statue of Liberty, Washington’s National Mall is the nation’s soul, St. Louis has its Gateway Arch, and the Hollywood sign stands tall over Los Angeles.
Other attractions are hidden jewels. Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic National Park received less than 8 thousand visitors in 2021, yet the National Park Service defines it as “one of the last truly wild places on earth.” Every state has its concealed secret, from Illinois’ ‘world’s largest mailbox’ to Hawaii’s Lanai cat sanctuary.
But if online reviews are anything to go by, not everyone is a fan of the United States’ most iconic attractions. Some traveler places are worth the ticket, and others, seemingly, are not. One sightseer to the Rockies, considered one of the nation’s most beautiful National Parks, said they left feeling “super unimpressed.”
Choosing the correct destinations is key to getting the most out of your holiday. That’s why the Hawaiian Islands used TripAdvisor’s own reviews to find the most overrated and underrated tourist spots in the United States.
Volcano Bay Water Park at Universal Studios in Orlando (Florida) is the most overrated attraction in the United States. 39 reviews out of every 1,000 are disappointed by their experience.
8 of the 20 most overrated tourist spots are theme parks, including Sea World in San Antonio (Texas) and both of America’s LEGOLAND parks–Winter Haven (Florida) and Carlsbad (California) primarily located in the most visited states in the United States.
7 of the 20 most underrated places are museums, including the Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC. It is the country’s most underrated sightseer spot, with 83 ‘underrated’ mentions in every 1,000 reviews.
Methodology
HawaiianIslands.com searched Tripadvisor using four keywords (“overrated,” “underrated,” “disappointing,” “hidden gem”), setting “United States,” and the U.S. states themselves as the location. The team categorized mentions of “overrated” and “disappointing” as “Overrated Mentions” and “underrated” or “hidden gem” as “Underrated Mentions.”
Eventually, they calculated the percentage of overrated and underrated mentions in all reviews and produced an underrated and overrated score per thousand reviews for each attraction. Then HawaiianIslands.com highlighted the top twenty overrated and underrated United States spots and the most overrated and underrated attraction in every U.S. state.
Most Overrated Tourist Spot By U.S. State
Amusement/theme parks and scenic railroads are the seven states’ most overrated tourist attractions. But another six states count casinos as their most disappointing spot. Despite the trend, Nevada’s most overrated is not a casino. CSI: The Experience is Las Vegas’s “interactive, hands-on, crime-solving” day out, but TripAdvisor reviewers were disappointed by the lack of realism and the ease of cracking the case.
The Top 20 the Most Underrated Tourist Spots in the United States
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is a diamond among gems. Some 83.2 out of 1,000 reviewers have tagged it ‘underrated’ – a significantly higher rate than any other American tourist spot.
The “majestic” estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, once the country’s wealthiest woman, is studded with antique Russian and French decorative art, including Faberge eggs and a dressing chair used by Marie Antoinette.
Most Underrated Tourist Spot By U.S. State
Who knew old art could be a great day out? The most underrated attraction in 12 states is an art museum. Indigenous, ancient, and marine art are among the genres that tourists were surprised to enjoy.
Historic sites, history museums, and specialty museums are the most underrated tourist spot in five U.S. states each. The ancient Spitting Cave of Portlock is Hawaii’s. It still has the gusto to ‘spit’ waves up to 20 feet from its entrance.
The Top 20 the Most Underrated Tourist Spots in the United States
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is a diamond among gems. Some 83.2 out of 1,000 reviewers have tagged it ‘underrated’ – a significantly higher rate than any other U.S. tourist spot.
The “majestic” estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, once the country’s wealthiest woman, is studded with antique Russian and French decorative art, including Faberge eggs and a dressing chair used by Marie Antoinette.
