Garden of the Gods, a park in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with beautiful rock formations, is one of … (+)
Travel guides and lists are often filled with clichés that promise to take you off the beaten path or uncover hidden gems. Over the past year, this has been especially true with the rise of the travel dupe trend, which is the idea that instead of vacationing in a popular location, you can seek out an alternative destination that has a similar vibe or scenery. But the fact is, many tourist attractions are popular for a reason: they're awesome. And to help quantify the best of the best, Book Retreatsa leader in retirement bookings, used data sets to compile a list of the top U.S. tourist attractions.
For the report, analysts evaluated 77 of America's most popular points of interest, assessing popularity, overall experience from a data set that included 7,500 visitor experiences, hotel prices and state-level safety rankings.
Here's more information on the results and a list of the top 20 tourist attractions in the United States, which, yes, draw millions of tourists, but are also worth adding to your travel bucket list.
What is the number 1 tourist spot in the United States?
Central Park is ranked as the No. 1 tourist attraction in the United States, according to … (+)
According to the ranking, the top tourist attraction in the United States is Central Park in New York, with visitors agreeing that the park is worth a visit.
“Surrounded by towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, this 843-acre green haven offers a refreshing escape from city life that visitors love,” the report said.
According to the report, Central Park attracts 42 million visitors each year. Central Park Conservatory. Even if you haven't had a chance to visit the park yet, you've probably seen it in theaters. It's been featured in more than 240 films, including “When Harry Met Sally,” “Home Alone 2,” “Elf,” “Breakfast at Tiffany's” and “Ghostbusters.”
Central Park is also famous because its design, led by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, inspired other urban parks across the country.
In addition to Central Park's well-known features, such as the carousel, ice rink and zoo, visitors can rent a boat to take a ride on the lake, go on a bird-watching tour or even take chess lessons.
Which US state has the best tourist attractions?
Niagara Falls, including the American Falls in the foreground and the Horseshoe Falls in the background, with autumn … (+)
New York City dominates this new ranking of the best tourist attractions in the United States. Most of the attractions are in the Big Apple, including Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Brooklyn Bridge and the 85-acre park that adjoins it. But Niagara Falls in western New York State also comes in at number seven.
What do the main tourist destinations have in common?
San Diego's Balboa Park is home to a world-class collection of museums.
According to BookRetreats, several of the top 20 places to visit in the United States are natural attractions. Indeed, analysts say, stunning landscapes have a way of meeting or exceeding tourists' expectations.
At 1,200 acres, San Diego's Balboa Park is larger than New York's Central Park. Visitors can purchase a Balboa Park Explorer Pass and visit a number of fantastic museums in the park, discovering folk art at the Mingei International Museum and the San Diego Museum of Natural History, which will open a new fossil processing lab with a glass wall so visitors can watch scientists in action.
Another nature-centric highlight on this list is the Garden of the Gods, a park with towering red rock formations in Colorado. Stay at Garden of the Gods Resort and Club for a close-up view of one of the park's most popular rock formations, the Kissing Camels.
Zion National Park in Utah was the only national park on the list of top tourist attractions in the … (+)
Zion National Park in Utah is the only national park to make the top 20. Hiking The Narrows, a slot canyon, or the perilous Angels Landing Trail top the bucket lists of adventurous travelers.
What are the top 20 tourist attractions in the United States?
Below are the top tourist attractions, according to BookRetreats' analysis.
#1: Central Park in New York City, New York State
No. 2: National Mall in Washington, DC
#3: Balboa Park in San Diego, California
No. 4: Smithsonian National History Museum in Washington, DC
#5: Times Square in New York City, New York State
#6: Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York State
#7: Niagara Falls in Buffalo, New York
#8: Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California
#9: Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida
#10: Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, New York State
No. 11: Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada
#12: The Highline in New York City, New York State
#13: The Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, Nevada
#14: Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 15: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York
#16: Zion National Park in Utah
#17: San Antonio RiverWalk in San Antonio, Texas
#18: ICON Park in Orlando, Florida
#19: The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
#20: Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, New York State
