Illinois and Missouri have some of the biggest tourist traps in the world, report claims

Matt DiSanto
·4 min read

There’s plenty to do in every town, state and country across the globe, but not every destination is worth the trip.

According to a recent USA Today analysis of more than 23 million Google reviews of global attractions, several “tourist trap” destinations in Illinois and Missouri are among the most overrated and overpriced in the world. In total, USA Today examined reviews from 500 of the most popular tourist attractions in the world across 65 countries.

Here’s what you need to know about the newly appointed group of tourist traps in Illinois and Missouri.

Illinois and Missouri’s top tourist traps

According to USA Today, several stops in Illinois and Missouri stand among the top 100 tourist traps worldwide. However, no destination tops the No. 1-ranked Four Corners Monument landmark at which Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet.

Here’s a look at the rankings and offerings for the “tourist trap” destination in Illinois and Missouri, according to USA Today’s July 2023 analysis:

Navy Pier — This Chicago tourist destination offers shops, restaurants, theaters, attractions and more across a roughly 3,300-foot stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline. According to USA Today, roughly 272 of the pier’s 69,673 Google reviews called it a tourist trap (0.39%), making it the No. 17 tourist trap worldwide as of July 2023.

Titanic Museum — This attraction is the original of two Titanic-themed museums in the U.S., joining another located in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The museum, located in Branson, Mo., offers more than 400 personal and private artifacts on display, plus interactive exhibits and self-guided tours. USA Today’s analysis named it the No. 33 tourist trap worldwide as of July 2023 after receiving roughly 37 “tourist trap” reviews out of 17,354 (0.21%).

Willis Tower Skydeck — Famously featured in popular films like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” this observation deck sits near the top of the Willis Tower, now recognized as the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The Skydeck is known for its glass balcony, which extends roughly 4 feet outside the Willis Tower’s 103rd floor to offer guests a thrilling view of downtown Chicago from roughly 1,353 feet high. The observation deck received 45 “tourist trap” reviews out of 27,275 (0.16%), making it the No. 48 tourist trap worldwide, according to USA Today.

Cloud Gate — Perhaps known simply as “The Bean,” this public sculpture sits in the heart of Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. The stainless steel sculpture, unveiled in 2004, was designed by Indian-born British sculptor Anish Kapoor to reflect its visitors and the surrounding skyline and green space, according to Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism bureau. Nineteen tourist trap reviews out of 26,932 (0.07%) made Cloud Gate the No. 99 tourist trap in the world, USA Today reports.

Here’s an interactive look at USA Today’s full roundup of the top 100 global tourist traps:

Overpriced and overrated attractions in Illinois and Missouri

USA Today’s analysis of Google reviews for tourism destinations also examined trends of overpriced and overrated experiences. A few familiar favorites from Illinois and Missouri again made the cut.

Chicago’s Navy Pier (No. 50) and Willis Tower Skydeck (No. 65), plus Missouri’s Titanic Museum (No. 91), each landed among the top 100 most overpriced tourist attractions in the world, according to USA Today’s analysis. The Field Museum of Natural History, also located in Chicago, appeared on this list as the No. 99 most overpriced tourist destination worldwide.

The third-most overpriced tourist attraction in the world is none other than the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, which is the highest-ranked U.S. destination, according to USA Today. The analysis found aquariums were particularly expensive, as aquariums in South Carolina, Maryland, California and Georgia all fell within the top 50 most overpriced destinations across the globe. Seven of the 25 most overpriced attractions reside in California.

Meanwhile, the Willis Tower Skydeck (No. 30), Cloud Gate (No. 43), Navy Pier (No. 60) and Chicago’s Millenium Park (No. 89) ranked among the top 100 most overrated tourist destinations in the world, according to USA Today’s examination of Google reviews.

No attraction was found to be more overrated than Voodoo Doughnut in Oregon. Other popular U.S.-based destinations near the top of the rankings include the Hollywood Walk of Fame (No. 5), Old Faithful Geyser (No. 10) and Times Square (No. 17).

USA Today compiled its rankings by analyzing roughly 23.2 million Google reviews for more than 500 tourist attractions across six continents and 65 countries. Examinations specifically searched for certain keywords that could indicate negative sentiments, including “tourist trap,” “expensive” and “overrated,” the outlet said in its methodology report. USA Today said positive mentions of such keywords (such as reviews joking about a destination being “a bit of a tourist trap”) were so infrequent that they proved to be statistically insignificant.

The publication began with a list of roughly 1,600 tourist attractions up for consideration before narrowing to a final 500. According to its methodology report, national parks, state parks, lakes, mountains and sports stadiums were not considered. Additional destinations were removed from consideration if their respective review totals were too low. Only reviews written in English were analyzed for the report.