The most disappointing tourist attractions

[Danny-Boy]

In your humble. For me an incredible feat of engineering.

Mount Rushmore - travelled miles into the middle of South Dakota to check out the 'North By Northwest' location only to find the figureheads were about the size of my testicles. The film lied to me, lied dammit!!!

In that case Blackpool Tower must be pathetic. It's smaller than the Eiffel, n'est-ce pas?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Trevi Fountain - the muddy one on the Steine in Brighton could give it a run for its money.

 

[Jerryatric]

Stonehenge.

It bored me when I was a kid. It bored me when I took my kids. I won't bother taking the grandkids.

 

[Barrow Boy]

Bayeux Tapestry, saw it on a school trip to France, looked like it had been done on old sacks by a bunch of 10 year olds.

 

[Danny-Boy]

Rainbows End.

Went once. Loved it.

Went back. Saw a rat in among the crazy golf.

Thre's a joke there somewhere but I can't think of it. Roland ...no that's not it.

 

[The Spanish]

Newhaven Fort

Newhaven Fort is f***ing excellent. I am serious.


Crap attractions

Mount Rushmore was underwhelming in the flesh.

The little mermaid. Mind you in fairness it does not claim to be anything special. Plus they have lent it to the chinese and there is a video link of it being gawped at in Shanghai, on a TV screen where it should be. Very odd.

 

[Nibble]

I too think Newhaven fort is cracking, especially if you head there when there is an event on, the Christmas fair with the carol singers there is a great afternoon out, view from the gunner points, tunnels, yeah I like it there.

 

[bhaexpress]

I always thought Buckingham Palace wasn't all that and The Victory, not the ship but the fact it's in Portsmouth.

 

[Blackadder]

Agree with the mermaid in Copenhagen. Went to a Denmark V England EON's ago. Whilst the majority of our coach went on the lash, visited porno cinemas etc, a few of us thought we would do the cultured thing take a look at the Mermaid.

We walked for bloody miles and it was tiny!!

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Mannequin Pis


And....?

 

[MattBackHome]

The Mona Lisa is admittedly very disappointing, but is saved by the fact that you can nip round the corner and stare at a Caravaggio – the Ronnie O’Sullivan of the Baroque.

I’ve always found Drusillas hugely underwhelming. Loads of very small animals trying to avoid the rain.

I liked Black Gang Chine (sp?) though – you can’t beat a massive plastic 20ft Tyrannosaurus when you’re seven years old.

 

[MattBackHome]

Statue of Liberty

I agree with this - totally upstaged by Ellis Island.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Stonehenge is a bit shit purely because it's all so badly managed, or at least it was the last time I was there (about ten years ago).

It's a world famous monument, and if it was in America would have some fantastic visitor centre, with information and educational exhibits, as well as the pre-requisite gift shop and restaurant etc. As it is, it was surrounded by an ugly green fence to keep the hippies out, and the "visitors centre" is a hideous green portacabin type structure that looked as though it hadn't been updated since the 1970s.

 

[KZNSeagull]

2 SA ones for you:

When my father came over here on holiday about 15 years ago, he dragged my brother and sister-in-law off to visit the site of the Battle of Blood River (as you do). After 5 hours in the car, they got there to find that there was absolutely nothing there other than a river - not even any blood.

About 30 kms down the road from here is the site that Nelson Mandela was captured in 1962. There are rather a lot of tourist signs showing people where this is, but once you get there it is just a lay-by with a wall with a plaque on it saying something like "On this site in 1962, Nelson Mandela was captured". Thanks for that - very informative - what shall we do now then? I have known tourists to drive from Durban (+- 150 kms) to see it.

However, Rourke's Drift and Isandlwana are very good.

 

[Nibble]

Stonehenge is a bit shit purely because it's all so badly managed, or at least it was the last time I was there (about ten years ago).

It's a world famous monument, and if it was in America would have some fantastic visitor centre, with information and educational exhibits, as well as the pre-requisite gift shop and restaurant etc. As it is, it was surrounded by an ugly green fence to keep the hippies out, and the "visitors centre" is a hideous green portacabin type structure that looked as though it hadn't been updated since the 1970s.

They are knocking it down.....to rebuild it 20 metres away (the centre, not stonhenge).

 

[eastlondonseagull]

Las Ramblas in Spain was so underwhelming. Just a street full of dodgy hawkers selling suicidal budgerigars.

.

 

[Gazwag]

Trevi Fountain

The rest of Rome as well

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The White House is a lot smaller than you'd imagine, and surrounded by other buildings. There really isn't a lot to see, or much in the way of decent photo opportunities as there's a big fence in the awy.

But I supposed tourists to London probably imaging they'll be able to see the front door of 10 Downing Street only to find it's stuck up some pokey side road and you can't go near for fear of being slotted by a burly Special Branch operative.

 

[sten_super]

So much of this seems to me to be more about having unrealistic expectations. I am astonished that people are underwhelmed by Stonehenge; of course it's just a collection of f***ing stones, what were they expecting? Similarly, from that Telegraph article, The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The name should act as a clue!

 

[Lady Whistledown]

It's not the Stonehenge itself that's crap, just the surroundings, to be fair.