We did the most disappointing: [https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAmerican/comments/13o2yqd/whats\_the\_most\_disappointing\_non\_major\_city/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAmerican/comments/13o2yqd/whats_the_most_disappointing_non_major_city/)

Now, the opposite, what was the most surprisingly good attraction that sounded lame in the US?

28 comments

  1. The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. It’s a spectacularly amazing Zoo. Everyone talks about it constantly, and tells folks who haven’t been that they must go. And once people go, they become converts and try to get others to go.

    I don’t get excited about a lot, I mean, it’s a zoo, right? But that zoo is fantastic.

  3. Mystic Seaport in CT. CT is not known as a tourist state, and the attractions are typically geared toward older people.

    They have preserved sailing vessels including a real whaling ship, a dockyard, boat shows, exhibits, workshops, a children’s museum, classes, events and activities.

    It’s not kitschy at all, which has sometimes been my experience with places that have a Ye Olde Towne vibe (I’ve been to Tombstone, AZ and what a disappointment that was).

    Now, Olde Mistick Village (yes, it’s called that) is a tourist trap right next to I-95. Take a gander at the world’s biggest ball of yarn. No, not really, but you get the idea.

  5. **Alaska** –
    1. Grewingk glacier near Homer , AK
    2. Kenai Lake views near Cooper Landing, AK

    **Arizona** –
    1. Chiricauha National Monument near Wilcox, AZ

    **Arkansas** –
    1. Buffalo National River near Harriet, AR

    **Florida** –
    1. Ichetucknee Springs State Park near Fort White, FL
    2. Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee, FL

    **Illinois** –
    1. Garden of Gods in Shawnee National Forest, IL

    **Missouri** –
    1. National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO

    **Wisconsin** –
    1. Devil’s Lake Park in Baraboo, WI
    2. Apostle Islands Lakeshore in Bayfield, WI

    Edit: Added more places from different states to my initial response.

  6. Just because I’ve driven past this place a thousands of times and never went in… and finally did the other week on a whim and was blown away.

    The Packard Car Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

    50+ antique cars. In an old Packard dealership and you can walk around like it was 1930 all over again. They had the original sales book open for anyone to see who bought every single car there. The guy working let us sit in a car that was off-limits because my son thought it was cool.

    It was just not what I expected.

  7. Little Bighorn Battlefield and the adjacent Custer National Cemetery. My family took a long detour on an already overextended summer road trip to get there, and I was determined to hate it before we entered the parking lot. But something about the place really struck me.

  8. Jamestown NY (about an hour from Buffalo) has a one-two punch of the Lucille Ball museum (it’s her hometown) and the National Comedy Center, hands down the best museum about comedy in all its forms (standup, comics, movies, sitcoms, etc). It’s brand new and so very state-of-the-art and interactive. I could spend all day there.

    (Closeby too is Southern Tier Brewery!)

  9. Maybe the outer beaches of Cape Cod near Provincetown. .

    I really have neglected my state beaches, because I thought they were over loved- just too many people. The traffic going to the cape is a pain, so I sorta skipped it as too crowded. It’s filled with cars from NY, NJ, Canada, and the South.

    I like to be on a on Maine beaches where my family is the only one and we are surrounded by nature and I didn’t think that was possible here. We did a trip for the heck of it and it was amazing.

    We just had to get past the crowds and just keep driving an extra half hour and you can just hike to gorgeous empty beaches where it’s just you and 1000 seals. I camped there at Dunes edge.

    It really was surprising and we’ve been back and will be back again for a week at carnival time in Provincetown this year.

  10. 10,000 Islands in southwest Florida. You’ll need a boat, there are no roads and no towns south of Marco Island. No bridges to any of islands, no houses, no stores, nothing. Paradise to a saltwater redneck like me, it’s what all of Florida looked like to Ponce De Leon.

  11. Years ago, when my family and I were visiting South Florida, we went on an airboat tour in the Everglades. From pictures, I felt it would be “meh”, so I had pretty low expectations. It turned out to be very fun and informative, and being in the environment of alligators and many other species felt pretty immersive too.

  12. There’s probably many more I can think of, but off the top of my head for a place I’ve visited somewhat recently, Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Its a surprisingly huge lake, surrounded by mountains and nice little resort towns along the shore.

  13. Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. I thought it would be a moderately interesting historical site and it turns out to be one of the most beautifully situated small towns I’ve seen on the Eastern Seaboard. Walking on the Appalachian Trail bridge around dusk on a summer’s evening was a truly memorable moment.

    Close second was the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.

  17. Lake Coeur D’Alene. They don’t like me talking about it though. Similarly, New York’s Finger Lakes. Was just riding by and didn’t expect them to be so pretty.

    The Grand Hotel in Big Timber, Montana. My AirBnB host suggested it to me as a cheaper place to stay instead of right outside of Yellowstone. Was a cool Old West place and they made a fresh breakfast every morning that was pretty darn good.

  18. Mt Lassen NP.

    Fun lakes, cool geothermal features, forest, volcanos, and most importantly, light crowds.

  19. Negro Leagues Baseball museum in Kansas City is pretty amazing, even if you’re not a baseball fan. You find out the history of the leagues, and can see game worn uniforms and gloves, bats, etc. from legends like Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron, plus enough gold gloves to outfit a few little league teams. They’ve got a baseball diamond inside with statues of some of the greatest ever to play, and an awesome merch store where you can get MLB quality hats and jerseys from the teams.

  20. The Meteor Crater east of Flagstaff, Arizona. My dad was determined to see it, and I thought it would be a 15 minute stop. We were there close to 2 hours; they have an excellent little museum and seats where you can just sit and stare at the Crater.

    The Museum of Ancient Life south of Salt Lake City. We had just been to the Natural History Museum of Utah and I thought it would be a huge downstep. I was wrong.

  21. San Diego. Point Loma Light House. Spectacular views summer or winter, especially on a clear sunny day.

  22. I thought Graceland would be super cheesy but it was actually quite interesting.

  23. There’s an air museum in Northeast Ohio called MAPS. It’s in what used to be a military hangar. They’ve got all sorts of aircraft, and since COVID they’ve actually restored a whole bunch!

    They recently got an F-16, but my favorite was a gull-winged aircraft, though I can’t remember which one.

    Among all the aircraft they also have mementos belonging to members of the military from both world wars, both sides, which explanations on the purposes and history of each piece of history. I like the art made from artillery and bullet casings.

    Recently I visited and they had volunteers from the civil air patrol to talk about the planes. The relic museum also has civil air patrol relics, as they played a part in WWII.

    If they can find information the museum has a plaque by each aircraft that shows the history, from creation, use, to it showing up at the museum.

    If you look up MAPS Air Museum you should actually be able to go to their website and find a list of all their aircraft, and the status (being renovated, on display, etc). It includes who made it as well, and pictures of before and after for renovated planes.

    I might just be raving about this place because my dad and I had been going yearly until COVID, and we just went back. I have a lot of memories there, and my dad still keeps a picture of me in one of the planes on his phone because at the time you were allowed to get in (aided by steps) he was able to get this picture. I really do love this place. It’s a long trip to get there from where I live but it’s worth it every time.

  24. Philbrook museum in tulsa is breathtaking. Tulsa in general is a pretty underrated city.

  25. **Saratoga Springs**

    I expected something like a larger version of Skenectady, but was blown away by how nice the city was. Saratoga Springs is on par, if not better than Burlington or Ithaca. Really awesome downtown filled with local shops and restaurants. Lots of interesting cultural sites (racetrack, natural springs, spas, opera hall, etc). Also, easy access to to some of the best hiking in the Eastern US.

    I‘be started to call the city “The Asheville of the North.” I have no idea why I never heard how awesome the city is until recently. Maybe the most underrated gem of a city in the Northeast.

    **Runner Up**

    Corning Museum of Glass. Really blew my mind and Corning might be one of the best small towns in America with one of the best local downtown shopping districts I’ve seen for a city of its size.

Leave a Reply
You May Also Like