Plenty of states have one of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museums. They can certainly be interesting, with lots of fun facts and knowledge to absorb. However, the museum in Baltimore might be one to skip. Not because it’s bad, but because there’s so much more to do in Baltimore.
Baltimore brims with astonishing attractions, like helicopter tours, fabulous restaurants, places of historical importance, and plenty of other museums that have lots more to offer. It overflows with art and culture, and sure, maybe you want to go see a Ripley museum…it just shouldn’t be at the top of your list.
Not Exactly the Best Creation
Noah's Ark may have preserved animal life, but the Kentucky Ark Encounter and Creation Museum certainly isn't preserving anybody's funds. While the structure itself is imposing – built like the ark itself, running 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet tall – it costs a staggering $50 per person to get in.
And inside is nothing special. It has a zoo that takes a few hours to walk through but get this: the animals are fakes. They're statues and facsimiles. With these things in mind, you're going to be better off going to a real zoo, which has real animals and doesn't cost you fifty real dollars for every person who wants to get in.
Desert This Attraction
You're sure to know what a desert is – rolling waves of sand, harsh winds, a burning sun. That's true for the most part, but The Desert of Maine is none of that. It has sand, yes, but it's also surrounded by pine trees.
It doesn't even have real camels, but plastic ones instead. It's meant to attract attention (“What? There's a desert in Maine?”) and sell kitschy souvenirs, but it's clear to anyone who is there for more than a half-hour that there isn't anything much of interest here. If you want sand, go to the beach. At least those also have water.
It's Mysterious Why Anyone Bothers
If you're driving through California you might start seeing billboard after billboard for something called “Mystery Spot.” This spot does have plenty of attractions: a zipline, a huge maze, and even some mini-golf, but in the back of your head you'll always be thinking “What's the mystery?”
The “Mystery” is a bunch of little more than visual tricks, designed to make people think gravity isn't working correctly. Kids might find it interesting, but if you've had a few decades on earth, it won't exactly leave you mystified.
There's Plenty of Waste Here – Wasted Time
The Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum in Missouri is a huge mound of rocks, covering up TNT, asbestos, mercury, radium, and radioactive uranium. It used to be one of the country's largest explosives factories, and later it turned into a uranium-ore processing plant.
It shuttered in 1966, and after two decades the US Department of Energy covered it with rocks and added a museum. You can take a walk and learn some history, but other than that you'll probably find yourself wondering why you bothered to visit.