What does the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar in Montana have to draw visitors and tourists? Fifty thousand silver dollars on the walls. It’s not only a bar but a huge gift shop as well – mostly gift shop, even. It also has one of the largest coin collections in the United States.
It’s also an inn that boasts plenty of RV parking, there are corrals for horses, and it even has a casino. It’s not all that exciting unless you’re stopping by for a meal, and you may end up adding your own money to the wall.
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.
Locals Love it. Tourists, Not So Much
This tourist attraction in New Hampshire is a little bit unique – tourists find it lackluster, but locals enjoy Clark's Trading Post, mostly for nostalgic purposes. They've been living with (and near) this attraction all their lives, so visiting is just part of living their life.
The trading post includes a steam train, bumper boats, Segways, and even trained bears. The problem is that trained animals don't have the draw they once did, and the other attractions are just modes of transportation. Tourists might want to stay away (unless you really love Segways) and leave this spot for the locals.
Blow This Spot Off
Located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, “The Blowing Rock” is a lovely rock formation looking over a stunning vista. What could be wrong with it? It's a dangerous tourist trap – you're charged $10 per person to enjoy this view.
There's nothing else to interact with, and the most egregious part is the exact same view is available for free from nearby parks. It's certainly a beautiful view and will no doubt spruce up your Instagram account, but is it worth shelling out a sawbuck for something you can get for free elsewhere? Look past this rock.