Worst tourist trap in Washington State is found in Seattle

Ahh, the dreaded Tourist Trap.

Every state and major city as them.

Some towns even build one just to have a reason to visit. Smaller towns known for something. Maybe they have an eclectic shop that features the remains of Jake: The Alligator Man (found in Long Beach, WA) a world record for smallest park (like in Portland, OR).

The art of a tourist trap is to bring in people, preferably families our groups, for everyone to spend a few dollars to witness something only to discover there's more reason to spend more money with bumper stickers, t-shirts, keychains, photo opportunities... anything to get you to open your wallet again and again.

If you can show up optimistically and leave with nothing more than a few cheap trinkets and some memories of the thing you saw, congratulations, you just survived a tourist trap.

monkeybusinessimages

Cheapism listed the worst tourist trap in every state and the one they listed for Washington State wasn't what I thought it would be.

What's the biggest tourist trap in Washington State?

Believe it or not, it's not the Space Needle or even Pike Place Market, but they list it as Seattle Children's Museum.

Cheapism said this about the Seattle Children's Museum:

Visitor reviews of Seattle Children's Museum, along with local media, say the exhibits are far from innovative, many of the toys are similar to what's at home, and exhibits are poorly maintained. For children older than 4, it could easily be deemed a tad boring and not worth the cost of admission, which is $14 for adults and children.

I suppose I could see it that way. Sure, the Space Needle has you enter and exit through the gift shop and you have to pay to take the elevator to the top, but it is a pretty neat experience.

And if you visit Pike Place Market nobody is forcing you to buy anything. You can enjoy just walking around and window shop.

When you hit up these tourist spots, just be safe with your money.

BEAUTIFUL: These Are the Best Scenic Drives in Washington

It's time to hit the road—Stacker compiled a list of the best scenic drives in Washington using data from Tripadvisor as of March 2024.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: 50 Washington Innovations

Invention and innovation happen all over the world, all the time - but there's no denying that Washington State has contributed a distinct collection of ideas that have changed the world. Here's a look at over 100 years of innovations created in Washington, as chronicled in part by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton

LOOK: Washington State's 33 Endangered Species

There are endangered species everywhere in the world, but it can be hard to remember that some of them are close to home. Here are Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)'s list of endangered species in the state, as last revised in February 2022.

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton

Counties with the worst droughts in Washington

Washington State is continuing its drought emergency into 2024, citing low snowpack and hot, dry forecasts. Here are the counties most affected by drought, based on data from the U.S. Drought Monitor to identify the counties in Washington with the worst droughts in the week leading up to July 16, 2024.

Note: "Abnormally dry" is not considered to be a drought, but is included as a separate data point.

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton

Categories: Washington State News