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Bizarre Tourist Attractions

These crop up in other threads from time to time, but I don't think we've got a dedicated one, so this is a thread for peculiar or just spectacularly disappointing tourist attractions.

To kick off, I'm intrigued by Collectors World (sic), Apparently "A highly popular tourist attraction in Norfolk", featuring the Magical Dickens Experience ("Do you like Dickens?" "I've never been to one", etc), an an old cobblers shop (could they have phrased that better, or are they just being honest?) and the fantastically sinister Personality Rooms - just read the line-up!

What an ace place! Anyone been?

These crop up in other threads from time to time, but I don't think we've got a dedicated one, so this is a thread for peculiar or just spectacularly disappointing tourist attractions.

To kick off, I'm intrigued by Collectors World (sic), Apparently "A highly popular tourist attraction in Norfolk", featuring the Magical Dickens Experience ("Do you like Dickens?" "I've never been to one", etc), an an old cobblers shop (could they have phrased that better, or are they just being honest?) and the fantastically sinister Personality Rooms - just read the line-up!

What an ace place! Anyone been?

Edit - I looked for some reviews online, and the sainted Charlie Brooker mentions it here:


I've just got to go!!

My favourite thing about Liza Goddard was that, in the titles of Give Us A Clue, when she smiled at the camera, the camera always tended to stay on her for a few seconds longer than it seemed she was comfortable with, and her friendly smile usually turned into a panicky rictus with a look of desperation in her eyes.
 
Saudi Arabia is pursuing development of a petroleum-themed 'extreme park' inspired by offshore oil platforms.
Saudi-OilRig-Park-Concept.jpg
Saudi Arabia to launch enormous oil themed 'extreme park'

Saudi Arabia may be trying to reduce its dependency on oil, but that hasn't stopped the Arabic kingdom from using its petroleum industry as inspiration for a brand new tourist attraction.

The Middle Eastern country has announced plans to convert an oil rig into a 150,000 square meter "extreme park" and resort located in the Arabian Gulf.

Funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), The Rig will be comprised of three hotels and 11 restaurants spread over a number of connected platforms, as well as roller coaster rides and adrenaline-rush activities like bungee jumping and skydiving. ...

Described as the "world's first tourism destination inspired by offshore oil platforms," the upcoming attraction is being devised in line with the long-term Saudi Vision 2030's strategy, which aims to reposition Saudi Arabia as a top international tourism destination and diversify its economy. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/saudi-arabia-oil-rig-theme-park/index.html
 
So Farewell, Marble Arch Mound

You lasted all of 6 months

At 6 million

Another world beating success

We will miss you

A lot

E.J. Thribb

View attachment 50387

The light show in the interior looked pretty good!
I would have visited, had I gone to London for any other reason.
A shame it was only designed to be a 6 month installation.
A guess a footfall of a quarter of a million visitors was well below expectations.

This is the best video I could find, showing the exterior and interior experience.

 
The light show in the interior looked pretty good!
I would have visited, had I gone to London for any other reason.
A shame it was only designed to be a 6 month installation.
A guess a footfall of a quarter of a million visitors was well below expectations.

This is the best video I could find, showing the exterior and interior experience.

I had no idea there was this light show inside - it’s the first I’ve heard of it in all the reports I’ve read. This aspect has been kept a bit quiet..
 
I had no idea there was this light show inside - it’s the first I’ve heard of it in all the reports I’ve read. This aspect has been kept a bit quiet..

The problem is that the UK media loves to sneer at such initiatives. I can remember the flack attracted by the Millennium Dome!
Had a similar artificial hill with light display gone up near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, I'm sure we would have praised it and been green with envy.
The Marble Arch Mound was designed to bring in much-needed footfall to an ailing West End and it did, to a degree, but articles in The Sun and elsewhere mercilessly taking the piss, pretty well killed it.
 
The problem is that the UK media loves to sneer at such initiatives. I can remember the flack attracted by the Millennium Dome!
Had a similar artificial hill with light display gone up near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, I'm sure we would have praised it and been green with envy.
The Marble Arch Mound was designed to bring in much-needed footfall to an ailing West End and it did, to a degree, but articles in The Sun and elsewhere mercilessly taking the piss, pretty well killed it.

Killed it like the trees and grass planted on it.
 
The problem is that the UK media loves to sneer at such initiatives. I can remember the flack attracted by the Millennium Dome!
Had a similar artificial hill with light display gone up near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, I'm sure we would have praised it and been green with envy.
The Marble Arch Mound was designed to bring in much-needed footfall to an ailing West End and it did, to a degree, but articles in The Sun and elsewhere mercilessly taking the piss, pretty well killed it.
Naah, let’s be honest - the mound is shit. The light installation looks quite good though.
 
The mound was an embarrassment.

Sorry @blessmycottonsocks but I really doubt that many people made a trip to central London just to climb it.

West End footfall will return when people feel safe to visit.

£6M could have been spent installing and maintaining defibrillators at Underground, Overground, DLR and Tram Stations and Bus Stations in London.
 
I guess the point is that, if the Sun tells me something is crap, I will seek evidence to the contrary, just because I don't like it when the media tells us what to think.
I would not have travelled to London just to visit the MaM but, were I in town anyway, for less than the price of a London pint, I would definitely have added my footfall to the quarter of a million who did.
I suspect most of those taking the piss didn't even visit the MaM.
The reviews on TripAdvisor rated it as everything from 5 stars down to 1, with the average being 3. Most visitors were impressed with the geometric light show.
caption.jpg


https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attra...Reviews-Marble_Arch_Mound-London_England.html
 
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I guess the point is that, if the Sun tells me something is crap, I will seek evidence to the contrary, just because I don't like it when the media tells us what to think.
I would not have travelled to London just to visit the MaM but, were I in town anyway, for less than the price of a London pint, I would definitely have added my footfall to the quarter of a million who did.
I suspect most of those taking the piss didn't even visit the MaM.
The reviews on TripAdvisor rated it as everything from 5 stars down to 1, with the average being 3. Most visitors were impressed with the geometric light show.
View attachment 50540

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attra...Reviews-Marble_Arch_Mound-London_England.html


My view is based on living and working in London for almost all of my life, not what the papers tell me to think.

I think it was crap idea and waste of money.
An eyesore, and an illogical place for a viewpoint,

The light show looks worthwhile though but was not well publicised and could have been done inside any number of existing structures.
 
This park is in my area, and from day one, I really couldn't understand why the park would be created. The city did have the option to tear the bridge down.

Please be aware, that my comments may disturb, as this park does have some disturbing history.

It is built on site of a now defunct railway bridge. St. Thomas calls itself "The Railway City" which is probably why this park came about. My disquiet regarding the site and type (elevated) of park is because the bridge has been a fairly well used site for people who decided to end their lives. The most recent one (to my knowledge) occurred as the park was just about ready to open.

I see that the website does tell you of cameras being in place. This may be to deter vandalism etc. as once the park was opened, the sculptures were vandalized.

I have walked across it and it is quite windy. It's not really one that kids might play in. It does have a hiking trail that continues into the countryside the bridge spans and people walk and bike across. But I can't think how someone who has lost a family member on this bridge might feel about it being a park.

https://www.elevatedpark.ca/

Edited to add: This is also near the town's memorial to Jumbo - Barnum's elephant which was hit and killed by a train on a railway in St. Thomas. :omg: All true
 
Despite the petition and over a quarter of a million visitors, including a posse of "superfans" who have enjoyed the MaM multiple times, demolition starts today (18th Jan) and should take around 3 months.
A few free shrubs to be given away if you're in the area!
 
San Francisco now has a "Doom Loop Walking Tour" for tourists that showcases how the city has declined

You know what they say, "If you got it, flaunt it," and San Francisco has lots of urban decay.

From drugs to prostitution to mass theft to murder in broad daylight, San Francisco has become famous for its moral and physical decline, so why not capitalize on that fame?

1200x0.jpg


Now, for just $30, you can sign up for a walking tour of San Francisco's Doom Loop.

Your tour guide will be a San Francisco native billed as a political junkie & opinionated loudmouth, but he's also apparently a sitting city commissioner who has decided to pull back the curtain.

https://notthebee.com/article/san-f...ts-showcasing-the-leftist-citys-urban-decline

maximus otter
 
San Francisco now has a "Doom Loop Walking Tour" for tourists that showcases how the city has declined

You know what they say, "If you got it, flaunt it," and San Francisco has lots of urban decay.

From drugs to prostitution to mass theft to murder in broad daylight, San Francisco has become famous for its moral and physical decline, so why not capitalize on that fame?

1200x0.jpg


Now, for just $30, you can sign up for a walking tour of San Francisco's Doom Loop.

Your tour guide will be a San Francisco native billed as a political junkie & opinionated loudmouth, but he's also apparently a sitting city commissioner who has decided to pull back the curtain.

https://notthebee.com/article/san-f...ts-showcasing-the-leftist-citys-urban-decline

maximus otter
So much for the San Fransisco of Armistead Maupin....
 
So much for the San Fransisco of Armistead Maupin....

It's not even the San Francisco of 'The Streets of San Francisco' anymore.
I've only been there once, a long time ago, but thought it was a beautiful city. Conversely, it's also the only place I've ever seen someone shot in broad daylight (police shooting a man running from a nightclub on the opposite side of the street).
 
San Francisco now has a "Doom Loop Walking Tour" for tourists that showcases how the city has declined

You know what they say, "If you got it, flaunt it," and San Francisco has lots of urban decay.

From drugs to prostitution to mass theft to murder in broad daylight, San Francisco has become famous for its moral and physical decline, so why not capitalize on that fame?

1200x0.jpg


Now, for just $30, you can sign up for a walking tour of San Francisco's Doom Loop.

Your tour guide will be a San Francisco native billed as a political junkie & opinionated loudmouth, but he's also apparently a sitting city commissioner who has decided to pull back the curtain.

https://notthebee.com/article/san-f...ts-showcasing-the-leftist-citys-urban-decline

maximus otter
At least the money is donated to a charity. From the article: Proceeds will be donated to a non-profit that does not actively degrade its community.

This is OT, but is this any different than several cities in Canada, Toronto being the latest, that I've heard, that are considering applying a tourism tax to all amenities touristy to bring in more money to the individual cities because their budgets are falling short of covering needs?
 

NYC tourists seeking authentic experience take late-night rat tours


There is a new rat race in town.

Tourists are flocking to the Big Apple to check out its exploding rat population — and tour guides are tailoring excursions to introduce them to the city’s most beady-eyed natives.

Kenny Bollwerk maps out late-night rat routes near Rockefeller Center and in Flushing and Sunnyside, Queens.

Luke Miller, owner of Real New York Tours, adds a stop to Columbus Park near Chinatown for tourists with a yen for vermin.

“They are like the new celebs in New York City with all the press they are getting,” said Miller.


Such fascination may have begun seven years ago when New York City’s most famous rodent, the Pizza Rat, drew 12 million viewers to an online video of it trekking down subway stairs while dragging a full slice.

https://nypost.com/2023/08/26/nyc-tourists-seeking-authentic-experience-take-rat-tours/

maximus otter
 

Rat hole - Chicago’s hottest new tourist attraction

The ‘rat hole’ is quite literally, as the name suggests, a hole in the shape of a rat.
It’s located on the street on the south side of the 1900 block of West Roscoe Street.

The hole itself isn’t new, with residents saying the imprint has been there for several years.

But the rat hole’s fame has spread rapidly after Winslow Dumaine shared a picture of it on X with the caption: ‘Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago rat hole.’
It’s now been seen more than 4 million times, and the number of people visiting the hole has increased, with some visitors even dropping coins into it.

Local politicians are even getting involved and using the rat hole to promote the city.

Illinois state rep Ann Williams shared a video highlighting some of the highlights within her district, saying: ‘We have so many great bars and restaurants, beautiful neighbourhoods, the iconic Wrigley Field – and of course, the Chicago rat hole.’
1705362988867.png
 

Rat hole - Chicago’s hottest new tourist attraction

The ‘rat hole’ is quite literally, as the name suggests, a hole in the shape of a rat.
It’s located on the street on the south side of the 1900 block of West Roscoe Street.

The hole itself isn’t new, with residents saying the imprint has been there for several years.

But the rat hole’s fame has spread rapidly after Winslow Dumaine shared a picture of it on X with the caption: ‘Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago rat hole.’

View attachment 72952
Wow. I thought my life was boring!
 
How utterly bored some people must be.
Or how desperate some places must be to look for tourist attractions.
 
How utterly bored some people must be.
Or how desperate some places must be to look for tourist attractions.
It's a curiosity. People are often intrigued by oddities like that.

When my children were small I wanted them to see things that were out of the ordinary.
I'd march them miles or take public transport if necessary to observe The Bulldozer That Fell Down A Hole In The Pavement or The Wreckage Of The House That Blew Up After A Gas Leak.

Gave them something to draw at school next day. :chuckle:
 
It's not even the San Francisco of 'The Streets of San Francisco' anymore.
I've only been there once, a long time ago, but thought it was a beautiful city. Conversely, it's also the only place I've ever seen someone shot in broad daylight (police shooting a man running from a nightclub on the opposite side of the street).
After living there briefly in the mid 80's, I also thought it was a beautiful city. It was my ambition to live there one day, I used to dream about it but after learning about what it's become these days (America's answer to Yarmouth apparently), I'm so glad I didn't now.
 
I bet Cromer would love a rat hole of it's own - I can picture the t-shirts.

Rat hole - Chicago’s hottest new tourist attraction

The ‘rat hole’ is quite literally, as the name suggests, a hole in the shape of a rat.
It’s located on the street on the south side of the 1900 block of West Roscoe Street.

The hole itself isn’t new, with residents saying the imprint has been there for several years.

But the rat hole’s fame has spread rapidly after Winslow Dumaine shared a picture of it on X with the caption: ‘Had to make a pilgrimage to the Chicago rat hole.’

View attachment 72952
If I lived there, I'd make a silicone cast of that rat hole, peel it out then make a negative from that back home so I could make loads of replicas to sell to tourists and online.
 
Our town is pleasant but dull - nice but dim?
A majority of tourists are re-living their childhood holidays at the nearby Butlins and so on. The attractions to 'new' tourists are few. It's right by the sea, peaceful, and a great base for scenic walks and so on. Many visitors say it's not changed much; this is because locals hate any form of promotion.
Local news includes the theft of a worker's van (outside our home during the day!) and a perceived increase in YOUTHS hanging around a bus station and gardens.
If a place doesn't change then there's just as much reason as it staying the same. Good change or bad, this too must've been caused by summat. The trick isn't selling a 'pig in a poke' but to encourage change for the better.
 
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