One Of America's Biggest Tourist Traps Is A Museum On The East Coast That's Not Worth Your Money

If you have traveled overseas, you might already be aware of some of the biggest European tourist traps to avoid. However, this does not only apply to places like Italy, France, and England, but domestically as well, where there are plenty of tourist traps that you should probably not spend a dime on.

For example, in 2024, USA Today named the Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts as one of the top 100 biggest tourist traps, not only in the United States but worldwide. In fact, the museum ranked No. 2 on the list for the bottom of the barrel — with only the Four Corners Monument (where Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico all touch) ranking ahead of it. While it might seem like a historical, and even spooky, venture to take the whole family to, there are a plenty of reasons why the Salem Witch Museum is a tourist trap that is best skipped on any itinerary.

The cost of entry to the museum is not too expensive, if you are a solo traveler. According to the Salem Witch Museum's website, one adult ticket is $19, while seniors who are 62 years or older are $17.50, and children between six and 14 cost $16. Still, if a family of five — with two parents, two children, and one grandparent — wants to step inside the museum, it would cost them $87.50, not including the price of transportation to get there or parking.

According to TripAdvisor reviews, the Salem Witch Museum boasts just a 3.1 out of 5, with many of the comments stating that its not worth visiting due to the combination of lackluster puppetry and the overly serious tone of the exhibits — with one reviewer calling it Chuck E. Cheese with witches. Like many disappointing tourist traps around the world, you do not need to spend your hard earned money on a lackluster experience.

Money is tight these days and you do not want to waste any of it, especially when you are on vacation. If you have already created a budget to factor in the cost of travel, lodging, food, and transportation, then it's time to start putting together an itinerary of what you want to see and do in your destination, as well as how much money you are willing to spend.

One of the best ways to check out what other travelers have said about where you might want to go is on travel sites like TripAdvisor or Travelocity – which even has an "Inspiration" section if you do not know where to start as well as a blog highlighting lesser known attractions to check out around the world. Online reviews can also be helpful. However, if you have friends and family who have previously gone to your destination, they can offer useful pros and cons. They might advise you to save your money on destinations like The Salem Witch Museum, or to spend every penny on an expensive safari excursion In East Africa.