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Tourist Trap

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Watch Tourist Trap with a subscription on Prime Video.

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David Schmoeller

Chuck Connors

Mr. Slausen

Jocelyn Jones

Jon Van Ness

Robin Sherwood

Tanya Roberts

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Tourist Trap (film)

1979 american supernatural slasher film by david schmoeller / from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, dear wikiwand ai, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:.

Can you list the top facts and stats about Tourist Trap (film)?

Summarize this article for a 10 year old

Tourist Trap (originally released in the UK as Nightmare of Terror ) is a 1979 American supernatural slasher film directed by David Schmoeller and starring Chuck Connors , Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness, Robin Sherwood , and Tanya Roberts . The film follows a group of young people who stumble upon a roadside museum run by a lonely eccentric, where an unknown killer with psychokinetic powers begins to murder them. Schmoeller co-wrote the script with J. Larry Carroll who served as producer for the film alongside famous producer/director Charles Band .

• Compass International Pictures

Summary A group of young friends stranded at a secluded roadside museum are stalked by a masked assailant who uses his telekenetic powers to control the attraction's mannequins.

Directed By : David Schmoeller

Written By : J. Larry Carroll, David Schmoeller

Tourist Trap

Where to watch.

Chuck Connors

Mr. slauson, davey, jocelyn jones, jon van ness, robin sherwood.

Tanya Roberts

Keith mcdermott, dawn jeffory, victoria richart, millie dill, albert band, waxwork grandfather, dal mckennon, mask - laugh.

Linnea Quigley

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Tourist trap.

1979 Directed by David Schmoeller

Every year young people disappear.

After their car breaks down, a group of young travelers find themselves stranded at a roadside museum run by the mysterious Mr. Slausen and populated by his collection of supernatural mannequins.

Chuck Connors Jocelyn Jones Jon Van Ness Robin Sherwood Tanya Roberts Dawn Jeffory Keith McDermott Arlecchino Victoria Richart Millie Dill Albert Band Dal McKennon Linnea Quigley

Director Director

David Schmoeller

Producer Producer

J. Larry Carroll

Writers Writers

David Schmoeller J. Larry Carroll

Editor Editor

Ted Nicolaou

Cinematography Cinematography

Nicholas Josef von Sternberg

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Charles Band

Lighting Lighting

Ronald Batzdorff

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Lowell Peterson

Art Direction Art Direction

Robert A. Burns Mary Church

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Amanda J. Flick

Special Effects Special Effects

Richard O. Helmer

Stunts Stunts

Sandra Lee Gimpel

Composer Composer

Pino Donaggio

Sound Sound

David Dockendorf

Makeup Makeup

Charles Band Productions Compass International Pictures

Releases by Date

25 jan 1979, theatrical limited, 14 mar 1979, 16 mar 1979, 12 may 1979, 21 nov 1980, 10 dec 1982, 25 jul 2023, releases by country.

• Premiere Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
• Theatrical limited PG Los Angeles
• Theatrical PG

90 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Ian West ★★★★½ 38

Flexes that late 70’s slasher formula that in a few short years would be perfected for mass consumption via numerous genre icons and directors, Tourist Trap is a strange little picture filled with tons of idiosyncrasies that make it such a special gem in my eyes, plus it also serves as time stamp of grim fandango 70’s horror movies that shaped the genre for every decade since.

First off, the Texas Chain Saw Massacre rip-off is one of my favorite subgebres and while there’s a bit of that here (some might say every movie rips off TCM and my love for that monolith would find it hard for me to disagree with that statement) there’s even more in the production…

Review by Tony the Terror ★★★★ 3

The first movie of The Last Drive-In was the last one I watched because Shudder was having a moment when the stream first started and I couldn’t get it to load. Thankfully, they have added all of the movies with the JBB commentary to the service so we can all enjoy them at any time and that is why they are my favorite streaming service. Also they are a horror service so that’s got a lot to do with me thing they’re the best and I’m sure nobody is surprised there.

This movie is so damn weird and surreal so of course I love it. After watching a million times, the overall impact lessens a bit, but damn there are…

Review by Graham ★★★½ 5

🔪 Broken down car full of 20-something kids 🔪 Gorgeous locales, ripe for skinny-dipping 🔪 Supernatural mannequins 🔪 Maniacal laughing 🔪 Spine tingling soundtrack full of tense strings

Tourist Trap is a great example of an innocent late 70s slasher that's not pretending to be something it's not. While not technically perfect, it is terrific fun with some freakishly fatal moments.

"You're so pretty. It's a shame you have to die."

Weird, surreal, slightly bonkers and heaps of fun, the film is brought alive by Chuck Connors who puts in a fantastic performance as local fearmonger Mr. Slausen.

HORRORx52 challenge by kynky 40. Released by Full Moon

Review by KYK ★★½ 3

it's no house of wax (2005) but i did scream and spill la croix all over myself

Review by Ian West ★★★★½ 2

I love who wholesome Chuck Conors goes ALL IN for this movie!!!!

Review by Dave Taylor ★★★★ 9

I’m going on record saying this is the creepiest movie ever made that was rated ‘PG.’

Essentially a mashup of ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ and Herbie Hancock’s ‘Rockit’ music video.

If you’re a horror fan and you’ve never seen ‘Tourist Trap,’ you need to rectify that shit immediately!

Review by Branson Reese

Always a good call to put your killer in jeans. It’s night for the heroes but for the killer it’s 2pm on a Sunday and he’s running to Home Depot to pick up some mulch for the yard.

Review by aaron ★★ 1

you will never be house of wax (2005) starring paris hilton

Review by WraithApe ★★★½ 8

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

20something teenagers do battle with a telekinetic hick in the Hollywood Hills, having ill-advisedly rocked up at a forgotten tourist spot, Slausen's Lost Oasis. This was a lot weirder than I was expecting. It feels like it should be campier but there's a actually a real mean streak running through it. Mannequins are creepy af at the best of times, let alone when they're shrouded in deep shadow and have a tendency to become animated when you least expect it.

Obvious reference points are Carrie - with the stalker's psychic powers - and Texas Chainsaw Massacre , both for the backwoods setting and the masked antagonist's hulking appearance. The root of all evil though, is Hitchcock, and Psycho in particular. The…

Review by SilentDawn ★★★½ 1

This may lack the filthy, visceral power of something like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre , but this off-road wax museum mood-piece is quite creepy and unsettling. All of the doll/mask imagery and sound work pushes the PG rating to its limits, and Chuck Conners' performance as Mr. Slausen is fucking great.

Review by MushiMinion ★★★★ 1

When you realize the ‘00s  House of Wax remake was secretly a stealth Tourist Trap  reboot.

Review by Joe Lynch ★★★½ 2

One of the weirdest horror movies of the late 70’s that doesn’t get enough love for taking the tropes of the “side of the road” attraction and give it a fresh coat of supernatural that makes for some truly unnerving scenes and some spectacularly creative kills.  You can kinda tell the director was influenced by Bunuel & Jodorowsky, this is just the “Charlie Band” version of those influences made real.  Chuck Connors really went for it!  The Pino Dionaggio score is  This movie is begging for a remake.

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Tourist Trap (1979)

Posted by FilmNerd | Aug 28, 2020 | Cult Films , Full Moon Fridays , Horror , Reviews | 0 |

After earning a Master’s degree from the University of Texas, David Schmoeller got an internship working on 1978’s Capricorn One . Following his internship, Schmoeller was developing a screenplay off of his thesis film The Spider Will Kill You . He wrote the screenplay alongside J. Larry Carroll, and they tried pitching it to Sam Arkoff and Bruce Cohn Curtis. Eventually, they pitched their screenplay to Charles Band, who liked it and agreed to produce, with Schmoeller serving as director. He was given a $300,000 budget, $50,000 of which would go towards a name actor, that actor being Chuck Connors. The rest of the cast consisted of relatively unknown actors, though they helped Schmoeller learn working with actors. The crew included production designer Robert Burns from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Pino Donaggio as the composer. Finally, March of 1979 saw the release of Schmoeller’s directorial debut,  Tourist Trap .

Friends Molly (Jocelyn Jones), Jerry (Jon Van Ness), Eileen (Robin Sherwood), and Becky (Tanya Roberts) are traveling through the desert. Unfortunately, their car breaks down, but fortunately, they get help from Mr. Slausen (Chuck Connors), a tourist trap owner. The four follow him to said tourist trap, a museum full of lifelike wax mannequins, some having mechanical movements. Slausen tells the girls to stay in the museum while he and Jerry go off to fix the truck. Eileen, however, ignores his warning and goes to check out a nearby house, where she runs into a masked killer. When they don’t hear back from them, Becky and Molly decide to go find them, only to find something horrifying. Turns out Slausen’s brother, who built the mannequins, has been in hiding and killing any tourists who come by. But not all is as it seems at the local tourist trap!

Tourist Trap is a very underrated chiller that could be considered a slasher film, releasing one year after  Halloween . Admittedly, its plot is nothing special: young people stranded in a deserted area being stalked by a killer. Not only that, but the film borrows elements from other films, including  Psycho ,  Carrie , and  The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . That being said, this film has plenty to help it stand apart, such as its mood and emphasis on atmosphere. Chuck Connors delivers a phenomenal performance as Mr. Slausen, who seems innocent and charming, but you know there’s something off. The other actors do a serviceable job, Jocelyn Jones, in particular, standing out as our main heroine and final girl. For a first-time director, Schmoeller shows quite a lot of potential here, creating an effectively creepy and unnerving mood throughout. It’s easy to see how he went on to later direct  Puppet Master .

For a PG-rated film,  Tourist Trap is surprisingly disturbing, even with the lack of excessive blood and gore. For instance, there’s a death scene where a woman suffocates from having plaster applied to her face without breathing holes. Also, if you’re freaked out by mannequins, this film will haunt you with all the shots of their blank faces. There are some supernatural elements added in which, while not a detractor from the film, feel somewhat out of place. On the flip side, Donaggio’s score is very unique, at times playful and innocent, and other times haunting and creepy. Even with a 90-minute runtime, the film can be slow at times, but it does work to build up tension. Even with its flaws, it’s a shame this movie is so overlooked as it’s an effectively creepy film deserving recognition. Overall,  Tourist Trap is an effective chiller worthy of its cult status.

Buy  Tourist Trap from Full Moon Direct: https://bit.ly/2EG12PM

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/TouristTrap

Film / Tourist Trap

Edit locked.

Tourist Trap is a 1979 American Slasher Movie starring Chuck Connors and Tanya Roberts . It concerns a group of young adults who are stalked and killed by a mannequin-controlling telekinetic.

It was distributed on VHS by Paramount . In 2012, it was given the RiffTrax treatment.

This film contains examples of:

• Alliterative Title
• Big Bad : Mr. Slausen is the killer.
• Dead All Along : Mr. Slausen's brother, whom we have been lead to believe is the killer for most of the film, was actually murdered by Slausen, the true killer.
• Double-Meaning Title : Referencing the film's kitschy tourist attraction setting and the fact that the tourists are trapped with the killer.
• Downer Ending : While the killer is taken down, the Final Girl is driven completely insane by the film's events, and drives away with the mannequins of her dead friends.
• Evil All Along : While he spends the first two-thirds of the film blaming the killings on his brother, seemingly kindly old man Mr. Slausen is the true killer.
• Final Girl : Molly is the last character standing.
• Fright Deathtrap : The killer kills one victim by covering her face in mannequin plaster, which makes her unable to breathe as it dries, and waits for her heart to burst from fear.
• Hoist by His Own Petard : Molly wouldn't have had access to the ax she uses to kill Mr. Slausen if he didn't sadistically set up an elaborate Hope Spot .
• Hope Spot : Jerry shows up to rescue Molly after Slausen had trapped her, but Slausen re-appears and begins taking Jerry's limbs apart, revealing Jerry had been replaced with a mannequin earlier in the movie.
• Human Resources : The killer makes his mannequins by covering his victims' bodies in plaster.
• Invented Individual : Slausen jokes that Davy Crockett lives in the neighboring house. With The Reveal that Slausen is the killer, it is implied that "Davy" is actually a mannequin.
• It Works Better with Bullets : When Slausen leaves Molly outside while he looks for the killer, the villain confronts her and she shoots him with a shotgun he left her, which turns out to be loaded with blanks. Immediately after, Slausen reveals that he was the killer all along.
• Malevolent Masked Men : The killer wears a Creepy Doll mask.
• Market-Based Title : Released theatrically in Britain (as a Double Feature with Phantasm ) in 1982 as Nightmare Of Terror .
• Mind over Matter : The killer has telekinesis as his weapon.
• Mummies at the Dinner Table : The killer acts like the mannequins he makes from his victims are a very large family, giving them voices via telepathy.
• Murderous Mannequin : The killer likes to torment his victims via his mannequins before killing them.
• My Car Hates Me : Our victim pool are trapped in a Closed Circle by their car breaking down. It's heavily implied that this was telekinetically caused by the killer.
• The Place : The protagonists call Slausen's Lost Oasis a tourist trap.
• Red Herring : Early on, Slausen talks about his brother , who apparently had a knack for creating mannequins and working with mechanical objects. Because the death of Woody involved moving mannequins and flying objects, the audience assumes that the brother is responsible and is residing at a nearby house.
• Replacement Goldfish : After taking down the killer, Final Girl Molly snaps from seeing all her friends killed and is last seen driving down the highway with mannequins of all of them, laughing wildly.
• Sex Slave : The killer decides to make the Final Girl into one of these and keep her forever.
• Skinny Dipping : The only Fanservice in the film is one scene where the entire female cast swims naked in a woodland lake.
• Slashers Prefer Blondes : Played straight with the first onscreen death being a blond guy, but subverted with the blonde Molly who survives while her two brunette friends do not.
• Trashy Tourist Trap : Played for Horror , as the destination is owned by a serial killing psychic.
• Villain Opening Scene : The killer tormenting a guy who wanted to use his phone.
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15 Terrifying Movie Toys That Give Us Nightmares

E very child and former child on Earth has, at some point or another, played with a toy. They've probably done so quite a bit. So what is it about toys that can be so terrifying?

Maybe it's the unmoving plastic faces, whether they be attached to a dolly or a nightmarish Cabbage Patch Doll. Or maybe it's the fact that, when there's one, there are almost always quite a few more. That means the film's protagonists, whether they're adults or children, can be overrun by the things. There are quite a few movies out there featuring creepy, freaky toys, and they're not all voiced by Brad Dourif.

The Dummies in Tourist Trap (1979)

Tourist Trap has become a substantial cult favorite, and given the film's bizarre PG rating it's not surprising it gradually built a large following. The film's ace in the hole is the seemingly-protagonistic but ultimately antagonistic performance from The Rifleman 's Chuck Connors.

Like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , Tourist Trap is a movie that lives and dies on its tone. Every corner seems as though it's hiding the next doll-faced monstrosity. And, if it isn't one of those a-little- too -realistic mannequins, it's some sort of cackling booby trap.

RELATED: How M3GAN Stands Out from Other Scary Dolls in Horror Movies

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The mirror scene is the film's biggest gross-out moment, and it's astonishing how well the practical effects have aged. Then there's the clown, which grabs little Robbie Freeling from behind after hopping on top of his bed (which the audience doesn't see). It's one of the best jump scares from the 1980s, not just because it's legitimately scary, but mostly because it's less gimmicky than most, instead favoring the methodical approach. It's easy to see how the scene has inspired M3GAN producer James Wan, who has cited the film as a direct influence on his killer doll obsession .

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Chucky in Child's Play (1988)

If there's a famous killer toy franchise, it's Child's Play . The brainchild of Don Mancini, Child's Play and it's antagonistic doll Chucky (really serial killer Charles Lee Ray) have gone on to become top-tier icons of horror, but it's interesting to imagine whether that would be the case were the knife-wielding Good Guy doll not voiced by Brad Dourif.

The honest answer is "Not a chance." The strength of Dourif's vocal work in the original film (and all else that's followed, Dourif never gives it less than his all) was enough to make Chucky the stuff of nightmares for many young people (and maybe not so young people as well). Admittedly, the original film's voodoo-heavy plot isn't as interesting as, say, the family dynamic of Child's Play 2 , but Chucky is a ridiculously impressive practical creation. And, for whatever reason, he's never looked quite as intimidating as he did in the original 1988 film (which is also substantially buoyed by terrific leading performances from Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, and young Alex Vincent).

Blade in Puppet Master (1989)

The cash cow that's assuredly helped keep Charles Band's Full Moon Features going, the Puppet Master franchise suffers from awful narratives and worse performances, but benefits from some legitimately creative designs for the evil puppets. This is especially true of Blade, who is almost certainly the biggest horror icon Band ever blessed horror cinema.

There are 14 Puppet Master films, but the only one to really have any recognizable faces is the original (e.g. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 's William "The Bles-sing " Hickey and American Graffiti 's Paul Le Mat. Naturally, with so many films, it's necessary to change the lineup every now and then, and for the most part Puppet Master has, always being careful to replace one interesting antagonist with another. But then there are the staples, most of whom debuted in the original.

Dolly Dearest in Dolly Dearest (1991)

While Dolly Dearest didn't score the best reviews at the time of initial release, it's gone on to become something of a minor cult classic. And, even if just taking the titular antagonist's appearance into account, it's easy to see why.

Like Chucky, Dolly is possessed. But, instead of a serial killer, Dolly houses the spirit of Satan himself. As the film progresses, Dolly's appearance becomes more and more lifelike, and she looks every bit as scary as the red-headed Good Guy. Dolly Dearest also benefits from a great cast, including Pet Sematary 's Denise Crosby and Men in Black 's Rip Torn.

The Evil Residents of Toyland Warehouse in Demonic Toys (1992)

Like Puppet Master , Demonic Toys is one of many low-budget horror films to come from Charles Band's Full Moon Features. Unlike Puppet Master , Demonic Toys did not go on to become a long-lasting franchise that continues to this day. That said, they got a crossover with Tim Thomerson's Dollman .

The plot follows a female cop just after her partner (in more ways than one) is killed by a pair of gun dealers. She wounds them, but they escape into Toyland Warehouse. She follows and, before long, some of the creepiest toys (the film has impressive creature effects for such a low budget) come to life. Admittedly, not much about the movie's increasingly bizarre pregnancy-related plot works, but the movie's good for a few low-rent chills.

Sid's Creepy Playthings in Toy Story (1995)

Some argue that Toy Story 's Sid isn't so much a villain as he is a tragic figure . Fair enough, it's pretty obvious he's a latchkey kid who hasn't seen his parents in (given the state of his domicile) what appears to be months.

All that stewing and building anger was going to go somewhere, and the combination of lighting fireworks and creating monstrous little mechanical hobgoblins was apparently the way to go. But, Sid needs to take into account the fact his toys have caused countless nightmares...though, really, that'd probably produce nothing but a smile.

Pinocchio in Pinocchio's Revenge (1996)

It's a toss-up between which version of Pinocchio is scarier, the one in 1996's offbeat slasher film Pinocchio's Revenge or the one in Disney's live-action 2022 remake of their own original. But the edge goes to the extra-wooden rendition in Pinocchio's Revenge , a sibling film to Child's Play if ever there was one.

Like Child's Play , the movie follows a child and her growing connection to a doll. But this doll has an even bigger name brand attachment than the Good Guy Doll. And, unlike the Good Guy, it doesn't need the spirit of a serial killer planted inside of it to become a sinister little monster. Pinocchio's Revenge is very average, which is understandable given its direct-to-VHS nature, but at the very least it has a whopper of an ending.

The Commandos and Gorgonites in Small Soldiers (1998)

Like Men in Black and Godzilla , there's something distinctly '90s about Gremlins director Joe Dante's Small Soldiers . Sure, that's natural considering it was released during the decade, but there's just something about Small Soldiers that makes it a wonderful timepiece (even if it is hard to ascertain just what age demographic for whom the film was made). Tonally, Dante's film is both pretty in line with his dark sense of humor and scattershot all the same. But, it has to get a lot of credit for the excellent special effects, the genuinely frightening commandos (led by the perfectly-cast Tommy Lee Jones' Chip Hazard), and the creative designs of the heroic Gorgonites.

The film's true ace in the hole is casting. Like Jones, The Naked Gun 's George Kennedy, legendary full back Jim Brown, Ernest Borgnine, western legend Clint Walker, and Bruce Dern all sound like they're members of a particularly vicious posse, which the Commando Elite very much is. The Gorgonites are similarly well-voiced, with comedic actors Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Jim Cummings all providing their unique pitches to the little things' wild noises, while Frank Langella provides the voice of Archer who, unlike his pals, speaks in full concise sentences. Then there's the whose who of '90s icons. Kirsten Dunst, Kevin Dunn, Denis Leary, David Cross, and the late, dearly missed Phil Hartman all contribute in-person performances.

RELATED: Small Soldiers 2 Fan Film Imagines a Sequel for the Modern Era

Tiffany in Bride of Chucky (1998)

Ronny Yu successfully injected some life into both the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th sagas with Freddy vs. Jason . But, five years before he was doing that, he was breathing (even better) life back into the Child's Play franchise with Bride of Chucky .

The importance of Jennifer Tilly's Tiffany to the Child's Play franchise can't be overstated. Without her, Chuck was dead in the water after Child's Play 3 , full stop. There's a reason her presence has continued, especially in the TV series. Still, the less said about Seed of Chucky the better.

Lotso Huggin' Bear in Toy Story 3 (2010)

Ned Beatty was one of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s hardest-working and most well-respected actors. And, fortunately, his deep Southern voice was put to good use in animated works later in life.

This was done most notably in Toy Story 3 , where he played the hurt and soured Lotso Huggin' Bear (though his similarly antagonistic role as John, mayor of Dirt, in Rango is very solid as well). Lotso works as a villain because he's essentially a mob boss. He's capable of striking others, and doesn't shy from doing so, but more often than not he gets his many begrudged allies to do his dirty work for him. And the fact that he's gotten to this point via abandonment and abuse is sadly relatable for many, making him an objectively superior villain even to the more straightforward-nasty Sid in the original film.

Perchta in Krampus (2015)

Michael Dougherty's Krampus wasn't a crossover hit at the box office, but it did do better than many might fairly expect. With a grim sense of humor and terrific performances from the cast, all of whom play members of an incredibly dysfunctional family begrudgingly joining for what will ultimately be many of their final Christmases.

Why won't they make it to next year? Because not only do they have to take on Krampus (the anti-Santa), but his crew of sadistic cackling toys as well. For instance, the flying Perchta, a witch who proves to be a headache for the characters at several points throughout the film.

Der Klown in Krampus (2015)

As mentioned, Krampus is loaded with intimidating baddies. And, oddly enough, one of them manages to be even more horrifying than the title character himself.

Specifically, the attic-dwelling Der Klown. If being a frills-wearing clown (that lives in an attic) wasn't scary enough, his Predator-like expanding lower mouth (brandishing row after row of teeth) will be.

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Top 100 biggest tourist traps worldwide

Glen Luke Flanagan

Robin Saks Frankel

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 7:25 p.m. UTC Nov. 21, 2023

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When you’re planning the perfect vacation, you don’t want to spend your time or money on a tourist trap that disappoints. To help you avoid a case of destination letdown, we turned to the treasure trove of data found in online reviews that can help savvy travelers make the most of their vacation planning.

In July 2023, we analyzed 23.2 million Google reviews of the 500 most popular tourist attractions in the world, spanning 65 countries in six continents. For each attraction, we asked a simple question: How frequently do the reviews mention the terms “tourist trap,” “overrated” or “expensive”?

We compared attractions to one another by measuring the relative frequency of these mentions, dividing the number of mentions in each case by the total number of reviews for that attraction. We break down our findings, so you are armed with the information you need before planning to visit a popular tourist destination, and offer tips on how to travel in a way that’s good for your wanderlust and your wallet.

Key findings

• The Four Corners Monument (in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah) is the No. 1 tourist trap in the world, according to our analysis.
• The Blue Lagoon in Iceland and Penang Hill in Malaysia are the top tourist traps in Europe and Asia.
• The Great Mosque of Mecca in Saudi Arabia had 397,905 reviews on Google, as of our analysis, and not a single one mentioned “tourist trap.”
• The California Academy of Sciences, Elvis Presley’s Graceland and the South Carolina Aquarium are the most overpriced attractions in the United States.
• Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon, is the most overrated tourist attraction in the world.

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Top 100 tourist traps worldwide

With the distinction of being the only place where four states meet — Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah — the Four Corners Monument sounds pretty cool. It’s also 30 miles from the closest gas station, so it might appeal to travelers seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. However, this attraction also topped our list in terms of the percentage of disgruntled reviews. Of 10,839 reviews analyzed, 139 flagged this spot as a tourist trap.

Meanwhile, Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin got the most mentions of “tourist trap” in the reviews we analyzed of any tourist attraction in the world, with 400 out 76,269 reviews flagging it as one. This spot is a popular stop for travelers because of its historical significance as a border crossing during the Cold War, when the city was split in half between West Germany and East Germany.

Top 25 tourist traps in the U.S.

Eight of the top 10 tourist traps in the world, as determined by our analysis, are in the U.S. Three of the top tourist traps involve paranormal phenomena — witches, ghosts and UFOs.

Those spots are the Salem Witch Museum in Massachusetts, Calico Ghost Town in California and the International UFO Museum and Research Center in New Mexico. Each location had a number of reviews mentioning "tourist trap," so it seems some visitors left feeling disenchanted.

Most overpriced attractions worldwide

The U.S. is home to the third most overpriced attraction in the world, according to our analysis of reviews mentioning the word “expensive,” with spots in Iceland and Canada taking first and second places. Coming in at most overpriced is the Blue Lagoon in Grindavik, with prices starting at $67 per person but nearly doubling during peak times. This is followed by the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver where tickets are $69.95 per person when you purchase them at the ticket window. The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco comes in third for an entry fee that makes consumers grumble at $49.75 for an adult ticket during a peak visiting time.

It seems that Americans feel aquariums are overpriced in general, with aquariums in South Carolina, Maryland, California and Georgia making the top 50 in our list.

California has seven of the top 25 most overpriced attractions, with Tennessee coming in next with three spots in the top 25 — including Elvis Presley’s Graceland, at No. 5 in the world.

Most overrated attractions worldwide

Unless you just really love doughnuts, one spot you might want to skip on your next vacation is Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Oregon. At least, you might want to skip it if you care about reviews, because our analysis found it to be the most overrated attraction in the world.

Rounding out the top five most overrated attractions are the following:

• The Little Mermaid in Denmark.
• The Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Japan.
• The Manneken Pis sculpture fountain in Belgium.
• The Hollywood Walk of Fame in California.

Tips on how to avoid tourist traps

Get recommendations from your travel card concierge.

Your travel card may provide access to a concierge which can help with travel research, planning and booking. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees ) is a luxury travel card (as evidenced by its $695 annual fee) with a slew of perks and protections, including a highly regarded concierge service. Contact your concierge early on in your vacation planning and tell them you want to go off the beaten path and enjoy unique experiences rather than known tourist traps.

Consider where your rewards can take you

It’s no secret that credit card rewards can help you see the world. But are you getting the most out of your stash? Let’s consider an example using American Airlines miles.

As of the time of this writing, a flight from New York to Honolulu and back at the end of October 2023 might run you anywhere from about 53,000 AAdvantage miles to well over 100,000 AAdvantage miles. By contrast, if you were to fly from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico and back in the same time period, you might find deals in the ballpark of 24,000 or 31,000 miles. While many variables impact the exact cost, being flexible with your vacation options can save you substantially.

Plus, when opting for destinations with less sticker shock, you can still find activities and sites that are every bit as amazing as you'd find in a pricier locale. Continuing our example from above, if Hawaii's stunning rainforests initially attracted you to Honolulu, consider that Puerto Rico is home to El Yunque National Forest — the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System.

If you’ve piled up the points on a card that earns transferable rewards, rather than one that’s specific to a certain airline or hotel chain , you can do even more shopping around. Compare the cost of booking award travel on the loyalty transfer partners your card offers before you commit, because the number of points or miles required can vary dramatically between different airlines.

Plus, savvy travelers know that travel credit cards sometimes offer deals, such as double value when transferring points from your card to a specific airline partner. For instance, the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® offered a deal on Aug. 1, 2023 where cardholders with Bilt Silver Status could get double the number of Virgin Red points for their Bilt points when transferring their rewards to the airline. Keeping a sharp eye out for deals like this could help your earnings take you farther than you’d normally go.

Finally, great deals on award travel aren’t just for people willing to pay an annual fee for luxury cards, either. See our list of best travel cards with no annual fee for budget-friendly options.

If you’re going abroad, it’s best to use a credit card without foreign currency surcharges. Check out our picks for the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees .

Follow a trusted travel newsletter

What better way to avoid tourist traps than by getting curated recommendations from a trusted source? By getting a travel newsletter in your email inbox, you can make note throughout the year of enticing destinations and enriching activities, and plan your next vacation accordingly.

For example, people with an Amex Platinum or the invite-only American Express Centurion Black Card * The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. can receive the Departures newsletter, which the issuer describes as a “lifestyle resource”. Examples of the content you can expect, based on a recent issue of Departures, include "7 Hotels Worth Planning Your Whole Trip Around" with recommendations for stays in Paris, New York City and more, and "How I Escaped City Life and Moved My Family to a Mexican Surf Town".

All information about American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.

In short, smart travel recommendations are just a few clicks away — and can help you craft the dream vacation while avoiding tourist traps that might not leave you feeling fully satisfied.

Seek out lodging that isn’t part of a mega-chain hotel collection

If you have a travel rewards credit card , check if it grants you special access to a hotel collection. For example, Capital One announced the Lifestyle Collection in mid-2024, designed to be exclusively available via Capital One Travel for people with specific Capital One cards .

The Lifestyle Collection is a list of curated boutique hotels allowing guests to stay in popular destinations but avoid the crush of an overcrowded megahotel lobby.  While your choice of lodging won’t necessarily prevent you stopping by a tourist trap, finding a great stay can make it easier for you to have a wide selection of possible vacation activities.

If picking the right credit card has you overwhelmed, we’ve got you . Here are our picks for the best credit cards for every type of person.

Methodology

In July 2023, we analyzed 23.2 million Google reviews of 500 popular tourist attractions in the world, spanning 65 countries in six continents.

We focused our analysis on mentions of certain keywords that indicate a common negative sentiment among visitors. Those keywords are: “tourist trap”, “expensive”, and “overrated”.

It’s true that a few uses of these keywords do not fit in a negative context (e.g. “It’s kind of a tourist trap but we loved it!”). Based on our analysis, these positive instances of usage were not frequent enough to be statistically significant, and in any case, they are consistent enough across attractions to cancel each other out.

We began with a list of 1,600 tourist attractions for consideration, before narrowing to our final 500. We removed from this list, with only a few exceptions, all national parks, state parks, lakes, and mountains. We also removed sports stadiums. The list was further reduced based on the total number of reviews submitted for each attraction.

All reviews analyzed were written in English.

For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page .

*The information for the American Express Centurion Black Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Glen Luke Flanagan is a deputy editor on the USA TODAY Blueprint credit cards team. Prior to joining Blueprint, he served as a deputy editor on the credit cards team at Forbes Advisor, and covered credit cards, credit scoring and related topics as a senior writer at LendingTree. He’s passionate about helping people understand personal finance so they can make the best decisions possible for their wallet. Glen holds a master's degree in technical and professional communication from East Carolina University and a bachelor's degree in journalism from Radford University.

Robin Saks Frankel is a credit cards lead editor at USA TODAY Blueprint. Previously, she was a credit cards and personal finance deputy editor for Forbes Advisor. She has also covered credit cards and related content for other national web publications including NerdWallet, Bankrate and HerMoney. She's been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets including CNBC, Business Insider, CBS Marketplace, NASDAQ's Trade Talks and has appeared on or contributed to The New York Times, Fox News, CBS Radio, ABC Radio, NPR, International Business Times and NBC, ABC and CBS TV affiliates nationwide. She holds an M.S. in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University. Follow her on Twitter at @robinsaks.

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Trap Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Plot

By Elton Fernandes

Trap is an upcoming thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It follows a killer known as “The Butcher”, who goes to a concert with his daughter. He soon realizes that the concert is a trap laid out to get a hold of The Butcher. This brand new thriller plot from M. Night Shyamalan has the audience eagerly waiting for its release. Let’s find out more about the film, including its cast and trailer.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Release date — when is Trap coming out?

Trap’s release date is August 9, 2024.

The filming of this movie went on from October to December of 2023. The title “Trap” was announced back in February 2023, and initially had a release date of August 2, 2024. Finally, after the trailer for the film dropped in April 2024, the release date has been set for August 9, 2024.

Trailer — watch it now

You can watch the Trap trailer below:

In this trailer, we get to see a father taking his daughter, Riley, to the concert of a pop star, Lady Raven. They get to their seats where the daughter seems to be very happy about spending time with her adoring father. However, the father leaves her in her seat to go to the washroom, seemingly suspicious of something. He notices a lot of policemen and surveillance crew rounding up the venue.

When he inquires with an employee, he finds out that the authorities have intel about a killer known as “The Butcher,” who is at the concert. It is soon revealed in a few scenes that the father himself could be the killer. The trailer is rousing and full of suspense, and promises a thrilling plot.

Cast — who is in Trap?

Trap’s cast includes:

• Josh Hartnett as Cooper
• Hayley Mills as Dr. Grant
• Saleka Shyamalan as Lady Raven
• Ariel Donoghue as Riley
• Vanessa Smythe as Tour Manager

Plot – what’s the story about?

It follows a serial killer known as “The Butcher,” who finds himself at a concert which is a trap set for him.

Cooper, played by Josh Hartnett, takes his teenage daughter to a concert of her favorite pop star, Lady Raven. However, his excitement soon turns into discomfort as Cooper notices a heavy police presence around the venue. He learns from a vendor that the police are hunting a serial killer, “The Butcher,” and suspect he might be attending the concert. Cooper looks terrified upon hearing this as he has a dark secret of his own. With the threat closing in and his daughter’s safety at stake, Cooper must fight for survival.

A gamer with a passion for music and a solid foundation in Statistics, currently thriving as a gaming writer. 🎮🎶📊📝

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The Observer view on overtourism: sometimes, the planet’s hotspots are best left unvisited

From Everest to Machu Picchu, we can’t get enough of those ‘must-see’ places. It’s time to show some restraint

Climbing Everest used to be an even more dangerous pursuit than it is today, requiring huge bravery, endurance and skill. Even then the mountain could kill. A century ago, it claimed the lives of two of Britain’s finest climbers, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine.

The world’s highest mountain eventually succumbed to human challenge when, almost three decades later, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay carried the flags of Britain, the UN, and Nepal to its summit on 29 May 1953. Sporadic trips involving handfuls of explorers continued over succeeding years.

But the slopes of Everest have been transformed in recent years. Its peaks and ridges are now regularly flooded with tourists vying to reach its 29,032ft (8,849 metre) summit. In 2023, more than 1,200 people – paying fees of around £40,000 a head – attempted the feat. Of these, more than 600 succeeded. A place once synonymous with remote, unsullied grandeur has become a high-end tourist trap, leaving its once pristine slopes littered with tattered tents, abandoned gear and human waste. Everest tourism may generate hundreds of millions of pounds for Nepal, but this comes at a heavy cost.

Overtourism is not confined to the Himalayas. Last week, Venice became the world’s first city to introduce an entry fee , a €5 day-trip ticket that each of the 30 million sightseers who visit every year will have to buy to gain access to St Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge and its other wonders. Tourists may be happy to contribute to the city’s upkeep but many locals see the move as a step towards the transformation of Venice into a Veniceland, a Disneylike simulacrum.

Hosts of other sites face similar problems – from Dubrovnik to Yellowstone and from Machu Picchu to Cornwall. Maya Bay in Thailand was closed for four years after waves of tourists – who arrived after seeing it in the Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Beach – began wrecking its coral reefs . Iceland imposed temporary closures of Fjaðrárgljúfur, a canyon popularised in Justin Bieber’s 2015 music video, “I’ll Show You”, after it triggered an abrupt and damaging influx of visitors .

The causes of overtourism – the arrival of too many sightseers in one place at the same time – are complex. Elements include: the huge growth of the middle classes in India and China; cheap airfares; and the rise of social media, which has created a generation obsessed with taking selfies in front of great works of art or architecture. This last factor has forced the Louvre to consider moving the Mona Lisa to its own room where visitors can pose more freely in front of the world’s most famous painting.

In many ways, such interest should be welcomed. Visiting other countries brings benefits. Travellers learn about other cultures and create powerful, lasting memories of their times there. Unfortunately, the price is becoming hard to pay. Overtourism now threatens to destroy pristine wildlife areas and precious historical sites, the very features that attract tourists in the first place. Studies indicate that 80% of travellers now visit only 10% of the world’s tourist destinations. This concentration reveals a dangerous skew in priorities.

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The warning signs are clear and alarming. The solutions, sadly, are less obvious. Stricter controls of cruise ships that can suddenly drop vast numbers of passengers in fragile locations is an option. Imposing city taxes like Venice’s is another. Properly assessing the economic value of our environment would also help assess the damages. At the same time, tourists themselves need to show restraint and occasionally consider local as opposed to distant attractions. Our planet houses many marvels. Care needs to be taken in opening up their wonder.

• Mount Everest
• Travel and transport
• Mountaineering

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