25 U.S. Tourist Attractions Americans Are Most Captivated by, State-by-State Breakdown
No matter where you live in the U.S., there’s a chance you’ve wanted to visit the other 49 states. But is the attraction you want to go to the one residents in other states want to see the most, too?
You could go to America’s many national parks, amusement parks, or even to the beach. Or you could want to visit unique and important cultural or historical sites outside of your state’s border. One of the best things about the U.S. is how much there is to see and do.
Anna Spanish ran a study to determine which tourist attraction is the most popular among residents in each state. Spoiler alert: Residents in many states are more captivated by tourist sites in other states. See if the attraction you want to visit the most makes the list.
Measuring Searches Per State

Anna Spanish compiled their results from data taken from Google searches. They calculated specific keywords and search phrases around traveling to over 100 U.S. tourist attractions to present a total number of searches for each attraction.
It’s worth noting that Anna Spanish’s results vary from data that counts popularity in different ways. For example, Times Square in New York City was reportedly the most visited tour spot in the U.S. In contrast, Anna Spanish’s rankings lean towards which attractions Americans have an interest in or plan to visit one day, not necessarily if they’ve already been there.
Most Popular U.S. Attraction

Beaches are some of the most popular attractions in Anna Spanish’s ranking, with Myrtle Beach taking the top spot as the most popular tourist attraction overall. South Carolina’s 60 miles of beach is known as the Grand Strand, which gets its name from the old definition of “strand,” which means land bordering the water.
Myrtle Beach is also beloved among golf fans. It’s known as the mini golf capital of the world, featuring more courses per square mile than any other area; you can try your hand at over 100 full golf courses when you want a break from the beach.
National Parks Rank High

National parks appear 16 times in Anna Spanish’s ranking. The approximately 70 million-year-old Grand Canyon in Arizona is the most popular national park attraction, rising to number one in three states.
The Grand Canyon is the sixth-deepest canyon in the world, trailing the number one Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon in Tibet by 2 miles. The Grand Canyon is still incredible to see, with a depth of 18 miles and a length of 277 miles.
Americans Love Natural Wonders

Based on Anna Spanish’s study, Niagara Falls is one of the most popular attractions in America, featured as number one in seven states. The waterfalls may not be the biggest in the world, but they’re reportedly the fastest moving. Many Americans are eager to witness the falls in person to fully experience the 3,000 tons of water that pass through every second.
Niagara Falls is split between New York and Canada. Visitors across the world have noticed a distinct green color of the water, which is attributed to the massive amounts of salt and minerals running through the falls.
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Most and Least Visited States

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