Should anyone be planning any family vacations, excursions or road trips in the near future or even planning ahead for the holidays, this “numbers survey” might give you an idea of what others have done over recent years. There could be some helpful tips here or just a guide for your planning of where to go, what to see, places to shop, places to visit, camping opportunities, or just the opposite, what to stay away from if you’re looking to avoid crowds. The places listed here could also give you some research ideas ….. searching for more information online.
The information collected below has come from various sources including statistics from the
National Park Service, state tourism offices, listed attraction’s own websites, Wikipedia (only as a last result) and other statistical websites. The attendance figures are based upon annual visitors to the attractions (some are exact figures while others are rounded off or estimated). Keep in mind that in determining the top attraction draws, the tourism industry is very controversial as well as competitive in it’s methods.
Listings Are Alphabetically – State By State

Use the links provided for easy access and navigation!
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*** For additional information, as well as your convenience, link(s) have been included underneath each listing. These links should lead you directly to the attraction’s website, the local city or state office of tourism, the state or national park service or another informative resource.
Most Popular Attractions in the USA
ALABAMA

United States Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville, AL
Annual Visitors — 509,000
http://www.spacecamp.com/museum/
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/home/index.html
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ALASKA

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
Skagway, AK
Annual Visitors — 935,940
http://www.nps.gov/klgo
http://www.travelalaska.com/Regions/ParksDetail.aspx?ParkID=
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ARIZONA

Grand Canyon National Park
Northwestern Arizona
Annual Visitors — 4,425,314
http://www.nps.gov/grca/
http://www.thecanyon.com/
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ARKANSAS

Hot Springs National Park
near Hot Springs, AR
Annual Visitors — 1,238,147
http://www.nps.gov/hosp/
http://www.arkansas.com/state-federal-parks/national-federal-parks/hot-springs.aspx
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CALIFORNIA

Disneyland Park
Anaheim, CA
Annual Visitors — 14,721,000
Disneyland
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneyland/disneyland-theme-parks.htm
* great site for Disney history & nostalgia >> Yesterland
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COLORADO

Rocky Mountain National Park
near Estes Park, CO
Annual Visitors — 2,757,390
http://www.nps.gov/romo
http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/
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CONNECTICUT

Hammonasset Beach State Park
Madison, CT
Annual Visitors — 1,9000,000
http://www.ct.gov/dEP/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325210
http://www.friendsctstateparks.org/parks/hammonasset_beach.htm
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DELAWARE

Delaware Seashore State Park
Rehoboth Beach, DE
Annual Visitors — 1,200,000
http://www.destateparks.com/park/delaware-seashore/
http://www.beach-net.com/Parkdelshore.html
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FLORIDA

Walt Disney World / Magic Kingdom Park
Lake Buena Vista, FL
Annual Visitors — 17,063,000
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/
http://www.wdwinfo.com/
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GEORGIA

Stone Mountain Park
Atlanta, GA
Annual Visitors — 4,000,000
http://www.stonemountainpark.com/
http://www.atlanta.net/visitors/stone-mountain.html
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HAWAII

Waikiki Beach
Honolulu – Island of Oahu, HI
Annual Visitors — 3,670,000
http://www.waikikibeachwalk.com/
http://www.gohawaii.com/oahu/plan/things_to_do_on_oahu/attractions/points_of_interest/waikiki
http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/waikiki.html
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IDAHO

Silverwood Theme Park
Athol, ID
Annual Visitors — 558,000
http://www.silverwoodthemepark.com/
http://www.visitidaho.org/thingstodo/view-attraction.aspx?id=31026
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ILLINOIS

Navy Pier
Chicago, IL
Annual Visitors — 8,600,000
http://www.navypier.com/
http://www.chicagotraveler.com/chicago-navy-pier.htm
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INDIANA

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Lake Michigan’s south shore (near Porter, IN)
Annual Visitors — 1,833,596
http://www.nps.gov/INDU
http://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
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IOWA

Amana Colonies (National Historic Landmark)
Amana, IA
Annual Visitors — 800,000
http://www.amanacolonies.com/
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/amana/
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KANSAS

Flint Hills Tall Grass Prairie (National Preserve)
near Strong City, KS
Annual Visitors — 250,000
http://www.nps.gov/tapr/
http://flinthillstallgrass.org/
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KENTUCKY

Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area
Between Lake Barkley & Kentucky Lake (Kentucky/Tennessee)
Annual Visitors — 1,259,773
http://www.lbl.org/Home.html
http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/land_between_the_lakes_national_recreation_area
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LOUISIANA

The French Quarter
New Orleans, LA
Annual Visitors — 5,000,000
http://frenchquarter.com/
http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/fq/
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MAINE

L.L. Bean Flagship Store
Freeport, ME
Annual Visitors — 3,500,000
http://www.llbean.com/shop/retailStores/freeportFlagshipStore/flagship/flagship.html
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MARYLAND

Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island (a barrier island along the Maryland & Virginia coast)
Annual Visitors — 2,011,438
http://www.assateagueisland.com/
http://www.nps.gov/asis/
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MASSACHUSETTS

Faneuil Hall Marketplace (Quincy Market)
Boston, MA
Annual Visitors — 20,000,000
http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/
http://www.faneuilhall.com/
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MICHIGAN

The Henry Ford Museum (Edison Institute/Greenfield Village)
Dearborn, MI
Annual Visitors — 1,500,000
http://www.hfmgv.org/
http://www.thehenryford.org/
http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19267_20424-54578–,00.html
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MINNESOTA

Mall of America
Bloomington, MN
(additional photo at bottom of this post)
Annual Visitors — 40,000,000
http://www.mallofamerica.com/
http://www.bloomingtonmn.org/page/1/mall-of-america.jsp
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MISSISSIPPI

Natchez Trace Parkway (National Park Service)
444 mile long parkway stretching from Natchez, MS to Pasquo, TN
Annual Visitors — 4,200,000
http://www.nps.gov/natr/
http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/2285/
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MISSOURI

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Arch
St. Louis, MO
Annual Visitors — 1,954,810
http://www.nps.gov/jeff/
http://www.gatewayarch.com/Arch/
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MONTANA

Yellowstone National Park
NW Wyoming (predominantly), SW Montana, E Idaho
Annual Visitors — 2,000,000
http://www.nps.gov/yell/
http://www.travelyellowstone.com/
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/
http://www.yellowstonepark.com/
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NEBRASKA

Henry Doorly Zoo (Riverview Park)
Omaha, NE
Annual Visitors — 1,388,014
http://www.omahazoo.com/
http://www.visitomaha.com/listings/index.cfm?action=display&listingID=57137
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NEVADA

Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas, NV
Annual Visitors — 30,000,000
http://www.vegas.com/attractions/
http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas/index.jsp
http://www.lasvegasmaps.com/stripmap.html
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NEW HAMPSHIRE

White Mountain National Forest
New Hampshire/Maine
Annual Visitors — 5,000,000
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain/
http://www.visitwhitemountains.com/
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NEW JERSEY

Atlantic City Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ
Annual Visitors — 4,000,000
http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/visitors/thingstodo/attractions/boardwalktour.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_City,_New_Jersey
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NEW MEXICO

Albuquerque Biological Park (BioPark)
Albuquerque, NM
Annual Visitors — 1,123,000
http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/
http://www.bioparksociety.org/aquarium
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NEW YORK


Times Square
Manhattan/New York City
Annual Visitors — 37,600,000
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/
http://timessquare.com/
http://timessquare.nyctourist.com/
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NORTH CAROLINA

Blue Ridge Parkway (National Park Service)
469 mile National Parkway along the Blue Ridge Range of the Appalachian Mountains through North Carolina & Virginia
Annual Visitors — 10,943,831
http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
http://www.virtualblueridge.com/
http://www.nps.gov/blri/
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NORTH DAKOTA

Theodore Roosevelt National Park
near Medora, ND
Annual Visitors — 516,804
http://www.nps.gov/thro/
https://www.ndtourism.com/whatdo/attractions/attraction-details.asp?AID=990
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OHIO

Cedar Point Amusement Park
Sandusky, OH
Annual Visitors — 3,200,000
http://www.cedarpoint.com/
http://wikitravel.org/en/Cedar_Point
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OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma City National Memorial
Oklahoma City, OK
Annual Visitors — 500,000
http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/
http://www.nps.gov/okci/
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OREGON

Crater Lake National Park
South Central Oregon
Annual Visitors — 415,686
http://www.nps.gov/crla/
http://www.oregon.com/trips/craterlake.cfm
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PENNSYLVANIA

Independence National Historic Park (Independence Hall)
Philadelphia, PA
Annual Visitors — 4,076,638
http://www.nps.gov/inde/planyourvisit/index.htm
http://www.independencevisitorcenter.com/
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RHODE ISLAND

Roger Williams Park Zoo
Providence, RI
Annual Visitors — 505,409
http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/
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SOUTH CAROLINA


Broadway At The Beach
(entertainment/shopping complex)
Myrtle Beach, SC
Annual Visitors — 14,000,000
http://www.broadwayatthebeach.com/
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SOUTH DAKOTA

Mount Rushmore National Memorial
near Keystone, SD
Annual Visitors — 1,789,328
http://www.nps.gov/moru
http://www.mountrushmoreinfo.com/
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TENNESSEE

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Tennessee/North Carolina
Annual Visitors — 6,940,000
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/index.htm
http://www.gatlinburg.com/things-to-do/national-park/
http://www.tnvacation.com/vendors/great_smoky_mountains_national_park/
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TEXAS

San Antonio River Walk (Paseo del Rio)
San Antonio, TX
Annual Visitors — 5,100,000
http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/
http://www.sanantonioriverwalk.com/
http://www.visitsanantonio.com/visitors/play/the-river-walk/index.aspx
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UTAH

Temple Square
Salt Lake City
Annual Visitors — 5,000,000
http://www.visittemplesquare.com/
http://www.utah.com/mormon/temple_square.htm
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VERMONT

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory
Waterbury, VT
Annual Visitors — 293,000
http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours/
http://www.central-vt.com/web/benjerry/index.html
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VIRGINIA

Blue Ridge Parkway (National Park Service)
469 mile National Parkway along the Blue Ridge Range of the Appalachian Mountains through North Carolina & Virginia
Annual Visitors — 5,365,474
http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/
http://www.virtualblueridge.com/
http://www.nps.gov/blri/
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WASHINGTON

Pike Place Market
Seattle, WA
Annual Visitors — 10,000,000
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/frameset.asp?flash=true
http://www.seattletravel.com/pikesplacemarket.html
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WEST VIRGINIA

New River Gorge National River
southern West Virginia
Annual Visitors — 1,212,854
http://www.nps.gov/neri
http://www.visitwv.com/companies/165/176
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WISCONSIN

Devil’s Lake State Park
near Baraboo, WI
Annual Visitors — 1,300,000
http://www.devilslakewisconsin.com/
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/ORG/LAND/PARKS/specific/devilslake/
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WYOMING
Yellowstone National Park
NW Wyoming (predominantly), SW Montana, E Idaho
Annual Visitors — 3,066,579
http://www.nps.gov/yell/
http://www.travelyellowstone.com/
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/
http://www.yellowstonepark.com/
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WASHINGTON DC

National Mall & Memorial Parks
Washington, D.C.
Annual Visitors — 25,000,000
http://www.nps.gov/NAMA
http://www.nps.gov/mall

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Additional Useful Travel Links on this Site
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The World’s Most Popular Tourist Attractions according to attendance records – Lots of pictures included here with direct links to the featured listings – Here is the link…..
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The Best National & State Parks in the USA is worth a look for planning your next camping trip – Pictures of the parks are featured as well as direct links to the featured parks – Here is the link…..
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Nostalgia-minded Remembering Lost & Forgotten Roadside Tourist Attractions & Amusement Parks On The West Coast is an older post (May/2009) that is still being updated and worth checking out – now featuring almost 200 fun and memorable roadside attractions, amusement parks and kitschy tourist traps of years past that no longer exist today. Definitely a trip down memory lane — See how many you had been to and still remember – Lots of pictures are featured here with many historical and fan club links to the featured attractions – Here is the link …..
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Below is another picture inside the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota which annually draws over 40,000,000 visitors for shopping, entertainment, dining and people watching.

Filed under: Facts & Figures, Fun Places, Outdoor Recreation, road trips, roadside attractions, tourist attractions | Tagged: attractions with most visitors, best attended attractions, in America, in the US, most attended places of interest, most popular attractions, most popular tourist attrations, most visited attractions, most visited places, most visited tourist attractions, state by state, top attractions, top crowd draws, United States, USA | 7 Comments »