Underwhelming visitor attractions.

[Tazio]

Just now, ericthepen said:

That was always the plan in the design.

I know but it doesn’t make much sense when you think about it. 

[ericthepen]

3 minutes ago, Tazio said:

I know but it doesn’t make much sense when you think about it. 

The interpretation was that Scotland with it's new parliament was a growing country, spreading and growing from the parkland, like the flow of the long gone volcano lava.

It's symbolic and memorable, Enrique Moralis (sp) is most likely the best known named architect in Scotland and been dead 20 years ?

It's memorable and has differing views from people, exactly as an architect would want a parliament building to do, get people talking ?

[Tazio]

And here was me thinking it was just to look like overturned boats. 

[ArcticJambo]

2 hours ago, RobboM said:

BOSWELL. "Is not the Giant's-Causeway worth seeing?"
JOHNSON. "Worth seeing, yes; but not worth going to see."
Boswell: Life of Johnson

Have to remember that quote.  Nice one. 👍

[WoolfordsHearts]

The Pawn Stars shop in Las Vegas.

 

I've had a better time walking around my local co-op.

[IronJambo]

Manneken Pis

[Samuel Camazzola]

4 hours ago, Boof said:

Little Mermaid was a bit...little.

 

Well...littler than I'd anticipated.

Copenhagen is great and many will still likely still go to see The Little Mermaid although they know it's very small. However, it's certainly smaller than you expect! 😄

[¼½¾]

Michelangelo's statue of David,  in Florence's Galleria Dell' Accademia, was a bit meh, after first seeing copies of it about the city.

[Maple Leaf]

Waikiki Beach is very underwhelming.  Surprisingly small and usually packed with tourists.

 

I visited Flodden in 1973 when there was only the monument "To the Brave of Both Nations."  I was moved.

 

I visited Stonehenge in 1960 when it was free and you could walk in among the stones.  It was OK.

 

 

[Dawnrazor]

The Eden Project.

[benny]

23 minutes ago, Lemongrab said:

Michelangelo's statue of David,  in Florence's Galleria Dell' Accademia, was a bit meh, after first seeing copies of it about the city.

That was one that I was overwhelmed by.

Notre Dame in Paris for me.

[Carl Fredrickson]

Wigan Pier. Visited it pre-internet times and had to look up a dictionary definition of a pier. First and only time I have stopped at Wigan, it makes Dundee look desirable (walked into a pub that offered lunches to be met with sawdust on the floor and a dug crapping on the floor with most of the pub encouraging it) 

[Auld Reekin']

12 minutes ago, Carl Fredrickson said:

Wigan Pier. Visited it pre-internet times and had to look up a dictionary definition of a pier. First and only time I have stopped at Wigan, it makes Dundee look desirable (walked into a pub that offered lunches to be met with sawdust on the floor and a dug crapping on the floor with most of the pub encouraging it) 

 

I believe the title of Orwell's book: "The Road To Wigan Pier" was a sort of wry joke as Wigan doesn't actually have one, being nowhere near the sea. Maybe you had to be there... (Or, better still, not. He wasn't noted for laugh-out-loud moments in any of his books, right enough.)

 

I found 'The Bridge of Sighs' in Venice a bit on the dull side. A poetic and evocative name for a very ordinary-looking Venetian bridge. Mind you, at the age of 15 I wasn't impressed by all that much, I'm afraid.     

Edited August 29, 2020 by Auld Reekin'

[Carl Fredrickson]

1 minute ago, Auld Reekin' said:

 

I believe the title of Orwell's book: "The Road To Wigan Pier" was a sort of wry joke as Wigan doesn't actually have one, being nowhere near the sea. Maybe you had to be there... (Or, better still, not. He wasn't noted for laugh-out-loud moments in any of his books, right enough.)

 

We were driving back from Weston Super Mare and wanting somewhere to stop for a break. One of my notes saw the Wigan Pier brown tourist sign and as none of us had ever been to Wigan we chose to stop. I was driving and was doubtful about a pier, as I was saying (as you do) that Wigan is miles from the sea. 

Wigan does have a pier but not a pier as we would think of one. 

[Auld Reekin']

1 minute ago, Carl Fredrickson said:

 

We were driving back from Weston Super Mare and wanting somewhere to stop for a break. One of my notes saw the Wigan Pier brown tourist sign and as none of us had ever been to Wigan we chose to stop. I was driving and was doubtful about a pier, as I was saying (as you do) that Wigan is miles from the sea. 

Wigan does have a pier but not a pier as we would think of one. 

 

Still, you did get to see a dog having a shite in the middle of a pub.   

[Carl Fredrickson]

31 minutes ago, Auld Reekin' said:

 

Still, you did get to see a dog having a shite in the middle of a pub.   

 

Hardly a visitor attraction  

[GinRummy]

5 hours ago, jonnothejambo said:

 

Was it worth it in the end ? 

 

If you saw her you wouldn’t ask. She was a proper ten pinter.

[Janbo1874]

Glasgow.

[Smack]

The Alhambra is impressive, but like most of these things, it's just an old building. Glad I can say I saw it but wouldn't go again. You end up taking loads of photos and then never look at them again. Very expensive and they made you queue outside in baking sun despite their being a massive air conditioned reception. 

 

Verdict: Shite

 

On the other side of the coin the Acropolis is almost worth it, assuming the hike up doesn't finish you. You can kill several ancient historical birds with one stone, Theatre of Dionysus on the way up, Temple of Athena Nike, the Parthenon and some others (not worthy of mention 😁). The real pay off for me was the view over Athens.

 

Verdict: Mostly pillars. And cats. Great view and acceptable as a historical bundle deal. 

 

Agree Dynamic Earth is guff and needs updated. The bit at the start when you get in the lift and you get the "welcome time travellers" spiel always reminds me of Falconhoof 😁

 

Edinburgh Zoo is also pish. Too expensive and in need of a funicular or something. Five Sisters is a far better place to view captive animals, still expensive though. Or East Links. 

 

Didn't mean to write War and Peace on this, could go on but I'll shut it for now. 

[heartsfc_fan]

A few already mentioned. Zoo, Castle, Deep-sea world. All expensive and haven't changed much over the years.

 

 

[redjambo]

The moon. No atmosphere at all.

[ArcticJambo]

2 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

Waikiki Beach is very underwhelming.  Surprisingly small and usually packed with tourists.

 

I visited Flodden in 1973 when there was only the monument "To the Brave of Both Nations."  I was moved.

 

I visited Stonehenge in 1960 when it was free and you could walk in among the stones.  It was OK.

 

 

Visited early eighties and it was still free and accessible.  Similar to Giant's Causeway I thought it smaller than expected.  Ring of Brodgar however is an absolute treasure.

 

The Alhambra was mentioned above, and I have to say I disagree but hey opinions and all that.  Been twice; the internal detailed architecture is absolutely stunning.

[EH11]

Taj Mahal. Underwhelming, overcrowded and a hellish 12 hour round trip. 

[Kalamazoo Jambo]

11 hours ago, cheetah said:

11 hours ago, cheetah said:

Pencil museum in Keswick

 

 Not quite sure what you expected from a pencil museum, TBH. We enjoyed taking Kalamazoo Jr there a few years ago.

[Boof]

1 hour ago, Smack said:

Edinburgh Zoo is also pish. Too expensive and in need of a funicular or something. Five Sisters is a far better place to view captive animals, still expensive though. Or East Links. 

 

Do they not have a 'something' in the form of a Land Rover towing a train of carriages up the hill?

[ArcticJambo]

17 minutes ago, BarneyBattles said:

First thing that came to mind. I was in Brussels in 2001 for the Scotland World Cup play-off. 
 

Walked for miles to see it, didn’t even bother stopping when we got there. 

was I there or still passed out?

[Governor Tarkin]

4 hours ago, IronJambo said:

Manneken Pis

 

My brother had a loft apartment round the corner from that on Rue de l'Etuve.

Shite attraction but smashing place to live.

[IronJambo]

28 minutes ago, Governor Tarkin said:

 

My brother had a loft apartment round the corner from that on Rue de l'Etuve.

Shite attraction but smashing place to live.

Agreed. I never lived there but a mate did (diplomat) and we used to have great trips there. His government apartment used to swallow up 20 of us easily. 

[been here before]

3 minutes ago, IronJambo said:

Agreed. I never lived there but a mate did (diplomat) and we used to have great trips there. His government apartment used to swallow up 20 of us easily. 

 

I once knew a lass...

 

 

 

...nah best not!

 

 

 

 

 

[Thommo414]

8 hours ago, Cade said:

Dynamic Earth is a joke.

Went when it first opened and it was alright.

Went back a few years later and it was awful.

Staff just rattled through their wee script then disappeared for a chat.

No hanging around to answer questions or interact with visitors in any way.

Half the interactive screens are broken.

Shoddy.

 

 

I was hungover last time I went. A trip through the cosmos the morning after a night on the pish remains one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had

[Carl Fredrickson]

1 hour ago, Boof said:

 

Do they not have a 'something' in the form of a Land Rover towing a train of carriages up the hill?

 

They used to but last time I went (about 4 years ago) it was only for people with disabilities or walking impairments. Seemingly being a fat lazy bugger isnt in the criteria.

 

I agree that 5 Sisters Zoo is far better and I get free access through a corporate card via my work. My kids love it. 

 

The Highland Wildlife Park is better than Edinburgh Zoo. They are both run by the RZS and a lot of the animals were sent to the HWP as they have so much space. 

 

I enjoyed the pencil museum when I visited a number of years ago. Bought a pencil at the gift shop that I have never used

 

I used the love the Transport Museum at the Kelvin Hall but think the "new" Riverside Museum is a disappointment. Lovely building etc but the car wall ruins it for me. I understand why they did it, to protect the cars but I used to love having a nosey at the interior of them. High up on a wall isnt as good a visitor experience. 

Also the upper level has dozens and dozens of model boats. Unless you worked on the Clyde in the old days or in the navy, I doubt they would be of interest to many. The area they take up cant be the best use of space. 

[Maple Leaf]

2 hours ago, Kalamazoo Jambo said:

 Not quite sure what you expected from a pencil museum, TBH. We enjoyed taking Kalamazoo Jr there a few years ago.

Plus a model Spitfire, a Christmas Tree, and a ship's bell.  What more could a person ask? 

[Georgecowie]

I enjoyed Venice. Best from the water, local boats good to nip about on. The crazy golf at Craigtoun Park has gone from being one of the best to one of the worst attractions on the planet. 

[been here before]

5 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

Plus a model Spitfire, a Christmas Tree, and a ship's bell.  What more could a person ask? 

 

You're forgetting the 'graphite mine' entrance.

 

Had me convinved.

[Governor Tarkin]

7 hours ago, IronJambo said:

Agreed. I never lived there but a mate did (diplomat) and we used to have great trips there. His government apartment used to swallow up 20 of us easily. 

 

Aye my brother's in HMFCO too. They didn't piss about when it came to property. It was around the time that Ryanair started their fiver flights from Prestwick to Charleroi. Big squad of us would head over every couple of weekends. 

[The Gorgie]

Eiffel tower, its just a bigger Blackpool tower.

 

When in Prague we done the Tutankhamun tour that was at the museum. What a load of pish that was.

[ArcticJambo]

45 minutes ago, BarneyBattles said:

Just me and Duncs. You were a bit ‘tired’. 

Ahh.  I guess if you stay up late discussing snowmobiles and girls with Khalid Zerkani under the arches of the Grand Place you miss out on wee boys pissing in fountains.  Great wee outing, despite the result.

[superjack]

16 hours ago, rudi must stay said:

Stonehenge 

Just a much later version of the callanish stones.

Did you know that a lot of the stones at Stonehenge are actually set on concrete? It was basically rebuilt early 1900s as most of the stones had long since fallen over.

[superjack]

2 minutes ago, superjack said:

Just a much later version of the callanish stones.

Did you know that a lot of the stones at Stonehenge are actually set on concrete? It was basically rebuilt early 1900s as most of the stones had long since fallen over.

Found this article about it.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn310-concrete-evidence/

[Ally Bee]

The Kelpies. Obviously I’ve driven past them on the M9 but never had the desire to actually stop and visit them.

 

The Louvre. As already said The Mona Lisa is tiny and underwhelming.Never seen a nice painting in the whole place.

[Ron Swanson]

Hobbiton was a massive disappointment when I visited. Our guide really couldn't be arsed, it was about 40 deg and felt like you were just wandering around the side of a hill with some props stuck into the hillside with folks screaming kids.

 

There wasn't even an indoor set that you could sit at or explore. The closest you got was a door that could slightly open and you could look inside...to a timber frame about 2ft away.

 

 

[Alan_R]

Malmo,

 

Took a day trip over from copenhagen. Nice little city but 1 hour would be plenty . Nothing to see or do.

[Alan_R]

19 hours ago, Heartsmad1874 said:

Siam Park in Tenerife. Absolutely dreadful place and way overrated.

Thought it was class tbh.

 

Best water park ive ever been to. What did you expect from it?

[Angel eyes]

19 hours ago, Vlad Magic said:

John O Groats.

 

Its a shit hole with a  big sign telling you how far away you are from where you actually want to be right now.

This and the fecking road up to get there is horrendous.

[Governor Tarkin]

1 hour ago, Ally Bee said:

 

The Louvre. As already said The Mona Lisa is tiny and underwhelming.Never seen a nice painting in the whole place.

 

The building itself is spectacular though.

Like most of central Paris.

[Vlad Magic]

32 minutes ago, Angel eyes said:

This and the fecking road up to get there is horrendous.

One good pub on the right before you get there.

 

 

[XB52]

1 hour ago, Ally Bee said:

The Kelpies. Obviously I’ve driven past them on the M9 but never had the desire to actually stop and visit them.

 

The Louvre. As already said The Mona Lisa is tiny and underwhelming.Never seen a nice painting in the whole place.

Have to disagree about the Mona Lisa. I must have stood looking at it for about 20 minutes before my wife had to drag me away. I then had to go back for another look before I left. The most amazing painting I've ever seen 

[¼½¾]

On 29/08/2020 at 10:28, Angel eyes said:

Following from yesterday listening to a radio phone in they asked for people to tell them about visiting somewhere that was well.....erm rubbish Times Square got mentioned along with somebody had visited and art gallery and the Mona Lisa was on display again it was tiny and not what they expected. My two which i thought was just a waste of time Madam Tussauds in London.....really just really & the Kennedy Space centre attraction in Florida a load of old space shuttles in a garden and a couple of space suits.........aaaaaand a gift shop.

I went to the one in Blackpool years ago...utter gash. The one they used to have on the High Street was better. The Sea Life Centre there is even worse than Deep Sea World, over the bridge.

[Seymour M Hersh]

Was disappointed with the Giants Causeway. 

[Dawnrazor]

6 minutes ago, Seymour M Hersh said:

Was disappointed with the Giants Causeway. 

Aye, I never saw a bloody giant when I was there.