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FOX 5 San Diego
This San Diego attraction is one of the 20 best in the U.S., Forbes says
By Rhea Caoile,
7 days ago
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Did you know that one of San Diego’s most well-known attractions is considered a better place to visit that Times Square in New York City and Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando?
That’s according to a Forbes list of the 20 best tourist attractions in the U.S. for 2024.
The data, originally compiled by BookRetreats , put Balboa Park in the No. 3 spot after Central Park in New York and National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian National Museum of History in Washington D.C. and Times Square came in at No. 4 and 5 on the list, respectively.
The 20 best tourist attractions in the U.S. were ranked based on popularity, experience, affordability and tourist safety. To qualify for the study, places must have received at least 38,000 Google reviews at the time of the analysis.
Balboa Park features 18 museums and lush gardens, and it is also home to the San Diego Zoo, making it a highly popular attraction for tourists with varied interests. It scored 1.86 out of two for overall experience, according to BookRetreats .
At 1,200 acres, Balboa Park covers more area than Central Park , which is just over 800 acres. At its inception in 1868, Balboa Park totaled 1,400 acres.
The park’s affordability also helped its high ranking on the list of best tourist attractions, scoring 0.89 out of one. The park is free for visitors and three-star hotels nearby average $138 per night for two guests.
The Lily Pond is seen at Balboa Park in San Diego. (Adobe Stock)
The full list of the top 20 U.S. attractions for 2024 is the following:
No. 1: Central Park in New York, New York
No. 2: National Mall in Washington, D.C.
No. 3: Balboa Park in San Diego, California
No. 4: Smithsonian National Museum of History in Washington, D.C.
No. 5: Times Square in New York City, New York
No. 6: Rockefeller Center in New York City, New York
No. 7: Niagara Falls in Buffalo, New York
No. 8: Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California
No. 9: Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida
No. 10: Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York, New York
No. 11: Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nevada
No. 12: The Highline in New York, New York
No. 13: Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 14: Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 15: The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York
No. 16: Zion National Park in Utah
No. 17: San Antonio RiverWalk in San Antonio, Texas
No. 18: ICON Park in Orlando, Florida
No. 19: Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California
No. 20: Brooklyn Bridge In New York, New York
Other San Diego attractions were ranked on the list of 77 total U.S. cities analyzed by BookRetreats. The San Diego Zoo came in at No. 39 and the USS Midway Museum was No. 25. Meanwhile, SeaWorld San Diego was second to last, scoring less than 0.5 out of one full point for popularity and safety.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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