This patriotic tourist attraction is like catnip for baby boomers

America is a big country with a rich history and a lot of tourist attractions. A US coast-to-coast road trip will provide more photo opportunities. Of course, some of these locations are more popular than others, bringing thousands or millions of tourists annually.

To properly determine which tourist attractions are most popular with this age group, we turn to YouGov. Analyzing data from the second quarter of 2024, YouGov ranked the most popular tourist attractions in descending order, based on the percentage of baby boomers who have a positive opinion of each destination.

Why is this important?

The US tourism and travel industry is the largest globally, contributing significantly to the economy. In 2022 alone, more than $1.2 trillion in direct spending was directed toward tourism activities. More than 15 million workers across the country are directly or indirectly involved in travel, making tourism a big money maker for hundreds of public brands that we regularly discuss on 24/7 Wall St.

15. Sequoia National Park

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 73%

Established as a national park in 1890, Sequoia National Park offers tourists 404,064 acres of protected land. The park is best known for the giant sequoia trees that contributed to the name, including the General Sherman tree, which is considered the largest tree on Earth by volume. In fact, ten of the world’s largest trees are housed in Sequoia National Park, which is why 1.1 million visitors pass through annually.

14. American Museum of Natural History

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 74%

The American Museum of Natural History has 21 connected buildings and 45 exhibition halls in New York City. The museum is home to 32 million specimens of rocks, meteorites, plants, fungi, fossils, minerals and more. With a full-time staff of 225, 120 specialty attractions are available annually in 2.5 million square feet of exhibition space. More than 5 million people pass through the museum’s doors annually.

13. National Museum of Natural History

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 74%

Home to more than 146 million specimens of plants, minerals, rocks, meteorites and human remains, the National Museum of Natural History is unlike any other place in the country. The second most visited museum in the country, more than 4.4 million visitors walked through the museum’s doors in 2023. The museum offers free admission 364 days a year to help visitors explore its 1.5 million square feet of exhibits.

12. National Air and Space Museum

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 75%

Few places on Earth are as unique as the National Air and Space Museum. Part of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum stands out, receiving 3.1 million visitors in 2023 alone. This makes the park the fourth most visited museum in the US and the 11th globally. Housed in its buildings are some of the most unique aspects of the history and science of aviation and spaceflight.

11. Rocky Mountains National Park

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 77%

Rocky Mountain National Park is an American national park located northwest of Denver that offers 265,461 acres of untouched land. More than 4.3 million visitors came to see this land in 2023, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country last year. There are five visitor centers in total that help guide tourists who quickly learn that the entire park is surrounded by forests on all sides.

10. Redwood National and State Parks

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 78%

The Redwood National and State Park Area, which consists of one national park and three California state parks, covers 139,000 acres in northern California. The area is famous for preserving 45% of redwood forests, home to the redwood tree, the tallest tree in the world. More than 1.5 million people visit this area annually and it was designated a World Heritage Site in 1980. With an area of ​​more than 2 million acres, much of the area that makes up the park has never been touched, even with the rush of new residents during the Gold Rush of the 1850s.

9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 78%

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers 522,419 acres of protected land in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park is recognized as home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls, mountains and unique biodiversity in the country. The park also features historic structures that were first built by European-American settlers. On average, the park receives about 12 million visitors each year.

8. Mount Rushmore National Memorial

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 79%

Arguably one of the most unique tourist attractions in the United States, Mount Rushmore National Memorial is unlike anything else. The sculpture features 60-foot-tall heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. These four presidents were chosen to represent the birth, growth, development and preservation of America. About 2.5 million people visit Mount Rushmore each year.

7. Yosemite National Park

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 81%

One of the top national parks in the country, Yosemite National Park is located in California and offers 759,620 pristine acres. The area was first settled in 1851, but was believed to have been home to Native Americans as early as 4,000 years ago. Just under 4 million visitors stopped in Yosemite in 2023. Due to its waterfalls, streams and biological diversity, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

6. The Lincoln Memorial

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 82%

If you’re visiting the Washington, DC area, a stop at the Lincoln Memorial is a must. Built between 1914 and 1922, the memorial honors more than 8 million people who visited it in 2023. The memorial was a symbol of the Civil Rights Movement and is open to the public 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

5. Niagara Falls

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 84%

Niagara Falls, located on the border between Ontario and New York state, is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. Horseshoe Falls, as it is commonly known, is the most popular of the three falls that make up Niagara and is approximately 187 feet tall. More than 12 million people are believed to visit Niagara Falls annually, and the area has welcomed tourists for the past 200 years.

4. Smithsonian Institution

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 85%

Not just an individual location, the Smithsonian Institution is popular with boomers because it houses museums, research centers, and even educational opportunities. It is the largest type of complex in the world and was created by the US government to enhance knowledge for every visitor. More than 154 million items are spread across the 19 museums, 21 libraries, nine research centers and zoos that comprise the Smithsonian Institution.

3. Yellowstone National Park

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 86%

While Yellowstone National Park has long been popular with tourists, the popularity of the television show “Yellowstone” has undoubtedly increased overall visits to the park. It was President Grant who signed Yellowstone into America’s first national park on March 1, 1872. Since then, it has drawn tourists to the park and the Old Faithful geyser, which gives baby boomers a glimpse of geothermal activity they don’t find nearby. home.

2. Grand Canyon National Park

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 88%

Unsurprisingly, one of the most popular tourist attractions for baby boomers is Grand Canyon National Park, which you have to see to truly believe its scale. Considered one of the wonders of the world, the park spans more than 1.2 million acres and welcomed more than 4.7 million visitors in 2023 alone. Most visits include a stop at the southern edge of the park, which offers some of the better views anywhere in the United States.

1. The Statue of Liberty

• Percentage of Baby Boomers with a favorable opinion: 88%

One of the most famous tourist attractions in the United States, the Statue of Liberty is an important destination and symbol. Gifted to the United States by France to celebrate the centennial of American independence, the Statue of Liberty receives millions of visitors each year. Due to its importance, the statue is also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The post This patriotic tourist attraction is like catnip to baby boomers appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..