Australia has seven of the world’s most “boring” tourist attractions – and one iconic building in WA has been rated the “worst” of them all.
The hard list was put together by Solitaired.com using an analysis of 66.7 million Google reviews analyzing 3,290 tourist attractions in 71 countries.
It marked the WA Museum Boola Bardip as the least interesting place to visit in Australia and the 16th least interesting tourist destination on the planet.
According to most Google reviews, the museum simply “lacks soul.”
While it’s not a good look for the museum, they’re not alone on the list, with museums making up an interesting 33 percent of “boring” places.
The “worst” was the Florida Museum of Science and Industry, which came in at number seven in the world.
The number one most “boring” attraction on the list is the Branson Scenic Railway in Missouri.
Western Australia’s Bolla Bardip Museum named Australia’s most boring tourist destination
WA Boola Bardip Museum
This museum is described as the state’s “premier cultural organisation” and features WA’s “scientific and cultural collection”, including interactive exhibits and cutting-edge technology.
The museum opened in 2020 after four years of construction and is home to five heritage sites including the Old Perth Gaol, Australia’s “oldest” grapevine estimated to date back to the 1850s, Hackett Hall and the Old Library state, which includes the giant statue of a blue whale named Otto.
‘Very disappointed with the To The Moon exhibition. We went yesterday with our 12 grandson and found the experience very boring and quite disorganized. For what was there, it should have been a free event, definitely not worth it,” one upset grandfather wrote about the museum.
‘Well, that was a disappointment. The museum was a favorite of mine for a long time and I was very excited for the update. What a waste of millions of dollars!’ said another.
Most of the negative reviews referred to the old museum, which was “full of artifacts,” rather than “mediocre cardboard exhibits.”
Legoland
Legoland Discovery Center was the next Australian destination on the damning list at number 24. Four of the franchise’s locations appeared on the list.
The center revolves around the popular construction toy and features 13 Lego-themed play areas.
Legoland in Melbourne was also on the list, along with three other Legoland centres.
‘Extremely disappointing. The place was dirty, two attractions very boring, Lego City was average. Honestly, they are charging too much for an indoor playground,” one wrote.
Another said they were disappointed with the food and customer service when they went to the Melbourne-based restaurant.
The Sydney Museum
The Sydney Museum was ranked 32nd, with people complaining it was “too narrow”.
The modern building is built on and around the remains of Australia’s first Government House.
The physical remains of the colony’s first government house and archaeological relics from the colony’s first year of existence can be glimpsed through glass openings in the museum’s courtyard and lobby. This is the oldest evidence of its kind in Australia.
‘Thank you for locking us up to the point where we couldn’t even walk. Despite booking a time, we were put in two queues for about 20 minutes,” said one woman.
“I have never been so disappointed in a museum in my life. Most of it is about the construction of the Opera House, very little actual history,” wrote another.
The Sydney Museum came in 32nd place on the list
Immigration Museum
This Victorian tourist spot was ranked 52nd on the list; focuses on telling the stories of Victorian immigration through thought-provoking exhibitions.
The Migration Collection includes more than 6,000 objects documenting the migration experiences of Victorians since the 1830s and, consequently, the long history of cultural diversity of the Victorian and wider Australian population.
‘I became a member of the museum and all three places are disappointing. The Immigration Museum is the most unsatisfactory of all. “The ship was removed to make room for functions, there is no cafeteria or food there,” said one disgruntled visitor.
monkey
Mona in Tasmania came in at number 76, with over 11,000 reviews and an average score of 4.4 on Google.
The quirky underground museum, which stands for Museum of Old and New Art, is one of the ‘must-sees’ in Hobart and is famous for its unusual and often contradictory exhibitions.
But it’s clearly not for everyone.
‘It has a very strange dark feeling. There is a lot of sexual art, including a wall with a video of three standing naked women. And a wall full of women’s genitals. It seems very contrary to God,” wrote one woman.
People complained about Mona, with many suggesting the displays were too rude.
‘That’s not my idea of art. The building was amazing, the furniture around the bar was beautiful. If you set out to offend then you achieved your goal, in very bad taste. I would have hated to have a child with me. Totally inappropriate. The noisy tunnel we had to go through was horrendous. Even with my fingers over my ears my eardrums hurt. “What the hell does that have to do with art, I have no idea,” wrote another.
But others rated it highly.
‘It is also possibly the largest museum I have ever been to. I spent a total of four hours there. We were friends and after arguing it seemed like each of us had missed different parts. Very interesting concept and collection. The tunnels that connect different sections are also very interesting,” commented one visitor.
Luna Park
Luna Park Melbourne wasn’t far behind in 80th place, with many describing the theme park as “too expensive”.
The iconic destination features a clown-faced entrance like its sister attraction in Sydney.
With rides, side shows and food stalls, the park offers a permanent carnival atmosphere in the center of the city, and has done so for 110 years.
But it’s not for everyone.
‘The train journey only ran once every half hour. How slow to run!!! The queue was almost 2 hours long. Too expensive. Poorly managed. Trip management is too slow for a cloudy day with few people,” said one visitor.
Melbourne’s Luna Park left visitors with a bad taste in their mouths
“Wouldn’t go there again. Once admission was free, now you have to pay $20 and get the ride for free, the place is too small for the number of rides where you wait over an hour in line for some attractions “It’s nothing like it used to be when I was younger and a teenager.”
The bell tower
Perth’s bell tower was ranked 92nd with guests complaining that it rings too often and makes too much noise.
The Swan Bells are a set of 18 bells hanging in a purpose-built 82.5 meter copper and glass bell tower.
They are made from molds made from one of London’s most famous churches in Trafalgar Square, the bells of St Martin-in-the-Fields.
‘My aunt and I would have loved to pay the entrance fee and go up, but the staff were more interested in their conversation. Very disappointing,” one person said.