NYC Tourist Traps: Scams to Avoid + Overrated Attractions to Skip & Alternatives

Welcome to the enchanting streets of New York City, a metropolis that never fails to captivate visitors from around the world. However, amidst the grandeur and allure lies a darker side of tourism – a realm of cunning scammers and deceptive practices that target unsuspecting visitors.

In this article, we’ll show you 3 notorious tourist traps in NYC and 5 overrated tourist attractions.

By shedding light on these deceitful practices, we aim to arm tourists with knowledge and awareness, empowering them to confidently navigate the city and avoid falling victim to these schemes and waste-of-time-and-money attractions in the city.

Here are three common tourist traps and scams in NYC:

1. Scammers to see the Statue of Liberty
2. Pedicabs & horse-drawn carriage rides
3. Break dancers in parks & crowded areas

And, here are five overrated NYC tourist attractions:

1. Serendipity 3
2. Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
3. The Charging Bull
4. Central Park Zoo
5. Museum of Ice Cream/Color/Illusions

Alright, let’s look at all of these in detail below. 👇

Common NYC Scams & Tourist Traps Podcast

Want to hear more podcasts like this? Head here.

3 Common NYC Scams

We’re first gonna look at common scams you’ll find throughout the city. These often end up wasting time and even more money! The common scams in NYC include:

1. Scammers to see the Statue of Liberty
2. Pedicabs & horse-drawn carriage rides
3. Break dancers in parks & crowded areas

Let’s look at each one.

1- Statue of Liberty Ticket Scammers

As you walk around Battery Park, you’ll often be approached by scammers trying to sell you Statue of Liberty tickets. They often will target people trying to get on the Staten Island Ferry (more on that later).

The scam of this is that the tickets they sell don’t actually stop on Ellis Island & Liberty Island (where the statue resides). Instead, you end up on a boat that goes by the Statue of Liberty.

While that’s still a valuable experience, you can do that for free!

So know that if it’s not Statue Cruises, it’s probably a scam… Just book it online ahead of time to be sure and make sure you verify that the boat stops at Ellis Island & Liberty Island.

I highly recommend going through a service like this for often discounted fares.

Alternative for Seeing the Statue of Liberty

If you want to just see the Statue of Liberty, take the Staten Island Ferry for free and it runs 365 days a year.

The Staten Island Ferry runs roughly every 30 minutes, with more frequent boats running during rush hour:

• Boats run every 10-20 minutes between:
  • 6:30 am and 9:30 am for the morning rush
  • 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm for the evening rush

View the full schedule here. The ride takes about 25 minutes each way.

The best place to stand to see the Statue of Liberty is on the right side of the boat along the railing (or else other people will end up in front of you, making it harder to see) when going from Manhattan to Staten Island. The left side is best for the return trip!

If you don’t end up getting on the return boat once arriving at the St. George Terminal in Staten Island, you may end up waiting up 30 minutes. There are some shops and overpriced food options though if that happens!

2- Pedicabs & Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride

Alright, we know this can be a somewhat divisive topic… but it shouldn’t be.

Let’s look at each tourist trap individually first.

Pedicabs

We’ll say it, the pedicabs throughout NYC are a nuisance, safety hazard, and tourist trap.

Nuisance: They take up the entire bike lane, constantly blast annoying music, and get in your way at SO many places (Central Park, leaving Broadway shows, etc.)!

Safety Hazard: We bike in the city daily. The vast majority of our almost-crashes have been because of the pedicabs. They drive recklessly and make everyone else, including their passengers, pay the price.

Tourist Trap: We’ve seen pedicab drivers charge upwards of $100+ to go a few blocks. If that isn’t a scam, I don’t know what is!

And to add to it, we’ve personally seen multiple pedicab dropoffs end in full-on shouting matches between the driver and passengers. Why would that be..?!

Deceitful pricing/advertising before riders get on, followed by MUCH higher prices when passengers arrive at their destination. 🙄

Just don’t do it!

Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride

Warning: This video may be disturbing

We understand the allure of a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park. Truly we do!

But zoom out for a moment and ask if horses should really be living and working in the crowded streets of New York City?!

The answer is no.

By taking one of these rides, you are supporting the inhumane treatment of animals. Don’t believe me?

Just Google ‘horses injured nyc’ or ‘dead horse nyc’.

We personally witness the often harsh treatment of horses and aloof coachmen/women of these horse-drawn carriages daily.

Again, don’t do it!

Related Reading: Cheaper Alternatives to NYC Tourist Attractions

Alternative Options

Anything is a better alternative than these options.

If you’re using a pedicab to get around, consider walking, taking a Lyft/Uber, riding the subway, or riding a bike instead. Any of these options will be much cheaper, safer, and more reliable way to get around Central Park!

If you want the horse-drawn carriage (or pedicab) ride for the tour of Central Park aspect, consider a guided bike tour!

Or, even check out the Central Park Audio Guide to take yourself on a tour.

3- Break Dancers/Street Performers in Central Park, near Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, etc.

Of all the tourist traps in NYC, the break dancers in the parks, near Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge near Dumbo, and other tourist destinations might be #1.

While we LOVE street performers and artists, there is a fine line between performing for some tips and all but forcing people to give you money for being “part of the show.”

I highly recommend you listen to this section in the podcast, but it generally goes as follows:

1. They lay out cones to block space, create a small performance area and play music
2. Performers do 2 minutes of real break dancing
3. Aggressively try to gather people in to make it look bigger and more exciting
4. Spend 10-20 minutes making it seem like they’re going to jump over ~15 people
5. Take money from people to get moved to the front of the line
6. End by jumping over usually one person
7. Rinse & repeat

You can find stories online of tourists having money all but pulled out of their wallets by these performers as “part of the show.”

That’s all we’ll say about this!

Alternative

Just keep walking. 😀

And instead, explore and go find a live musician in Central Park! You can often find live music performances near Strawberry Fields, The Mall & Literary Walk, and Bethesda Fountain (links open Google Maps listings).

Related Reading: Central Park Date Ideas & Romantic Things To Do

5 Overrated NYC Tourist Attractions

Now, let’s look at five common tourist spots in New York City that are not worth your time, money, or effort.

New York City offers nearly unlimited activities, restaurants, and unique landmarks to explore. Wasting your time on overhyped or overpriced attractions can eat away at your valuable time in the city.

Five overrated attractions and spots in NYC include:

1. Serendipity 3
2. Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
3. The Charging Bull
4. Central Park Zoo
5. Museum of Ice Cream/Color/Illusions

Let’s look at each one. 👇

1- Serendipity 3

Serendipity 3 is what you get if you ask a kid to design a dessert shop. The smells, decor, and flavors are… a LOT to handle.

Plus, most items are overpriced.

Alternatives to Serendipity 3

Instead of Serendipity 3, go to Caffè Panna or Grace Street.

Their desserts are unbeatable, and the vibes are immaculate. Grace Street’s Mango Madness is out of this world.

2- Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island

We lay out everything you need to know about visiting the Statue of Liberty in this article. That said, the experience is a bit overrated in our opinion. Here’s why:

• The experience takes way too long, close to 3-6 hours
• You will stand in line for a VERY long time… Going through security, waiting to get on the boat, waiting to get off the boat, waiting to get on the boat again, waiting to get off the boat again, waiting to get back on the boat. You get the picture
• You can get great views of the Statue of Liberty for free and in just over an hour via the Staten Island Ferry

Alternatives to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island

As mentioned, we recommend seeing the Statue of Liberty on the Staten Island Ferry. It runs frequently, is completely free, and only takes around an hour of your valuable time in NYC.

Additionally, you can go to Lower Manhattan and see the Statue from a distance. 🫡

3- The Charging Bull

The Charging Bull statue in the Financial District is crowded and not that exciting.

Even trying to get a picture is a nightmare due to the crowds…

While passing by or seeing it if you’re in the area makes sense, we don’t recommend going out of your way for the statue.

Alternatives to The Charging Bull

Instead of seeing The Charging Bull, go to the 9/11 Memorial Pools. They’re serene, beautiful, and have a deep meaning beyond “financial power”. 😬

4- Central Park Zoo

The Central Park Zoo is actually quite small, with not very many animals. It often just attracts people due to its location.

As a note, do NOT skip Central Park as a whole; we’re specifically zeroing in on the zoo.

Alternatives to the Central Park Zoo

If you want a zoo experience, go to the ⁠Bronx Zoo⁠. It has 265 acres and SO many exhibitions. It’s the largest metropolitan zoo and one of the largest, generally, in America!

Or, check out any of the Botanical Gardens throughout the city. 🌷

5- Museums of Ice Cream/Color/Illusions

Some places seem to only exist for social media, and the following museums fall into that category:

• Museum of Ice Cream
• Museum of Color
• Museum of Illusions

They’re a bit of a money grab, tourist trap, do it for the ‘Gram spots.

Alternatives to Money Trap Museums

Instead of one of those museums, spend your time and money on the world-renowned museums in New York City. Our top recommendations are:

• The Museum of Natural History
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)

These are worth every penny!

NYC Tourist Traps & Scams Recap

Generally speaking, New York City’s events, activities, and restaurants are completely worth it.

But unfortunately, some people take advantage of people by creating tourist traps in NYC!

Hopefully, this article will help you steer clear of a trap and help you have the most enjoyable time visiting New York City possible!

Want even more NYC insights? Sign up for our 100% free newsletter to access:

• Dozens of Google Maps lists arranged by cuisine and location
• 50+ page NYC Navigation Guide covering getting to & from airports, taking the subway & more
• Weekly insights on top spots, upcoming events, and must-know NYC tips

Get started below. 👇