More than 40% of millennials admit to prioritising “instagrammability” when choosing a vacation destination, according to one U.K. survey. This means that nearly half of people older than 33 may not consider a destination unless they can post about it on the social media platform. But many of the most popular attractions on the photo sharing app are popular in their own right, not specifically as a tourist destination.
To determine the most popular U.S. attractions on Instagram, 24/7 Tempo reviewed analysis by global luggage storage network, Stasher. Stasher’s list of attractions included 99 global tourist hot spots selected based on 200 Instagram posts on each attraction’s hashtag. Engagement rates were determined by the number of likes. For the purposes of this list, 24/7 Tempo selected only the attractions located in the U.S.
Instagram users love to check in at theme parks. Seven of the 21 top attractions on this list are amusement parks, and five of the seven are Disney-themed.
Though theme parks steal the show in the social media app, New York City steals the show when it comes to hosting popular destinations. Six of the 21 destinations on the list are located in the city that never sleeps — four of them among the top five.
Some destinations are hard to capture in a way that makes them “instagrammable,” at least according to some people, but that doesn’t mean they are less worthy of visiting. These may be the very last unspoiled places in America.
21. Epcot
> Location: Bay Lake, Florida
> Type of attraction: Theme park
> Instagram engagement index: 0.33 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 96 out of 99
20. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
> Location: Washington D.C.
> Type of attraction: Natural history museum
> Instagram engagement index: 0.58 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 89 out of 99
19. Busch Gardens
> Location: Tampa, Florida
> Type of attraction: African-themed animal theme park
> Instagram engagement index: 0.83 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 78 out of 99
18. Universal Studios Orlando
> Location: Orlando, Florida
> Type of attraction: Theme park
> Instagram engagement index: 0.84 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 77 out of 99
17. Disney’s California Adventure
> Location: Anaheim, California
> Type of attraction: Theme park
> Instagram engagement index: 1.07 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 70 out of 99
16. PIER 39
> Location: San Francisco, California
> Type of attraction: Shopping center
> Instagram engagement index: 1.08 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 69 out of 99
15. Grand Central Terminal
> Location: New York City
> Type of attraction: Rail station
> Instagram engagement index: 1.28 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 58 out of 99
14. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
> Location: Bay Lake, Florida
> Type of attraction: Theme park
> Instagram engagement index: 1.30 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 57 out of 99
13. Golden Gate Bridge
> Location: San Francisco, California
> Type of attraction: Suspension bridge
> Instagram engagement index: 1.37 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 54 out of 99
12. Lincoln Memorial
> Location: Washington D.C.
> Type of attraction: National memorial
> Instagram engagement index: 1.43 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 50 out of 99
11. Niagara Falls
> Location: Ontario, Canada/Buffalo, New York
> Type of attraction: Three waterfalls
> Instagram engagement index: 1.51 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 49 out of 99
10. Disneyland Park California
> Location: California
> Type of attraction: Theme park
> Instagram engagement index: 1.55 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 47 out of 99
9. The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
> Location: New York City
> Type of attraction: Memorial and museum
> Instagram engagement index: 1.59 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 44 out of 99
8. Magic Kingdom Park
> Location: Bay Lake, Florida
> Type of attraction: Theme park
> Instagram engagement index: 1.61 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 43 out of 99
7. The Art Institute of Chicago
> Location: Chicago, Illinois
> Type of attraction: Art museum
> Instagram engagement index: 1.93 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 35 out of 99
6. Hollywood Walk of Fame
> Location: Los Angeles, California
> Type of attraction: Hollywood boulevard
> Instagram engagement index: 2.47 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 29 out of 99
5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
> Location: Tennessee and North Carolina
> Type of attraction: National park
> Instagram engagement index: 2.68 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 26 out of 99
4. Statue of Liberty
> Location: New York City
> Type of attraction: Sculpture
> Instagram engagement index: 3.02 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 21 out of 99
3. Times Square
> Location: New York City
> Type of attraction: Plaza
> Instagram engagement index: 3.59 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 15 out of 99
2. Metropolitan Museum of Art
> Location: New York City
> Type of attraction: Art museum
> Instagram engagement index: 5.44 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 7 out of 99
1. Central Park
> Location: New York City
> Type of attraction: Urban park
> Instagram engagement index: 5.90 out of 10
> Overall Instagram popularity rank: 4 out of 99