This Scenic Park Named Best Tourist Attraction In America Is Not A State Or National One

The World Economic Forum has declared the United States the top country for tourism in 2024. Tens of millions of people visit the country every year and many of them will reel off their favorite cities, parks, and landmarks. But what, overall, is the "best" tourist attraction in all the 50 states?

There's no objective answer to a subjective question, but the popular booking site BookRetreats has crunched enough data to at least reflect the majority opinion. In the year 2024, the best tourist attraction in America is New York City's Central Park. 

You may groan at the exposure bias — NYC is by far the most visited city in the US — but there are numerous valid reasons why Central Park scores 4.075 out of 5, according to 7,500 visitor reviews combined with hotel prices and state safety rankings. Some may prefer the wilder nature of Richmond Park, but Central Park offers visitors a large green space yielding peace, privacy, the opportunity to exercise, and a navigability that allows one to enter and exit with relative ease. It's one of the first and best examples of urban public landscaping. It's also the most filmed location in the world.

Running roughly 2.5 miles from 59th to 110th Street, Central Park provides around 840 acres of landscape for rest and recuperation away from the buzz of the city and its chaotic subway stations (here's a guide on how to navigate New York City's subway system if you're feeling daunted), especially on the sweeping Sheep Meadow lawn just north of East 65th Street. Thousands of people could fit here in a comfortable, picnic setting. But if you want something a bit more secluded, you'll find many options off the footpaths that wind through the length of the park. 

Unlike larger parks in other cities — namely London's Richmond Park — Central Park isn't a green space that simply unfolds as nature intended. On the contrary, Central Park was designed and landscaped from 1857 to 1876. Laborers shifted enormous loads of dirt and topsoil, rearranging the landscape to accommodate bridges, roads, water supplies, and some 500,000 trees, shrubs, and other plants. Later, in 1934, the Central Park Zoo was added, which happens to be one of America's oldest zoos, and an under-the-radar attraction.

If you're a gardening geek, spring and summer will let you see the park's flora in peak bloom, and some of the best spots to enjoy this are at The Conservatory Garden, The Pond, the Shakespeare Garden, The Wisteria Pergola, and along the Azalea Walk and Lilac Walk. The park's numerous cherry trees are also a stunning sight to take in during early spring, and can be found on the east and west side of The Reservoir. Finally, fall is a favorite time to visit if you want to enjoy stunning autumn foliage. 

For some, Central Park is a maze of exercise opportunities. A scenic network of 58 miles worth of hiking trails may be modest compared to the great National Parks but they still feature enough inclines, unpaved terrain, and sheer distance to meet most physical needs. There are many miles of smooth walking paths, too, including a 6.1-mile loop with no overlaps that is perfect for intermediate runners. Whether you're an NYC resident, or a visitor looking to keep up your cardio while on vacation, Central Park is the perfect spot to enjoy the sites while simultaneously staying fit. 

Just south of 65th Street are the six Heckscher Ballfields where softball players slug through spring and summer. The fields usually close over winter to allow the surface to rest. There are 20 other ballfields on the Great Lawn and the North Meadow, which is the only area to accommodate baseball as well as softball. Although teams are required to apply for a permit if they want to play uninterrupted games at the park's ballfields, visitors are allowed to play scratch games without one.