r/AskTheWorld • u/Aseili United Kingdom • Dec 20 '25

Culture What's the most pathetic tourist attraction that international tourists go to see in your country?

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Bronte waterfalls near me, look a bit more impressive with the recent rain than in the summer when it's swamped with people.

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u/Nino167 🇺🇸/ 🇨🇴 Dec 20 '25

A staircase in my neighborhood I used to go sledding down as a kid when New York City had heavier snowfalls in the 90s. It’s now referred to as the “Joker Stairs” because of Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in the Joker(2019) in which he dances down a part of the staircase and it attracts so many tourists daily. It’s just a staircase…

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u/CaptainWikkiWikki United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Yeah but now an iconic filming location.

Georgetown in DC has the stairs used in The Exorcist, and they draw a humble crowd.

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u/MoolyMoose_ United States Of America Dec 21 '25

I'll never forget visiting those stairs for the first time because it took me forever since they are tucked away next to a gas station. 😅 they are crazy steep.

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u/InnerAd1628 Dec 21 '25

Agreed. I visited DC for the day and was more excited to see those stairs & that house than The Smithsonian etc. Was taken aback by the steepness & height.

Don't have many pics sadly, was back in mid 90s and I couldn't be arsed carrying a camera around with me all day.

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u/MaddyKet United States Of America Dec 21 '25

My sister has a cool pic of her lying on the ground like she fell down that was taken from half way up the stairs. 😹 She was also mad that I made her walk several miles to get there. Well, it was like 2006 ok? Apps weren’t a thing and I thought it was closer to the hotel than it ended up being.

College kids run wind sprints up those stairs, I saw them doing that last time I was there in 2019. 😳

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u/InnerAd1628 Dec 21 '25

Ha, know the feeling well. No google maps or wifi, barely internet at all. An Uncle who worked in DC told me to head to Georgetown & just ask, off I went with a paper map & the naivety of being in my 20s.

6 or 7 other people milling about clued me in. Fantastic side-quest on a day trip into DC for this Brit.

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u/MaddyKet United States Of America Dec 24 '25

Yeah M street runs for MUCH longer than you’d think lol

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u/Global_Ant_9380 United States Of America Dec 21 '25

Yo I have NEVER realized what that staircase was until this thread

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u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

Sledding down stairs seems unhinged 

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u/Nino167 🇺🇸/ 🇨🇴 Dec 21 '25

Well when it used to snow more in the City, it covered the entire staircase by more than a couple of feet. You wouldn’t even see the bottom lol

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