15 Ridiculously Bad Reviews of Amazing Museums

Satisfying everyone is an impossible task. Even the most prestigious venues face complaints about endless queues, overwhelming crowds, and brusque staff on platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor. However, some reviewers appear to have completely misunderstood the essence of the places they visited.

“I despise art, I can’t stand tour guides, and I’m furious they removed the Rocky statue.”

The Philadelphia Museum of Art boasts works by Dalí, Degas, Manet, and Monet. However, according to a Yelp reviewer, the highlight was the Rocky statue, which was relocated from the top of the museum steps to the bottom in 2006. (Sic throughout.) “I’m upset they removed the Rocky statue,” the reviewer stated. “I’d only recommend this place if you enjoy serious tour guides and dull nude sculptures... honestly, that’s all it has to offer…”

“I was hoping for scenes straight out of Night at the Museum.”

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is not just a tourist spot but also a hub for groundbreaking scientific research. While most of its 33 million specimens remain behind the scenes, visitors can marvel at dinosaur fossils, precious gemstones, massive meteorites, and lifelike animal dioramas that recreate their natural environments.

Despite these incredible exhibits, a Yelp reviewer left unimpressed. “I anticipated scenes like those in Night at the Museum, but only the exterior matched,” she wrote in her one-star review, deeming the museum “not worth the expense or effort,” a sentiment likely contested by many AMNH visitors.

“It’s 2015, INSTALL SPLASH GUARDS!!!!!”

Visitors flock to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to admire masterpieces by artists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Mary Cassatt, explore ancient Egyptian temples, and marvel at medieval armor—not to linger in the restrooms. Yet, one Yelp reviewer found the men’s room experience to be the most memorable part of his visit:

“First off, most people don’t realize you can enter for just a penny. Secondly, no splash guards in the bathroom?? I’d rather pay the full $25 and have splash guards. Seriously, in such a grand and prestigious museum, how could they overlook something as basic as splash guards??”

Judging by the rest of his review, he wasn’t impressed by the exhibits either. “Add splash guards, and maybe I’d bump it up to two stars,” he remarked.

“The exhibits here are nothing special. You could find similar things at any decent Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.”

The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia was established in 1858 thanks to a donation by Thomas Dent Mütter, a surgeon known for his groundbreaking work in plastic surgery for burn victims. Alongside numerous wax figures (many collected by Mütter), the museum houses the conjoined livers of Chang and Eng Bunker, fragments of Einstein’s brain, and the tallest skeleton displayed in North America. However, a Yelp reviewer, who claims to be “super, super easy to please,” found it all rather boring, stating, “The exhibits here are nothing special. You could find similar things at any decent Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.”

A TripAdvisor reviewer shared a similar sentiment, expressing disappointment: “This museum is essentially two floors filled with skulls, more skulls, and fetuses preserved in jars... To truly appreciate what’s here, you need a deep interest in the medical field... I expected to see something extraordinary—like a fork lodged in an esophagus or something along those lines.” Apparently, a woman whose body turned into soap in her grave doesn’t compare to the thrill of a fork in an esophagus.

“There’s nothing particularly unique or captivating, and the rooms... are mostly underwhelming.”

There’s much to say about Chateau de Versailles, the lavish retreat of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. However, calling its extravagant rooms unimpressive might not be one of them—though this TripAdvisor reviewer disagrees: “The exterior is stunning, but the interior falls short,” with the Hall of Mirrors being the sole highlight. “Would I recommend it? If you’ve never seen a royal estate with vast grounds or have a keen interest in French royal history, then yes. But if you’ve visited similar sites in Bavaria or Britain, Versailles offers nothing new.”

“If I’m paying $6 to endure what feels like a lengthy Dr Pepper ad, the least they could do is give me a free Dr Pepper.”

Labeling the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas, as “a prolonged Dr Pepper commercial” might be a stretch, but this Yelp reviewer makes a fair point about the lack of complimentary soda:

“Just one can—that’s all I’m asking. When you tour major breweries like Miller or Budweiser, you get multiple free beers (plus, those tours are genuinely engaging, unlike the Dr Pepper Museum). I understand this isn’t a factory tour, and I didn’t expect it to be. But for $6, I hoped for more than a few rooms filled with vintage ads and bottles. To be exact, I wanted those rooms AND a free Dr Pepper.”

“This would work better as a traveling exhibit.”

Browsing through Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews of museums often reveals comments like “it’s no Smithsonian”—but even the Smithsonian isn’t safe from mediocre critiques. For instance, this two-star review of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery states, “Not much to see here. The space could be used more effectively. It’s nice and cool inside, though! It’d be perfect for a traveling exhibition.”

“FREE but nothing special.”

Similarly, a Yelp reviewer awarded the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History three stars, describing it as “just average. FREE but nothing remarkable,” before critiquing specific displays:

“O. Orkin Insect Zoo - Closed, according to a friend who works there. Disappointing.African Elephant - Massive, but essentially just a photo op.Dinosaur Hall - Mediocre.Hope Diamond - Underwhelming.”

OK!

“Hardly any horse paintings to be found.”

London’s National Gallery showcases masterpieces by legendary artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and Cezanne, among others. Yet, this TripAdvisor reviewer, a horse lover, left unimpressed. “Piff! (Too many portraits of deceased individuals),” they wrote. “My heart sank as I entered—scarcely any equine art, not even Red Rum or Aldaniti were represented.”

“Needs more live monkeys and fewer airplanes.”

Animals ventured into space long before humans, which might explain why this TripAdvisor reviewer expected to see monkeys at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., instead of visiting a zoo. “I came here hoping for monkeys and left disappointed,” they noted. “There was only one fake monkey. Unbelievable.”

“Unless you’re a Van Gogh enthusiast, skip this.”

Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of the artist’s works, features iconic pieces like Sunflowers and The Bedroom, alongside exhibits where contemporary artists interpret his legacy. However, after waiting 30 minutes to enter, this TripAdvisor reviewer was underwhelmed. “Unless you’re a Van Gogh fan, skip this,” they wrote. “Van Gogh’s art is fine if you enjoy pieces that look like they were made by a child.” It’s unclear why someone who dislikes Van Gogh would visit a museum dedicated to him, and imagining a child creating The Potato Eaters is a stretch, but to each their own.

“If you don’t have kids and dislike being surrounded by hundreds of babies, toddlers, and kindergartners... steer clear!”

Complaints about too many children are common on Yelp and TripAdvisor, but it’s unusual to hear such grievances about the Boston Children’s Museum. Nevertheless, this Yelp reviewer didn’t hold back. “The museum is packed with irritable parents and crying kids, and there’s no cap on admissions,” they wrote. “Sure, the exhibits are decent, but I couldn’t wait to escape that chaos! Never coming back.”

“This has to be one of the most disappointing displays of so-called ‘art’ I’ve ever encountered—I could easily surpass this myself.”

The Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris showcases Monet’s iconic water lilies series, comprising up to 250 canvases. While these works are adored by many, one TripAdvisor reviewer was far from impressed, claiming the paintings were underwhelming and that she could have done better. “I don’t understand the French obsession with Monet’s lilies or most of the other artworks here,” she commented. “I’d rather endure something painful than return to this museum.”

“A worthless assortment of items looted by a wealthy woman during her global escapades.”

As stated on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s official site, its founder—who left a $1 million endowment upon her passing in 1924—was an avid art enthusiast, sports lover, and “the innovative mind behind one of the most extraordinary and personal art collections in existence today.” However, one Yelp reviewer holds a starkly different opinion of Gardner’s collection and the Boston museum bearing her name (also infamous for one of the most notorious unsolved art thefts in history). “Seriously, what’s all the hype about?” they questioned, adding,

“The museum felt dim, stuffy, overcrowded, and suffocating—more like a cluttered thrift shop than a reputable art institution. The first floor, in particular, was a chaotic mess, with every inch of wall space crammed with what seemed like a random assortment of items this wealthy woman collected during her travels.”

“A rather depressing and underwhelming spot.”

The California Academy of Sciences, nestled in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, boasts a four-story rainforest, an aquarium, a planetarium, a stunning green roof, and even an albino alligator named Claude—features designed to captivate nearly every visitor. Unless you’re this TripAdvisor reviewer, who dismissed the museum as “a tourist trap for those visiting San Francisco. The planetarium was mediocre at best. The rainforest felt like a letdown, and the earthquake simulation didn’t live up to expectations.” The only redeeming feature, according to this critic, was the aquarium, though they argued that spending $35 just for that was hardly worth it. “Monterey’s aquarium is far superior,” they remarked. “With so much to see in San Francisco, I’d recommend skipping this place altogether.”