From ancient wonders to natural marvels, some people just can't behave themselves! Join us as we explore the most outrageous cases of tourist attractions damaged by thoughtless visitors. From carved initials to toppled formations, these sites have fallen victim to humanity's worst impulses.
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00:00We looked over, and there was probably eight guys pushing over the big rock."
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo! And today we're counting down our picks for the most infamous times
00:09beloved tourist attractions across the globe were damaged by the actions of thoughtless,
00:14entitled, and moronic people.
00:16Now look at this abomination!
00:20Number 20. The Sycamore Gap Tree
00:22Northumberland, England
00:24For around 150 years, the Sycamore Gap Tree stood near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, England.
00:30This iconic tree, set in the dip between two hills, became so famous
00:34that it even featured in 1991's Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.
00:38However, in 2023 there was national outrage when the old tree was senselessly chopped down.
00:44It looks like it's somebody who's known what they're doing,
00:47it's clearly machinery being used to do it.
00:50Due to Storm Agnes, locals didn't hear the local landmark being demolished.
00:54I looked up and thought, there's something wrong, that does not look right.
00:59During the police investigation, two men were eventually charged with destroying the tree.
01:04In 2024, the duo pled not guilty, and are set to face trial in April 2025.
01:10The National Trust estimated the healthy stump could take up to 200 years to develop a similar
01:15tree to what was once there. In 2024, the stump began sprouting.
01:20Number 19. Tha Fae Gate, Chiang Mai, Thailand
01:23In the Thai city of Chiang Mai sits the Tha Fae Gate,
01:26which marks the entrance into the ancient part of the settlement founded in 1296.
01:31Here it is.
01:34What?
01:34With all that history, you'd expect tourists to be respectful, right?
01:38Well, apparently not. In 2018, people awoke in Chiang Mai to find
01:43Scouser Li spray-painted on the ancient gate's wall. Even if there wasn't CCTV footage of the crime
01:49taking place, the tag could easily be traceable to one nearby person, Lee Furlong. After all,
01:55Scous is slang for someone from Liverpool, England, and that's where he was from.
02:00Have you seen this man before?
02:01I don't know.
02:02I don't know. It's some kind of scarcer, I think.
02:05He was arrested alongside Canadian Brittany Schneider. Furlong was given two years of parole and fined
02:11around $6,000.
02:13Number 18. The Meiji Jingu Shrine, Tokyo, Japan
02:17There's a strange epidemic when it comes to tourists visiting ancient sites and graffitying
02:22monuments with initials. In 2024, it was the turn of the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo, Japan.
02:28Meiji Shrine is the largest shrine in Japan, covering 170 acres with the forest,
02:35the gardens, and the buildings.
02:37Dedicated in 1920 to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, the Shinto Shrine was
02:43defaced by American Stephen Lee Hayes. He carved initials, believed to be referring to his family,
02:49into a wooden pillar at the monument's entrance. However, unluckily for Hayes, after the markings
02:54were discovered by staff, they reviewed the site's CCTV and saw him seemingly making the indents with
03:00his fingernail. He was arrested the following day at his hotel.
03:04He could face up to three years in prison, or a fine of around $1,900 US dollars.
03:11Number 17. Goblin Valley State Park's Hoodoo, Emory, Utah
03:16Scattered throughout Goblin Valley State Park in Emory, Utah, are hoodoos, also known as goblins,
03:22tent rocks, and many other names. Hoodoos are formations of mushroom-shaped sandstone,
03:27and Goblin Valley has the highest occurrences of these in the world.
03:30They're unusual thin spires of rock, some of which have ties to Native American history.
03:36Well, in 2013, a group of men recorded themselves knocking a hoodoo over as they giggled.
03:42Weirdly, they claimed they were doing a civic service as the rock could have hurt someone,
03:53despite one putting in a lot of effort to knock it over. As well as facing criminal charges,
03:59two of those involved, Glenn Taylor and David Hall, were dropped as leaders in the Boy Scouts.
04:04The duo pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges, and received a year of probation,
04:09and thousands in fines and costs. Number 16. The Senator, Longwood, Florida
04:15For an estimated 3,500 years, the especially named bald cypress tree,
04:21the Senator, stood in the Big Tree Park in Longwood, Florida, making it one of the oldest
04:27trees in the world. But all that changed in 2012.
04:30From Chopper 2 we could see the big tree completely ablaze. It was breaking news, which broke hearts.
04:36It's part of our history as a family.
04:40One night, Sarah Barnes lit a fire in the hollow trunk so she could use illegal substances.
04:46However, the flames spread and engulfed the tree, destroying it. Now, only its burnt-out husk remains.
04:53A neighbor was shocked.
04:54I heard about that and I was horrified. That's a big part of Florida's culture.
04:57A clone of the Senator was planted near the park's entrance, aptly named the Phoenix. In 2014,
05:03Barnes received a suspended sentence, ordered to do community work, and had to pay $12,000 in
05:08restitution. However, due to another arrest that violated her probation,
05:13Barnes was sentenced to 30 months in 2016.
05:16Number 15. Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum,
05:19Aschwenczym, Poland
05:21When walking into the Auschwitz I concentration camp at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in
05:26Aschwenczym, Poland, you're greeted by the infamous Iron Gates with a sign stating
05:31Arbeit macht frei, meaning work makes you free in English. However, in 2009, the sign was stolen.
05:38A profanity, said a spokesman for the Auschwitz Museum. It is unbelievable,
05:43sad, and frustrating. While it was found days later, it had been cut into three pieces.
05:48A replacement was put up in its place. The broken sign was repaired and is safe inside the museum.
05:53It's impossible to imagine who'd steal the sign, said Poland's chief rabbi,
05:58but whoever did has vandalized world memory.
06:02The theft was arranged by Swedish far-right extremist Anders Högström, who planned to sell
06:07it to collectors. In 2010, Högström was sentenced to two years and eight months in a Swedish jail,
06:13while the five Polish men who committed the theft received various sentences.
06:17Number 14. Moai, Easter Island, Chile
06:21Believed to have been built by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500,
06:25the Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile have baffled people since Europeans arrived on the
06:31island in 1722, leading to many conspiracy theories.
06:35How did they move these? Because you're talking about, you know, tons and tons,
06:40and you don't have the modern equipment we have now.
06:41Yeah, that's right.
06:42In 2008, Finland's Marko Kuliu checked out the human-like figures made from volcanic rock.
06:48Yet he wanted a particular souvenir, one of the figure's earlobes. So he chipped it off.
06:54However, a local woman caught him trying to smuggle it away.
06:57Upon Kuliu's arrest, the island's mayor, Edmunds Paola, demanded an ear for an ear. Yikes.
07:04Instead of that punishment, Kuliu was fined $17,000 and ordered not to return to the island for three years.
07:11Do you feel the connection to your ancestors through the statues?
07:16Yes, she really feels that one because she's from that ancestral people.
07:21Number 13. The House of Chai and the House of Vestal Virgins. Pompeii, Italy.
07:26In 79 AD, the city of Pompeii in Italy was engulfed in volcanic debris from Mount Vesuvius.
07:32Since being rediscovered in the 1500s, it's become an incredibly preserved piece of ancient
07:41history for people to walk around in. However, instead of enjoying the experience with respect,
07:46in 2024, one tourist from Kazakhstan was recorded carving his name into a wall, only getting as far
07:53as ALI before he was stopped. The tourist was arrested and expected to pay for the restorations.
07:59Several weeks later, a British tourist was caught engraving family initials and dates
08:04into a wall on the House of Vestal Virgins. Due to these and other incidents,
08:08Italy increased fines to historical sites up to nearly $66,000.
08:12Number 12. Machu Picchu, Peru. Known as one of the wonders of the world,
08:25millions of tourists flock to the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru every year.
08:30Located northwest of Cusco, Peru, Machu Picchu is a testament to the power and ingenuity of the Inca
08:36people. However, in 2020, a group of six international tourists did something gross
08:42that ruined the iconic place. They were found in a restricted part of the Temple of the Sun
08:47and had damaged some of the stonework by causing a crack. To make it even worse,
08:52they'd also defecated there. Yep.
08:55That is disgusting.
08:57Unsurprisingly, the group was arrested and deported from the country. One Argentinian,
09:02Nahuel Gomez, was sentenced to three years and four months. However, due to having no criminal
09:07record, Gomez was spared jail if he followed conditions. But he was fined around $1900.
09:14Number 11. The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Unveiled in 80 AD, the Colosseum in Rome,
09:20Italy became famous for its gladiatorial fights. However, its rich legacy doesn't stop people from
09:27ruining it. In 2020, an Irish man was arrested as he was carving his initials into a pillar.
09:32Then, in 2023, Ivan Dimitrov, who lived in England, was recorded etching Ivan plus Haley 23 into the
09:40wall. After Italian authorities uncovered his identity, Dimitrov wrote an apology letter to
09:46the city's mayor, where he also claimed he didn't know how old the Colosseum was. He was fined around
09:52a thousand dollars. However, Dimitrov's lawyer stated the officials hadn't provided him with an
09:57IBAN to make an international transfer. The beating heart of Rome is not the marble of the Senate,
10:04it's the sand of the Colosseum. Number 10. Casa dos Moros Dolmen, Vigo, Spain.
10:10Despite the fact that there are so many morons doing moronic things in this world,
10:15it's always kind of shocking when things like this happen. A popular tourist attraction in Virgo,
10:20Spain is the Casa dos Moros Dolmen, a 4,000-year-old megalithic stone formation.
10:27In 2016, someone spray-painted one of the dolmen stones with a symbol from Harry Potter,
10:33of all things, and wrote always with what appears to be an emoticon heart at the end.
10:38It's honestly an inexplicable action, and defies any common sense. Dolmens are believed by archaeologists
10:45to be tombstones and grave sites, so not only is this immature, it is highly disrespectful.
10:51Treacherous little bleeder. Is there no one we can trust?
10:54Number 9. Margate Beach, Margate, England. This is something that happens frequently,
11:00but let's just pick out one beach in particular. Margate, in Kent, UK, refers to itself as the
11:05original seaside on tourist sites, and is home to many attractions such as a theme park and art
11:11galleries. In 2019, an event attracting around 500 people was held on the beach, in addition to the
11:17number of usual beachgoers. The event was provided with trash bins, bags, and plenty of provisions to
11:23not make a huge mess in the sand. This was all futile, however, as visitors were said to leave a
11:30heartbreaking amount of litter on the beach. The seagulls were thrilled, humans not so much.
11:35Number 8. The Cliffs of Moher, Ireland. The Cliffs of Moher were naturally formed over 320 million
11:49years ago, and are a unique geological wonder to behold on the coast of Ireland. They've been
11:55declared part of a UNESCO Global Geopark, which means that there is extra effort to conserve the
12:00location and its awe-striking visuals. However, we clearly can't have nice things.
12:06This particular location is out of the way, it won't be visible to tourists by and large.
12:10My concern is that other people copycat will do other artwork.
12:13In 2013, two French graffiti artists, who go by Mama and Dirty Edouard, decided to spray paint an
12:20eight-by-six-foot, swirly, multicolored, and impossibly unwelcome abstract piece of street art on the
12:26cliffs. Why? Just, why? Why would you do such a foolish thing?
12:31Geologists were quick to assess the damage, some saying that erosion and waves will likely
12:36naturally remove the paint. However, it could take years, and possibly decades, to entirely disappear.
12:42The rock's 300 million years old, it's got its own natural beauty, it's weathered by the waves,
12:46the wind, over vast periods of time. That's what people come to see, they don't come to see somebody
12:50spray-painting it. Number 7. The Little Mermaid Statue, Copenhagen, Denmark.
12:54Copenhagen's most famous statue, the Little Mermaid, has been victim to vandalism an astonishing number
13:00of times over the years. It seems people have seen the piece fit for a number of protest declarations.
13:16The statue was commissioned in 1909, and has since been beheaded twice, had her arms sawed off,
13:22was found floating in the harbor, held some adult toys, and has been covered in paint a couple of
13:28times. In 2020, a vandal spray-painted the words racist fish onto the stone beneath the mermaid,
13:35without any direct explanation. A number of monuments have been defaced in the past few years
13:40with explanations. It's hard to see what the character that would eventually become Ariel did to
13:45anybody, however. Number 6. Fifteen Statues, Parque Museo La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico.
13:52The problem with allowing tourists to view historical objects in a large open space is
13:57that they are much too close to the artifacts. Stay back! Kaiju specimens are extremely rare,
14:02so look but don't touch me! This has often been an issue in the British Museum for the same reason.
14:07The Parque Museo La Venta is a stunning outdoor museum and park, in which visitors can view centuries-old
14:13Almac culture sculptures. In 2018, two men, tourists from Indonesia, were taken into custody after
14:21damaging 15 of these sculptures by pouring oil all over them. Fifteen! It's difficult to know why
14:28anyone would do this, but thankfully, these two idiots were caught. Number 5. Azalea Trees,
14:34Liangshan, China. The Sichuan Province of China is home to an incredibly beautiful bloom of azalea
14:41trees and idyllic scenery. Because of this, thousands of tourists flock to the area in their
14:46cars, blocking local traffic and life. That's not the worst part, however. The tourists can't just
14:51look with their eyes. Aside from the trash left everywhere, tourists have been known to uproot and
14:56steal the azalea trees, tear the branches off to get better pictures, and even use the azalea branches
15:03to start barbecue fire pits. Azalea trees can only grow 2,800 feet above sea level atop mountains,
15:10and are thus delicate to begin with. These are earthly wonders that will rapidly disappear with
15:16continued barbaric behaviors. And by the way, smoking don't. Apparently it wilts the azaleas.
15:22Number 4. The Duckbill Rock Formation, Oregon, US. The Duckbill was a sandstone rock in Cape
15:29Kawanda State Natural Area in Oregon, US. It was an ancient hoodoo formation, which is basically a
15:35tall, thin spire, naturally resembling a duck's head. Hence its nickname. The key word here is
15:42was, as it's no longer there. In 2016, a group of teenagers decided to topple the formation over,
15:49destroying it. The search is on today for these knuckleheads who toppled an iconic rock formation.
15:58Over the years, the structure had become weakened from the abundant amount of visitors climbing it,
16:03so the park had erected a fence around it to avoid tourist contact. Claiming to be doing the
16:08park a public service to avoid accidents? Sure. The teens pushed the rock until it collapsed and
16:15shattered. Kind of just like, laughed it off, took it with pride that they destroyed something
16:21magnificent, and then just kind of disappeared right after. Number 3. The Hot Springs, Yellowstone
16:27National Park, Wyoming. Yellowstone is known for its impressive natural hot springs, and many a
16:33tourist has done stupid things in or around them. However, this one is a slow burn caused by a large
16:40number of visitors. Morning Glory is one of the most famous springs. Images from the 1940s show the
16:46spring in its former glory, pun intended, with a tropical blue hue, hence its floral name. However,
16:54recent photos show the spring is now a dark green edged with yellow and orange.
16:59Guests started complaining of a strange colored water and also a foul odor.
17:04This has been proven recently to be due to the abundant amount of pennies, rocks, and general trash
17:10tourists throw into Morning Glory. If your penny wish was to ruin a stunning natural phenomenon,
17:16congratulations. Number 2. Seven U.S. National Parks, U.S.
17:22Social media has really led to some moronic behavior in the past decade or so.
17:27Don't Instagram that. Over 26 days in the fall of 2014, 23-year-old Casey Knockett
17:33defaced government property in seven U.S. national parks with her graffiti, which consisted of her
17:39mediocre artwork and Instagram handle. She claims to have done so, quote,
17:44in the name of art. But that's a little hard to believe, given the social media info provided.
17:49Knockett even bragged about using acrylic paint. And when an Instagram user told her it would be
17:55difficult to wipe off rock, she replied, I know, I'm a bad person.
18:01Due to said info, she was quickly tracked down and caught by authorities.
18:05Knockett was subsequently sentenced to two years probation and is banned from all government-owned parks.
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18:28Number 1. The Pyramids and the Sphinx, Egypt. Arguably the most recognizable tourist attractions,
18:34the Egyptian pyramids and the Sphinx are subject to decline due to massive amounts of visitors.
18:40There are some natural phenomenon at work here, such as breath and humidity from tourists in abundance
18:45doing damage to the ancient structure walls. However, there is, of course, a human stupidity
18:50element as well. Once again, people can't just use their eyes. Tourists have been known to chip
18:56away at the rocks on the attractions to get souvenirs, as well as flat-out steal parts of
19:01artifacts and illegally climb the structures. In 2013, the Temple of Luxor was defaced by a
19:07teenage tourist who wrote the classic So-and-so was here… on ancient Egyptian artwork. Bravo!
19:16What other tourist attraction that was ruined by morons did we miss from our list? Let us know below!
19:22So, what do you guys think about the fact that you can't actually go there to Maya Bay?
19:26I think that probably there is a good reason, because people destroyed this beach before us.
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