Landmarks That Have Been Destroyed By Tourists

Tourists love landmarks. But they often destroy them by accident. Because tourists are, after all, people. And people are bumbling idiots. Check out all these landmarks that have been destroyed (or at least horrifically damaged) by tourists…

Duckbill (Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, Pacific City, Oregon)

Some A-hole tourists purposefully knocked over Duckbill, an iconic sandstone “hoodoo” rock formation in Oregon. What they didn’t realize is they were being filmed. According to the person who filmed them, the vandals claimed the iconic rock was a safety hazard, but the onlooker said they laughed the whole time as they destroyed it. They were never caught.

Saint Michael Statue (Lisbon, Portugal)

An idiot tourist checking out the Saint Michael statue in the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon tried to take a selfie which, as you can see, did not go well. He backed up too far, knocking the statue to the ground and shattering it. Experts said the damage done to the statue was irreparable.

Paolo Porpora Painting (Taipai, Taiwan)

A 12-year-old boy visiting a Taipei art museum accidentally tripped in front of a $1.5 million painting and punched a hole in it when he fell. Luckily for the boy, the museum was actually super understanding, saying insurance would cover the repairs. “This is just a simple accident,” officials said in a statement. “Please don’t blame a 12-year-old child.” They even planned to invite the boy to volunteer with them for a day.

Ecce Homo Fresco (Borja, Spain)

A fresco of Jesus painted in the Sanctuary of Mercy church in Borja, Spain, in 1930 by Elías García Martínez was wearing away, so amateur art restorer Cecilia Giménez took it upon herself to “fix” it. The result was compared to a “blurry potato” and a “monkey.” Though at first the “restoration” of the minor work seemed like a disaster, the hilarious result has caused a tourist boom and led to brisk sales of all sorts of souvenirs.