The world’s attractions you can’t visit in 2023 — and alternative options for each

(CNN) – It already looks like 2023 will be the year of “revenge travel,” as people who have been cooped up during the pandemic take the long-awaited dream vacations they’ve been saving for.

However, while most of the world is open again and operating as before, not every attraction escaped the pandemic unscathed. Some have taken advantage of the downtime in tourism to remodel or upgrade infrastructure, while others have said goodbye forever.

Before you make your next travel plan, here are the places you need to cross off the list for 2023 — and in some cases, after. For each spot, we’ve included a backup destination for you to explore instead.

Train Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

Train Street, the most Instagrammable avenue in the Vietnamese capital, has long been a source of controversy. Old Quarter Street was famous for the trains that travel along the tracks just inches from the homes and shops. The place became popular with tourists who loved the thrill of industrial tracks with coffee shops within walking distance.

However, despite their outdated appearance, the tracks are still very much in use. Overtourism on Train Street not only became a nuisance, but a legitimate safety issue, as trains sometimes had to change tracks at the last minute to avoid people.

Plan B: Hanoi’s historic quarter, much of which was built by the French during the colonial era, has plenty of postcard-pretty lanes. Head to Nhà Thờ Lớn Hà Nội (St. Joseph’s Cathedral) and start exploring from there. There won’t be any trains rolling by, but there will be plenty of motorbikes.

Underground Museum, Los Angeles

The brainchild of artist couple Noah and Caron Davis, the Underground Museum has developed a reputation for supporting the work of artists of color.

Occupying a few small storefronts in the lesser-known neighborhood of Bernal Heights, the museum has also been a bookstore, curatorial space, and community center, and has persevered after the death of Noah Davis in 2015.

However, the epidemic was difficult in the underground museum. Despite notable fans and celebrities like Beyonce, Tracee Ellis Ross, and John Legend, the museum closed its doors in 2022.

It’s unclear what exactly happened, or if the museum will reopen elsewhere in another format.

“We simply don’t have any answers at this time. Therefore, we will also be closing the Museum until further notice. During this period, we encourage you to get involved in the wonderful art spaces throughout our beloved Los Angeles,” Caron Davis wrote in his post. Statement on the museum website.

Plan B: The free California African-American Museum in Exposition Park also highlights the work of black artists. Art lovers can listen to advice from Caron Davis at Los Angeles institutions like The Broad and LACMA.

Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

However, there is good news for her fans. The park is not disappearing – instead, it will join many other popular Singaporean natural and tourist attractions to create a new eco-tourism hub in the northern reaches of the city-state.

The new experience is called the Mandai Rejuvenation Project, and the aviary — which has been renamed Bird Paradise — is scheduled to open in 2023. Other parts of the project will open during 2024 and 2025.

Plan B: It’s easy to spend time outdoors in reliably warm Singapore. The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the only UNESCO World Heritage site in the country, while those who want to get up close to the animals can visit the Live Turtle and Turtle Museum in Yishun District.

Dublin Writers Museum, Ireland

Wild. Beckett. Yeats. Some of the most important authors in English literature have come from Ireland, and the Dublin Writers Museum in the capital celebrates this literary heritage.

Like many tourist attractions around the world, the museum closed in March 2020 for what was supposed to be a temporary closure.

Failte Ireland, the Irish national tourism authority that owns and operates the museum, announced in August 2022 that the museum would close permanently, saying that it “no longer meets the expectations of the contemporary museum visitor in terms of accessibility, presentation and interpretation.”

Plan B: Goodbye, Dublin Writers Museum, hello MoLI. The Literature Museum of Ireland opened to great fanfare in 2019.

A partnership between the National Library of Ireland and University College Dublin, it is home to such works of Irish literature as the first edition of James Joyce’s “Ulysses” (the museum’s title is a wink to protagonist Molly Bloom) and makes a point to highlight lesser-known figures as well as authors writing in the Irish language.

Jumbo Kingdom Floating Restaurant, Hong Kong

Years ago it wasn’t the world’s largest floating restaurant, with Hong Kong’s Jumbo Kingdom.

The restaurant, which has been featured in dozens of movies and TV shows and has been visited by everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to Chow Yun Fat, has become less and less popular with locals and tourists over the years.

9/11 Tribute Museum, New York City

Before the National September 11 Memorial and Museum opened at Ground Zero, there was the 9/11 Tribute Museum.

The quieter, more introspective cousin was opened in 2006 by loved ones who died in the World Trade Center attacks in 1993 and 2001. The small space in lower Manhattan was a gathering place for those affected by tragedies and was home to many. Objects and objects donated by survivors and families of the victims.

Plan B: Although the museum’s physical presence is gone, the majority of its holdings are now part of the permanent collection at the New York State Museum in Albany, about 150 miles north of New York City.

TeamLab Borderless and Edo-Tokyo Museum, Tokyo

Two Japanese museums are going through transitions this year.

Although located in Tokyo, the two museums are very different – the Edo-Tokyo Museum is a traditional history museum focusing on Japanese culture, while TeamLab Borderless is an all-digital experience created by self-described “super technologists”. ”

The Edo-Tokyo Museum has announced that it will be closed for at least three years during renovation. The riverfront building in the city’s Ryogoku district opened in 1993 and is known for its imitation, full-size kabuki theater.

Museum representatives say it will reopen in late 2025 or early 2026.

Meanwhile, TeamLab Borderless — which was crowned the world’s most visited museum by the Guinness Book of Records — will be relocated from its home in Odaiba to a new facility in the highly anticipated Toranomon-Azabudai project, which is due for completion in 2023. No announcement was made. No reopening date yet.

Plan B: Tokyo is a museum lover’s dream, with plenty on offer, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Morey Museum of Art and National Museum of Western Art. In Ueno Park, the Tokyo National Museum will scratch your history itch.

London Museum, UK

The Museum of Popular History and Culture makes a short move of great interest.

The museum, founded in 1912, will move from its current home at the London Wall to the nearby Public Market, a formerly derelict site that will be renovated and preserved.

In addition to the new digs, the destination will be rebranded as the Museum of London, extend opening hours on Fridays and Saturdays and encourage patrons to visit nearby local small businesses.

Queen Mary, Long Beach, California

The Queen Mary retired to Southern California in 1967 after a glamorous cruise ship across the Atlantic.

Now, the ship is in dire need of repairs.

On December 12, Long Beach announced that some tours on limited sections of the ship will resume—and best of all, they’re free. However, most of the amenities on board, including the hotel and restaurants, remain closed for the time being.

This story was originally published on December 12 and has been updated.