Spot the Difference – Real Landmarks vs. Las Vegas Replicas

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Las Vegas is home to many iconic landmarks, such as the Bellagio fountains, which attract visitors from across the world. However, numerous Las Vegas replicas of iconic locations from across the world, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and the Venetian Canal.

This is one of the many things that Vegas offers that you can hardly experience playing online baccarat.

While many of the replicas are obviously just that, a survey carried out recently found many Americans struggled to spot the fakes when presented with photos. Here, we’ll take a brief look at how those surveyed fared when asked to identify the landmarks’ authenticity from photos.

The Statue of Liberty
Despite its iconic status, the Statue of Liberty was the most challenging for Americans to identify. An astounding 95.5% mistook the Las Vegas replica for the real one, with only 4% correctly identifying the New York original. Even the US Postal Service once mistakenly used an image of the Vegas replica on a stamp, which cost it $3.5 million.

Arc de Triomphe
There are more than 15 replicas of the Arc de Triomphe around the world, and one is in Las Vegas. Just 39% of people asked were able to identify the original Arc de Triomphe. In comparison, a further 38% thought that photos of a Chinese replica were the original, and 15.8% chose the Barcelona Arc de Triumf despite the fact it is clearly built with red bricks. However, just 8% thought that the Vegas replica was the original.

Trevi Fountain
The survey presented three options for the famous fountain in Rome: the original, Las Vegas, and Seoul. 40% of participants thought the Vegas replica was the real Trevi Fountain, while 37% believed Seoul’s version was authentic and only 24% correctly identified the original in Rome.

St. Mark Campanile Bell Tower
The St. Mark Campanile Bell Tower in Italy also proved tricky, with 58% of Americans thinking the Vegas replica was real. Another 27% mistook the Canadian copy for the original, leaving just 15% who correctly identified the authentic tower in Italy.

Erawan Shrine
The Erawan Shrine replica in Las Vegas is incredibly intricate, making it very hard for those unfamiliar with the landmark to spot that it was a replica. 55% of participants mistook it for the real Bangkok monument and only 45% identified the actual shrine correctly.

Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower has to be one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Incredibly, there are roughly 80 replicas of it around the world. The version in Las Vegas is half the height of the original, but in all other respects, very accurate.

Despite the fact that the photo in the survey contained a hotel swimming pool in the background, 54% still chose it as the original. Just 40% identified it as a replica, while 4% of people thought it was the replica in Paris, Texas.

The Great Sphinx
Not only does the Sphinx replica at the Luxor Hotel in Vegas look very new, but it is also covered in bright blue paint, unlike the original. Despite this, 51% of those asked thought it was the original and just 46% identified it as a replica.

Statue of David
People performed far better when asked to identify Michelangelo’s iconic work. 82% of those asked could identify the original. Interestingly, 58% were more likely to choose the replica in Piazza della Signoria in Florence as the original compared to the Vegas version. Nonetheless, overall, 93.6% were able to recognize the Vegas Statue of David as a fake.

Venice’s Grand Canal
This was one of the easier questions and 89% of respondents correctly identified photos of the real Venice Grand Canal, while only 7% confused it with the Vegas Canal. Perhaps the indoor setting and fake blue sky of the Vegas version are a bit of a giveaway.

Empire State Building
It is not surprising that Americans found it easy to spot the fake Empire State Building, with a 94% success rate. Only 3% mistook a photo of the New York skyline for the Vegas dupe, and another 3% thought it was from Miniland in Billund, Denmark.

The Best and Worst States at Identifying Monuments
Respondents from New Jersey were the best at identifying fake landmarks, with an accuracy of 62.5%. New Jersey was followed by Connecticut (60%), Oregon (59%), Michigan (58.18%), and Pennsylvania (56.67%). Right at the other end of the spectrum was Wyoming in last place with 30%.

Of course, very few people have the chance to visit all of these places in their lifetime, so identifying them is not easy. Furthermore, Las Vegas replicas are not the main focus; the attention is more likely to be devoted to their baccarat hands than their surroundings.

Hi, I’m Caroline, an experienced editor with a rich background in journalism. My career began at several Boston-based newspapers, where I specialized in editing and …