Thinking about taking a trip somewhere, but can't decide where to go? Why not make your next vacation a geeky one?
1. England (Hogwarts Castle)
There's a good chance you've never heard of Northumberland, England. But once you realize that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was filmed at Alnwick Castle in this very location, you'll be ready to hop on a plane and check it out! The castle is open daily from March 29 to October 27, 2019, so make sure to plan your trip during that window.
Of course, there's other stuff to do in Northumberland. The tourist website for the area says "You will never be short of stunning sights and unforgettable days out when you visit us," so you won't just be looking at the Harry Potter castle. But let's be honest, that's the real reason you're going!
2. Orlando, FL (Universal and Disney)
Orlando is packed with geeky things to do. Specifically, there's Universal Studios and Disney World. Each of these massive theme parks are packed with geeky things to do whether you're a family with children or just a couple of adults looking to hard a good time in the hot Florida weather.
Some specific attractions to point out are the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney, Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular at Disney, and Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal. There's no shortage of geeky experiences to be had in Orlando, that's for sure.
3. New Zealand (Middle Earth)
Have you always wanted to experience Middle Earth? Well, you can't, because it's not a real place. But you can get a small taste of where the fictional Middle Earth from the films was created in New Zealand, which is the next best thing.
And don't worry about trying to find all of the locations from the movies, because there are companies that provide tours of all the major spots from the film. Not only is New Zealand perfect for a Lord of the Rings fan, but it's a gorgeous country filled with picturesque landscapes and an incredibly interesting culture.
4. Japan (Otaku Culture)
You could make an argument that Tokyo is the geek capital of the world. So many of the classic video games we know and love are from companies based out of Japan. In fact, we've already looked at games that take place in Japan that'll make you want to visit the country.
While you're visiting Japan, you need to go to Akihabara and be prepared to be blown away. Akihabara really is the core of Tokyo's electronic, video game, and otaku culture, making it the perfect place for a western geek to visit.
5. Mountain View, CA (Geek Museum)
Here's another location that might leave you scratching your head when you just read the name of the city. But once I point out that it's the home of the Computer History Museum, you'll understand that it's basically the place that houses the history of one of the single most important geeky inventions (behind the lightsaber, of course).
The massive museum is located right in the middle of Silicon Valley, and it's packed with all kinds of mind-blowing exhibits including early supercomputers, a history of the first 2000 years of computers, an overview of autonomous vehicles, and much more.
6. Huntsville, AL (Adult Space Camp)
Remember when you were a child and the kids on Nickelodeon always won a trip to space camp for winning on Double Dare? You'd ask your parents to send you to space camp, but the cost was just too much. You're an adult now, and you have the money, but you can't go to space camp, right?
Wrong! Space Camp in Huntsville, AL offers a camp designed specifically for adults 18 and over with no limit on age (as long as you're physically healthy enough). The came is three days long, and will see you doing all the cool stuff you wanted to do as a kid!
7. Laconia, NH (Arcade Museum)
What geeky gem could be hiding in a small town in the northeastern part of the United States? The American Classic Arcade Museum! This non-profit spot offers an incredible trip through the history of arcade video games that any gamer will appreciate. It's actually located within Funspot, which claims to be the largest arcade in the world, so there's certainly no shortage of games to play—both old and new.
The description from the museum's website sums up the vibe the place offers perfectly: "The American Classic Arcade Museum will be a one of a kind facility that will keep this part of American history alive for those that experienced it and for those who were too young to remember." If that doesn't get you excited to go check out some retro games, I don't know what will!