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The Shows and Entertainment at Circus Circus
The Adventuredome
The famous/infamous Adventuredome is a five-acre theme park, enclosed under a gigantic, bright pink dome. 25 rides and attractions provide the major draw for Vegas visitors under 21. Everyone with kids finds themselves drawn here sooner or later, simply because it keeps popping up on lists of "places to take your kids in Las Vegas." And it is popular, in season and out, hot weather or cool. Crowds pack the place, with children of all ages running everywhere. A walkway follows the circumference of the dome, and every few feet a new ride, game, or kiosk presents itself.
Some of the rides are small, easygoing machines that take parents and younger kids on minor flights of fancy. Others are state-fair-style vomit-inducers like the Inverter, a platform that spins on the end of a spinning metal arm, or Disc-O, a whirling disc that simultaneously rocks back and forth on a slide.
The Adventuredome, as Circus Circus' main attraction, is kept in fairly good shape. Shutdowns for maintenance are frequent, so visitors should be sure and check the Park Schedule for dates. New rides are added almost every year, and despite it's age, the park stays bright.
So why the "infamous" label? It's a strange place. Constant screams from the thrill rides bounce off the dome and echo around the cavernous space. The crowd can be so thick that it's difficult to get from one place to another. Some of the clown-themed art, on the walls since 1968, will be viewed a creepy by the clownaphobic. It was immortalized in the early 1970's, when Hunter S. Thompson included a paragraph about Circus Circus in his novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: "The Circus-Circus is what the whole hep world would be doing Saturday night if the Nazis had won the war."
Kids still love the Adventuredome, and the whole Circus Circus experience. Adults, maybe less, but plenty go for the sake of cheap entertainment and child-friendly facilities.
The Midway
One of the most popular sections of the Adventuredome is the Midway, a small street stuffed with carnival games. Nowhere else in Las Vegas can whack-a-chicken be played. A video arcade fills much of the are, with over 200 games, both new and classic.
The Circus Acts
On the center stage at the Carnival Midway, free shows play out every single day. Starting at 11:00 am, visitors will see acrobats, dancers, jugglers, clowns, and a few other international circus performers.
Click to elarge the Adventuredome Map
