What do you do when you have a few hours to kill on the Las Vegas strip? Most people would go try their luck at a casino, catch a show, or maybe do some shopping. However, for those of us seeking coaster credits everywhere we go, there are a couple of options nearby to satisfy that coaster craving.
You could head to the New York New York Hotel and Casino to catch a ride on the picturesque Big Apple Coaster, or you can head even further north to the Adventuredome at Circus Circus, an indoor amusement park with two roller coasters and a small collection of flat rides.
With only a few hours of free time before my brother’s wedding, I was itching to fit some coaster rides into my time in Vegas. And since I had already ridden the Big Apple Coaster on a previous visit to Las Vegas in 2021, I took the one-and-a-half-mile trek from the Flamingo to Circus Circus to check out the Adventuredome.
Upon entering the park, guests are greeted with large southwest-style rock formations that serve as the park’s main centerpiece, a theming element of the park’s largest coaster, Canyon Blaster. The rest of the park circles around Canyon Blaster and includes thrill rides, family rides, midway games, an arcade, a 4D theater, and more.
Unlike most traditional theme parks today, anyone can enter the Adventuredome free of charge. In order to ride any of the rides, you must purchase a wristband inside the park that costs $60 for anyone 48” or taller and $30 for anyone under 48” tall. These wristbands allow you unlimited rides at the Adventuredome all day.
My first ride of the day was on El Loco. The coaster, named after its S&S El Loco model, sports a 90-degree first drop, two dive loops, and an onboard audio system built into the headrests on each seat of its four-person trains. For me, the highlights of this coaster were the stalled dive loops, as they both held you upside down for an extended amount of time with only a lap bar holding you in your seat.
My two rides were audioless, but I hear the ride is supposed to feature onboard audio that plays upbeat music as you traverse the 1,300-foot layout. Either way, El Loco is a decent coaster and one of the more thrilling attractions at the Adventuredome.
After wandering around for a while looking for the entrance, I walked onto Canyon Blaster next, the park’s centerpiece Arrow Looper. At the top of the lift hill, riders get a great view out of the glass dome of the surrounding Las Vegas strip. The coaster features two back-to-back vertical loops, a double corkscrew, and a tunnel that leads back into the station at the end of the ride.
My experience on Canyon Blaster was smoother than I thought it would be, and the view out the top of the dome from the lift hill was well worth a few rides. Overall, I liked it better than I thought I would.
I’m not someone who usually spends a lot of time on flat rides, but I did have enough time to try a few things at the Adventuredome. The park’s Zamperla NebulaZ (named NebulaZ), drew the largest crowd in the park, not necessarily by riding the ride, but with the amount of people standing around watching it juggle its riders. It’s almost as fun to ride as it is to watch! And finally, as a sucker for the classics, I took a ride on the Circus Carousel.
Fortunately for me, I was able to do pretty much everything I wanted at the Adventuredome in less than two hours due to the fact that the park was pretty much empty. Part of this was probably because I visited on a Monday afternoon. However, compared to the crowds I sifted through on my walk on the strip, I expected a bit more people to be at the park.
Even for an entire day, I found $60 a bit pricey for the size of the park, especially considering the wristband is only required for riding the attractions and not necessary to enter the park. However, the park does have a variety of attractions for all ages, so I could see families with a range of ages and ride preferences getting more out of their wristbands than I did. Also, the addition of Spongebob’s Crazy Carnival ride in early 2024 will add another popular attraction to the Adventuredome’s lineup that will make the ticket price stretch even more.
Overall, my visit to the Adventuredome was brief but enjoyable. And although I didn’t get any rides on the Big Apple Coaster at the New York New York Hotel and Casino this trip, I couldn’t help myself from snapping a few photos.
For more on it and all the other coasters in Las Vegas, check out this Coaster Enthusiast’s Guide to Las Vegas.
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