Adventuredome at the Circus Circus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas doesn’t have screaming thrill seekers, rumbling roller coasters, themed background music or any of the other sounds you’d expect to hear at an amusement park.
The 5-acre indoor amusement park on the Las Vegas Strip is whisper quiet and strangely devoid of any noise.
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Maybe it’s the contrast to the constant sounds and chaos of whirring slot machines, cheering craps players and even soaring trapeze artists on the Circus Circus casino floor. Or the 24/7/365 buzz of the Las Vegas Strip. Or my past experiences at dozens of theme parks around the world.
But I was stunned by the virtual silence of the Adventuredome amusement park.
The Sand Pirates pirate ship silently swung like the pendulum on a grandfather clock.
The rocking Disk’O skateboard halfpipe-style ride spun like a Frisbee whizzing through the air.
The Drifters Ferris wheel sent riders floating in hot air balloons that soared soundlessly toward the glass dome above the park.
The four rotating arms on the Nebulaz ride whirred furiously like the inner workings of a clock — and made less noise than a ticking second hand on a watch.
The El Loco coaster delivered big thrills — even though the smooth ride barely made a sound as it whooshed past.
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The Canyon Blaster was a rough ride with structural supports that rocked back and forth as the coaster raced along the track.
The only places where there was a soundtrack was on Angry Birds: The Ride and SpongeBob’s Crazy Carnival Ride — but both of those were inside enclosed rooms where the sound didn’t leak out on the midway.
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Part of the silence was due to the relatively low attendance at Adventuredome. I went to the indoor park on a recent Friday night in November and never had to wait more than a single cycle for any ride. Most of the attractions had nobody in line.
The low attendance could be a result of a visitor slump in Sin City.
Las Vegas saw its 10th straight month of declining visitor totals in October, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
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Maybe Adventuredome was suffering from Las Vegas’ seemingly dwindling interest in theme parks and thrill rides.
Vegas has moved away from themed hotels like the Venetian, Luxor and Excalibur that stole a page from the playbooks of theme park designers.
Many Vegas coasters have crapped out. The Speed coaster at the Nascar Cafe in the Sahara closed in 2011. The High Roller coaster atop the Stratosphere took its last spin in 2005. MGM’s Grand Adventure theme park only operated for a decade, closing in 2002.
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The 209-foot-tall Desperado at Buffalo Bill’s in Primm, Nevada, on the state line remains to this day the scariest roller coaster I’ve ever ridden in my life. The state line casino ceased daily operations over the summer and is now only open for concerts and special events.
The Big Apple at New York New York Casino is really the only coaster competition for Adventuredome on the Strip.
And maybe it’s just the unique nature of Adventuredome. The towering domed ceiling, curved glass walls and circular layout of Adventuredome just had a way of dispersing any sounds inside the indoor amusement park.
Regardless of the reason, I had a great time at Adventuredome — even if the energy level was near zero.
The big upside of the sparse crowds was longer rides on Disk’O and Nebulaz that seemed to last twice as long as I expected.