Circus Circus Amusement Arcade Hunstanton

Circus Circus is an amusement arcade located near the coastal promenade on Hunstanton Beach. Previously, the venue was known as Thomas’s No.1 Arcade and featured a dedicated arcade prize bingo section. Recently, however, the arcade has undergone an exciting renovation, featuring new internal décor, new external signage and, most importantly, lots of fun new arcade machines.

Arcade Entrance

This amusement arcade is located in a prominent position just off Beach Terrace. It can be accessed from level ground on the roadside or via steps and a ramped walkway from the South Prom car park. Where there was previously a bingo entrance on Beach Terrace, the doorway now opens into the main venue, with the ticket redemption prize shop on one side and the adult slots lounge on the other. The main entrance overlooks the car park access, which wraps around to its own terrace, where a row of shops and other entertainment venues can be found. Double doors on both beach-facing sides of the building make it wheelchair friendly and accessible for mobility scooters.

Children’s Arcade Games

At the main entrance, they have several young kiddie rides to be enjoyed by families passing by, and these include Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine a race car, an aeroplane and more. Perfect for family photos, there is also a boxing punch machine positioned outside for the older kids. 

Claw Machines

Circus Circus Arcade has an extensive range of claw machines, and they line the walls on every side of the venue. From large and classic Toy Family and Toy Taxi machines to the classic British red telephone box-style crane machines, there is a huge range of choice here and quality prizes on offer. 

They also have several Shining Cube machines and many modern Asian-style claw grabbers, including a nice array of Mini Baby 2 and the even smaller Sweets & Treats grabbers. These are perfect for young children who may not be able to reach the larger machines. 

There are also some dedicated Candy Cranes, which offer a huge range of sweets and lollies to be won. With the majority of claw machines here being only twenty pence per play, there is a real chance to win one of the fantastic branded plushies on offer. Fun teddies on offer included Mario, Steven the Seagull, Pokémon and Sonic characters to name a few. 

Coin Pushers

Circus Circus Amusements has a great range of classic coin pushers, with most of them being circular, including Star Trek, Coronation Street, Snakes and Ladders, Helter Skelter, Hippodrome and Clockwork Orange.

The venue also has some rectangular coin pushers, including Surfin’ USA and while the coin pushers were fully stocked with shelf prizes (each having different themes) it did not appear that any payout ticket prizes. Many coin pushers had five-pound notes dangling, though these were affixed with a clip so anyone with eyes could see that they were unwinnable. 

Classic Arcade Games

This arcade venue has several classic arcade games, including a Pac-Man Smash air hockey table, Cops and Robbers and Ticket Raider two-pence roll-down machines. A rare and unusual classic arcade game is the single-player Temple Run, which is an arcade port of the classic game that pays out ticket wins. Mario game lovers will also adore the Luigi’s Mansion arcade machine, which is also a rarity to find these days. 

Fairground Games

There are a couple of fun fairground games here, and these include two ‘To Tha Net’ arcade basketball machines and two Pop It & Win wheel spinners, where players have to pop the balloon to win ticket prizes. 

Big Arcade Machines

Go big or go home! Circus Circus has a two-player Demolition King and also a four-player Dinosaur Era, both of which reward players with ticket wins for high scores. 

VR Machines

VR fans will love the rarely seen Raw Thrills game - King Kong of Skull Island, which takes patrons on a whirlwind adventure with virtual headsets, 3D sound and moving seating.

Ticket Slot Machines

There are some standalone ticket slot machines in this venue, and they include low-boy cabinet versions of Alice’s Wonderland and Manic Mushrooms. There is also a triple-row Winnie’s Honey array with an upper feature board.

£5 Jackpot Fruit Machines

We did not see any £5 jackpot fruit machines outside of the adult gaming area.

Slot Machines

The adult gaming slots lounge is located along one side of the venue, and it is a nice, cosy space that features a wide range of different machines, including £100 jackpot fruit machines such as Pork Chop – The Last Hamurai by Reflex Gaming. There are triple-row sit-down machines, including Win Wall, a modern Oxo-style community game, and they also have a triple-row Rainbow Riches community spins array. There are several of the latest digital terminals from the likes of Blueprint Gaming with £500 jackpots and many two-reel side games. With a cosy feel and comfy chairs throughout, this could be a great place to spend a Friday evening.

Venue Verdict

Circus Circus Amusement Arcade in Hunstanton makes excellent use of its space, with machines thoughtfully arranged and coin pushers offering different prize themes to suit fans of all ages and tastes. With so many quality claw machine prizes available for just twenty pence, this could be the perfect venue to win a Mario Mushroom or a Sonic character. The prize shop also offers a wide range of items for visitors who collect tickets, and the arcade maintains a good balance of both classic and modern games. If you’re walking along the promenade, why not pop in for some fun?

Featured Machine: King Kong of Skull Island VR Game