Now open: Two Bit Circus

Two Bit Circus, a micro-amusement park and gaming venue, has officially opened at The Shops at Park Lane.

This is the second location of the Los Angeles-based entertainment center, which was founded by Eric Gradman and Brent Bushnell in 2018. It features virtual reality, augmented reality, carnival-inspired games, arcade games, a full-service bar, food stand and lounge areas and rooms for watching sports and hosting small parties. 

There are also story rooms. Unlike escape rooms, story rooms are designed to be more narrative and include rooms ranging from mock surgery to piloting a spaceship.

“In our story rooms, we’re trying to transport you into an episode of a television show,”  Gradman says. “For 20 minutes, you’re gonna become a character, you’re gonna be doing something unexpected.”

Of all the games— some are classics, some are even submitted— 65% are made in-house and exclusive to the spot.

“Whether it’s in the arcade or any of these areas, we tend to create in each of these zones, but we also curate where we find some of the best things in the world,” Two Bit President Kim Schaeffer says. “Mother Ducker is a world premiere for us, as far as a midway game goes, that’s something we created. We work with indie gamers around the world who can submit their game on the platform, and you can choose a game to play.”

Reloadable playing cards can be purchased for gameplay at the front counter.

Two Bit Circus is located on the second level above Champs Sporting Goods at The Shops at Park Lane on 8080 Park Lane.