Venice Beach Freakshow

Came to by on Sunday just to do something different and this was def different it was a cheap show just 5 bucks short kinda interesting nothing amazing the kids liked it they had a lot if three headed animals and a small fire show def could be better

Great show! So freaky that someone fainted when we were there! Funny and entertaining! Would definitely go back!

This low review is strictly for animals living conditions. Everything else is so fun!!! The turtles are in small tanks w nothing but water. so sad to see how confined they are all day long just swimming in tiny circles going crazy. I imagine they stay like that at night too and i found it depressing. They also use turtles to lure you inside which I don’t think is right to exploit the animals if you aren’t going to give them a good life. it’s just no way for an animal to live. Many comments were made about how sad it is for the animals. The show is great. Very entertaining for $ 5. If they could just let the animals have a better life quality I would have given 5 star. So sad. I went weeks ago but I can’t stop thinking about those poor animals so I wrote this. I hope you guys hear this not as a complaint but a plead to make some changes. I think it would draw in more guests too bc people like seeing happy animals. consider putting your pets in better living condition w more room and larger tanks and plants exc…

Was a short show compared to what you see on there TV show but still very intensifying and crazy bone chilling moments. I must say I have become addicted to this place and the oddness that it brings. Mr. Ray and his wife were so inviting and SUPER friendly! Ms. Ray even complimented my little mermaid tattoo. I was super happy to see that the Gabriel the smallest man, Weemat, bubble boy, the wolf man, morgue and Asia. I was so impressed with how Asia turned her arm backwards and gracefuly walked foward to put it back to its natural state, no pain but a smile. Morgue was awesome with his drill into his nose and putting his hook into his nose to have it come out through his mouth! It was waaaaaay better being up close to see that compared to on TV. I couldnt help but laugh at the fact that the chain is always rapped around his middle finger. Great way to hide the fact that hes giving everyone a great F-​U as he walked around posing for pictures. Very cleaver. I was glad to be able to hand my TIP $ to him but sad I was able to thank Asia nor take a picture with her. I hope to go back again in hope to see Ali and the beaded lady and in hopes to be able to take a picture with Asia. Its a must see show!!!

Very nice place. There are ten minute shows and we were able to see many acts and feats.

It was great. Morgue was a really nice guy. The bearded lady was super friendly. It was an amazing show and they were cool to me kids.

Relatively short show but very intense and worth it. They are freaky and original. This pregnant lady was passing out right after the show and was helped by the bearded lady which I don’t think helped the situation.
Priceless!

After watching the series on Netflix, I finally got to see this pace in person yesterday. Outside I saw Todd Ray doing the barker announce to lure people in. He had a two-​headed and the dog with two noses out front at the bottom of the stairs. I enjoyed this moment for a few seconds before heading in. I met Daniella Ray. She told me she liked my shirt and I told her I liked her show. Great moment.
As we entered, we were greeted by the Wolf Boy and Gabriel, America’s smallest man. It was an honor. From here, we were directed to go left. Here, they had some awesome specimens like interesting animals, disfigured turtles, and some famous specimens. I noticed, «Medusa,» the 2 headed albino snake was here and «Rocky,» the dog with 5 legs. It was cool to see them both alive in person. The lady behind the counter was explaining each specimen here. Then I browsed around the room looking at the displays. Very interesting and neat stuff here. Then the show was about to start.
I got up close to the small stage. Bubble Boy started the show with his heartwarming story. Then Wee Man and the Amazing Ali introduced Morgue and Miss Sunshine to the stage. Great performance acts by the two stars. After their acts, they asked for some donations to help them. I gave them some tips. You can take photos inside, but no video of the story. You can ask to pictures with the stars, but I would suggest tipping them for a photo op.
You can spend all the time you want in here and enjoy the show every 10 minutes. I thought everyone was super sweet, kind, welcoming, and very talented. Seeing them in person beats seeing them on the tv show. It was very well worth the $ 5 to enter. I want to come back again this weekend to make another visit because I was so impressed!
I just love the history of freak-​shows, sideshows, and curiosities. The Ray family is continuing the tradition from years ago and I believe they are doing an amazing job! Thank you to everyone at the Freakshow!

I must be honest that I did not go inside but I did admire some of the people on the outside. It’s kind of cheesy but cool in it’s own way. Kudos for these people putting so much work into promoting their show.

Pretty cool show. Was fun to see the characters from TV. $ 5 is a great deal but was very packed and really hot in that tight area. Overall I do recommend at least giving it a try.

My Granddaughter is a huge fan of the show, and I was able to surprise her with a visit on Friday afternoon.
When we arrived, she was so excited, she met Todd Ray outside, went in and met Kanya, Bubble Boy, and Larry the Wolf Boy, then on our way out, she met Jessa, Morgue and Miss Sunshine and finally Matt who was kind enough to insist we take two photos for our tip. We seemed to be the only ones who honored the request for tips for pictures; others were sneaking pictures (or so they thought); which I found to be disrespectful.
The show was very brief, Miss Sunshine did her thing with the fire, and sat in the electric chair, and Morgue drilled a screw in his nose, then put a huge hook in his mouth.
I read some reviews before I visited, and people wrote the performers looked sad. I’m not sure that’s what I’d call it, I’d say that as much of public figures that they are, maybe they’re introverts, maybe they really don’t want to be «on» and social. The fact that they’re not paid to be there (or at least that’s what we’re told during the show) and request tips at the end of the show, and of course for photos is in a way sad, but, also, for five bucks to get in, it shouldn’t be a big deal for someone to fork over another five bucks for a photo with someone.
I even tipped Kanya extra because the five people before her didn’t give her a cent. She was very personable and friendly, as was Matt.
Don’t go expecting to see a full episode of the television show, that’s not what you’ll see. The place is small, and it’s a tight squeeze.
I feel like we got what we paid for and more — the smile on my Granddaughters face was worth more than the five bucks for her to get in, she met her favorite television stars, and wanted to hang out on the steps with Matt all day, and skateboard with Kayna.
Thank you Todd Ray for creating a place where everyone is welcome, and accepted!
Parking is TOUGH! Be prepared to walk!

My date really wanted to check out the Venice Beach Freakshow. Throughout the years of spending time in Venice, none of his friends wanted to come here. I volunteered as I’m a local and I couldn’t believe I had never been.
In all of the photographs on here, it looks like the shows are not super packed. Unfortunately when we were here, it was so busy that no one could get a good look despite paying the money to get in. I wish I had known how often they do shows because I might have waited for this one to end and the next one to begin.
They need some kind of AC in here. Not just for the people watching but for the people performing. It was so hot and I could just tell that the performers were feeling it more than we were. Imagine having to breathe fire on a hot day like this, or stick a hook up your nose.
I liked the performance, especially the guy at the very begining who talked about his genetic skin condition. He’s a new addition and I enjoyed hearing him recount stories about how people treated him differently. Just reminds you that people are people!
That being said, the performance was so short. Not that I cared but I was expecting more from this place. They have all kinds of characters — the bearded lady, the smallest man and woman in LA, the wolf man, etc… but they didn’t really utilize them. They were just sitting outside — but I would be too because of the heat!
The oddities and funhouse quality of the place was pretty null. They had some things but not a lot. But I also feel like maybe I came on an off day since it was so busy. Maybe I’ll revisit and be able to see some of the interesting things talked about (like the five legged dog!)

You will surely feel like you’re at an old fashioned freakshow when you’re visiting this place. There’s even creepy old carnival music playing; you can hear it when the ruckus from the other odd residents of Venice Beach is low. I love how it’s decorated on the inside it’s like mixing 19^th century Goth with modern Goth. Be sure to look inside where the sign tells you not to look inside. (:
The show was good, the tiniest woman in L.A. is so adorable and she has great stage presence. Though she doesn’t do any tricks like Sunshine or Morgue, she’s the star of the show ~* haha
Morgue is a sword swallower and he’s the one that sticks the hook in his nose and comes out through his mouth (or it works vice versa) either way, he’s great.
Sunshine sits on the electric seat and I believe she’s immune to the shocks & she swallows and spits flames. Though she seems kind of unhappy, which made me a little sad… I don’t know lol
There’s exhibits everywhere of odd creatures and stories of odd people. It’s a small venue but trust that it’s worth your $ 5. Some of the entertainers stand outside while the master announces his freakshow (like classic ones). It’s cool when Sunshine and Morgue are outside holding their black umbrellas, it’s just like the perfect scene to capture on camera or paint on canvas.
TL; DR? It’s fun and worth your $ 5.

I love this place. I first heard about this show on the television. I have been a part of freak shows, carnival life, and other circus style stuff my whole life. The thing that I find best about this place is the heart of the freak show truly lives here. The energy of the owner, his daughter, and all the amazing performers is not comparable to other freak shows still in existence. The variety of abnormal life that exists here is definitely a must see. I plan on coming back many times. I love when things make my skin crawl.
But beyond all else the skill it takes to do some of the stunts — the time, patience, and training is a testament to the love of the art.
Thank you for keeping this tradition alive and I hope to see you all soon!

Let me start this review by saying the entry fee to the freakshow is $ 5. The venue is small and is chock full of interesting and dare I say cheesy exhibits. This is exactly what I expected and it was absolutely terrific.
If you go to the freakshow make sure you wait for the owner or one of his people to stand outside and do the old side show talk off to try to draw people in to the show.
After listening to his spirited talk on why you should come in pay the $ 5 and enter an old style freak show go inside, look at the exhibits and then you will be treated to a live performance and I believe that the show is different every time and that there are different performers at many of the shows. The show we saw included a man named morgue who is a human blockhead and did some questionable things with a giant fish hook and a drill.
There were also several «freaks» that stand around and let you look at them and take photos with them for donation /​tips. If you are in Venice Beach go see this. The whole experience is probably 15 or 20 minutes long and it cost less than a cup of coffee!

You’re thinking what a cheesy show, well you’d be right. It was super cheesy and awesome in its own cheesiness.
The show was worth the price of admission, which was like $ 5.
The Mexican Wolf Boy was a class act and a nice gentleman to boot.
I wasn’t buying that the bearded lady wasn’t really a dude. Come on, who you trying to fool?

*Review #60/​365 for 2015
Venice Beach is interesting, it’s fun, it’s a freakshow even! Coming here on a weekend on a nice day is crazy!
While walking the beach, we decided to stop by and see what this freak show was about. They said they had characters from Ripley’s Believe it or not. There were little people, a human wolf and weirdos with incredibly small waistlines and people who stick hooks in their nostrils and let it come out through their mouth. I cringe just thinking about it! It’s about a 10 minute show for $ 5. It’s worth a visit especially if you have visitors from Iowa or Kansas or some other small town area where people thrive to experience the LA area.
They also have displays with interesting items in jars and what not. Once you’re in, you can re watch the show if you think you didn’t get the gist of it the first time. That’s what we did…

While walking along The Venice Beach Boardwalk, you might notice something quite peculiar. Many of us have been taught by our elders not to stare at people who may seem a bit different than others. The Venice Beach Freakshow is the ideal venue for you to do what your elders told you not to do. With an entry fee of $ 5 and children under 5 years of age getting in for free, you can’t beat this amazing experience.
My 4 year old niece and I were intrigued by the two headed turtle outside of the building and so we decided to step inside to see what other oddities were behind the curtain.
The first thing that you’ll notice is a plethora of deceased animals preserved in specimen jars. There was a two-​headed bearded dragon, a large black mamba, and other creatures that are indescribable. My niece was intrigued by everything within her surroundings and she asked a lot of questions.
After taking a close look at the preserved animals, it was time to watch various performances. For a split second, I was wondering if this show was appropriate for a child of her age but my niece said that she wanted to stay to watch the show. I was nervous when I saw a gentleman take out a power tool to drill a large screw up his nose. It looked painful but he seemed comfortable. Then, it was time to watch a fire breather swallow, extinguish, and ignite flames. That’s what I call, talent! Soon after, a performer carefully tilted his head back and began to swallow a large sword. Finally, I saw a large hook come out and I was hoping that we weren’t going to see blood! He fed the hook into his nose and carefully guided it through his nasal passage so that it would protrude through his mouth. Not to disappoint everyone, he forewarned us so that we would have our cameras ready to snap photos once he completed this task. He walked around so that we could take close up photos. This show was amazing! My niece was applauding and asked if she could watch it again.
Before we left, everyone was informed that many of the performers would pose for photos on the end. A small donation would be nice but not mandatory. Not featured in the show was a man who was born with Hypertrichosis (Wolfman Syndrome) in which his entire face was covered with hair. Another gentleman was a «little person». I did not let my niece pose for photos because I wanted to teach her about tolerance. These are human beings who have genetic issues that resulted in them looking «different» from others. I didn’t want her gawking at people and possibly making fun of them or even asking questions that may have been offensive.
Walking away from The Venice Beach Freakshow, I realize that there are people out there with serious talent. They amaze tourists on a daily basis and never disappoint. Then again, there are people here who may be a bit of distraction to others in the workplace through no fault of their own. Therefore, this is a great way to make a living while not really feeling like you’re at work because your experience here is enjoyable. I feel that this is the perfect environment to educate the public about misconceptions that they may have about people from different walks of life. I don’t call this a Freakshow, it’s a fun show!

My 8 year old daughter loves the tv show so we came to the show for the second time
But sad that the rain messed up the show
But the bearded was out front and talked with us and we got some pics
Great part of the Venice beach experience

I recently moved to the area and I knew I had to check this out!
It was my first time going to the Venice beach freakshow and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences ever. Todd is outside inviting people in and Jessa, the bearded lady, was outside welcoming people in.
As soon as we went in I checked out all the rare creatures they have and got to see their 5 legged dog, it’s way cute!
They’re all extremely friendly and way interesting to talk to.
Morgues performance was mind blowing along side Sunshines performance which was incredible! Both of them are so sweet & took time to talk to me.
The Amazing Ali and Wolf Boy are amazing too, it’s just overall an excellent sideshow!
Truly worth the $ 5, dont miss it!