Surrounded by modern porn that encompassed everything from 4K to virtual reality, one would be forgiven for thinking bygone sex institutions like the porn theatre and the adult peep shows are as dead as a Dodo.
Well, you would thankfully be wrong. Recently, I penned a guide to how to find surviving adult theatres. Today, I’m going to be delving into the world of the adult peep show by covering the ones I’ve personally visited from the U.S. to Europe.
These sordid establishments offer the chance to experience live sex in front of your eyes. Often with double occupancy booths, they’re also a great way to spice up a kinky relationship in a lot of ways.
So, if you’re keen to discover the forgotten world of the adult peep show and virtually delve into the surviving establishments that exist across Europe and the U.S. today, then read on for a range of erotic delights!
Table of Contents
What is an adult peep show, anyway?
Before we get stuck in, some of you 18+ millennials spoilt with modern smut might be wondering just what an adult peep show actually is. Well, allow me to explain everything to you…
Put simply, a peep show consists of live sex acts being performed on stage or in a room. Those wishing to see the action will take their place in a cabin and pay for the privilege. When they do, a viewing window will open up all of the erotic delights in front of them.
These windows, often made of one-way glass for discretion, are time activated based on the money you put in a coin box or pay at the reception. Often, viewers are permitted to masturbate or even fuck each other as the live sex show takes place.
Just like the adult cinema, peep shows exploded in the 70s during the golden age of porn. Although the concept of peep shows goes back centuries, during this era they were one of the main ways that regular folk could access produced and live pornography.
New York in particular boasted countless peep shows in the former pleasure palace of Times Square. But a subsequent government crackdown and the growth of domestic consumption of porn soon saw their numbers decline rapidly. But they’re still around!
These days, many peep shows have supplemented their traditional cabin-viewing pleasures with stage performances that actively include audience members in sexual debauchery. Some also offer ”private experiences” for those watching, for a higher price.
The peep world of Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is one hell of a sex tourism destination. From porn cinemas and sex clubs, there’s a lot to offer when it comes to a sex vacation. But on the topic of adult peep shows, the Hungarian capital has over six!
Well, had over six. My friends in the city have told me that the current global situation has forced a few to close their doors. But here’s hoping they will return when we return to normality.
My personal favourite peep show in Budapest was called Tiamo. Attached to a sex shop and illuminated in glowing neon, they were more than open to couples coming inside their double capacity booths.
The performers in this Hungarian peep show were characteristic of the country’s adult industry: Mature, sleazy, and downright filthy on stage. Their performances range from standard fucking and sucking to more hardcore squirting and anal action.
I felt like I was watching some old school Euro porn in full, uninhibited HD as me and my fuck buddy watched a mid-0s Hungarian woman get fucked in the ass by an athletic lad in his early 20s.
These places are far from fancy, but the performers are passionate. They mostly consist of 6 to 10 private cabins in a circle around a stage. The price for a show can range from $15 – $25 but will cost more if you want a private show. Overall, well worth the experience.
Show world in Long Island, New York
New York used to be Sodom and Gomorrah back in the 70s and 80s. But after Rudy Guliani’s cleanup in the 1990s, the city of NYC lost the bulk of its sleaze and saw it replaced with generic establishments like Planet Hollywood and the Disney Store. Thanks a lot, Rudy…
Whilst most of it is sadly gone, you can rely on me to find you the last bastions of NYC sleaze. Introducing the iconic Show World in Long Island. Located in a sleazy industrial area, this big purple building offers an array of sexual delights from sex toys to adult cinema.
Amongst these sultry treats, is a locally well-renowned peep show. Online reviews of Show World claim their adult peep show has a rotation of ten female performers and a few transsexual girls too. There’s also the option for private dances inside the peep show cabins.
The Twitter account of Show World in Long Island is active and they often publish daily updates of which girls are performing at the peep show. Allowing you to avoid any disappointment if travelling from out of town.
They also recently announced the addition of the various state of the art adult video arcade cabins with double occupancy and large HD screens for porn viewing pleasure! Great for those who love the porn theater vibe.
Life in the peep show booth at Showgirl Video
One of my fondest memories of Las Vegas was visiting the iconic Showgirl Video peep show world. I was gutted to find out it closed in 2019, marking the end of an erotic era for the city of sin. But as an icon, it can’t be missed off this list.
This adult industry institution opened its doors back in 1983. It was started by a veteran of the Vietnam War with a name just made for porn: Ray Pistol. Over the next forty years, it provided the horny folk of Vegas with high-quality porn, both on video and in the flesh.
“My first day of work at Showgirl, I was 18 years old. It was 1992 and I made $115. It was wealth beyond my imagination. I couldn’t believe I had made that much money and decided this was what I would do to put myself through school.”
– Treasure Brown, a former performer at Showgirl, in an interview with the BBC.
In its heyday, Showgirl Video provided the chance to enjoy live sex, nude shows, and all manner of sordid delights from the comfort of a peep show booth. As a cherry on the cake, it was an incredibly aesthetic building with a captivatingly erotic sign to welcome visitors.
Sadly, with increasingly strict regulations on such adult establishments combined with a losing battle against online porn, the iconic Las Vegas peep show was forced to close its doors.
The Amsterdam peep show
And last but not least, we come to one of the most infamous surviving peep shows in the world: Sex Palace in Amsterdam. If you’ve ever been to the Dutch capital, you’ll likely have seen this unmissable neon paradise in the heart of the Red Light District.
Although I resent how touristy Amsterdam is, the Sex Palace is an iconic adventure. The way it works is as follows: Visit the reception, tell them you want to see the adult peep show and get assigned a cabin. Inside, you pay 2 Euro for two minutes.
A visor then slides up and you’re treated to a live sex show in front of you depending on how long you pay for it. The mirror is one way, so you can see the live porn performers but they can’t see you.
The cabins fit two people and the Amsterdam peep show is popular amongst horny singles and kinky couples alike. Personally, I’ve visited a few times with some of my fuck buddies.
Let me tell you, having your pussy eaten out whilst watching a couple fuck in front of you is a sexual experience not to be missed. The cabins are big enough for fucking, sucking, and basic sex, but nothing too wild!
It’s important to note that this place shouldn’t be confused with the equally notorious Casa Rosso. This is an erotic theatre rather than a peep show. Adult performers deliver a show on stage and invite members of the audience to get involved. It’s also very fun and worth checking out.
So definitely consider a visit to the last surviving peep show in the Netherlands and one of the last in the world, so it seems. It’s safe, well-run, and the staff speak perfect English too.
The action is girl-on-girl or boy-girl. The clientele is mostly straight or bi couples and singles, but some gay men do frequent the various video cabins that exist alongside the peep show too. So yes, there really is something for all of you kinky folk!
Through the looking glass…
And so, my dear readers, we reach the end of this exploration into the last surviving peep shows around the world, and the ones that tried to hang on but didn’t make it. I wish this list was much longer. But sadly, the future isn’t bright for this kind of debauchery.
In contrast to the golden age of porn, the adult industry has been decentralized these days. And whilst that brings a number of sultry benefits, it also has its downsides. The decline of the adult peep show is a stark reminder of that.
Rather than leaving the house and heading into such establishments to enjoy live sex in the flesh, many people opt for webcam performances these days. A virtual form of the peep show, it can be enjoyed in the privacy of one’s home without the fear of judgement attached to entering an establishment on the street.
If watching a live adult peep show from the comfort and privacy of your bedroom appeals to you, then I can’t halt progress. Here are some of my favourite forms of virtual webcam shows I’ve been indulging in through lockdown.
- Royal Cams, where horny kings are made!
- Chaturbate – The home of voyeur masturbation action
- Cam Soda – The leaders in virtual reality peep world experiences
To the surviving adult peep shows around the world, thank you for the memories and long may you prosper!
