O Con was SO VERY COOL! Everyone was so very nice to us (probably the oldest ones there..nonetheless so interestingly FUN) our first time at an event like this...costumes were so unique and demonstrating wrestling was hysterical to watch! They had photos, concessions..and signs everywhere so you knew where to go! It was a great experience for us! read more

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Just attended O-Con Expo and had a great time. Met Morgan Fairchild (Sqee). Lots of cosplay going on. Lots of cool vendors. Met a local author who is writing a urban fantasy series based in Omaha! https://matthewsrotundo.com/ read more

Mid-America Center - Me, the master of my kingdom - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

Great center for large events. Divided into a main stadium and separate halls, it's big enough for events or concerts. We were there for and event that utilized a majority of the center. It's sizable, so plan to move about a lot. Very clean and well maintained. Plenty of rest rooms, too. Parking is excellent. Big enough for large concerts. Ideal for conventions. No charge for the con I attended either. Recommended. read more

I went there to see winter jam 24' and this venue is great. seating is not bad and not hard to navigate. Hoping to come again next year for winter jam 25' read more

Took my daughter to her first circus. Plenty of concessions yet every singe one had a mile long line. Took 50 minutes to get a popcorn and two sodas. We arrived a half hour early and still missed part of the show. Every family around us had at least one missing person from their party for an hour, if not longer, due to standing in line for concessions. The staff were extremely slow and uncoordinated. Also, a child threw up a row in front of us so we notified maintenance two different times prior to them coming to clean it up. We were rewarded with a front row seat of the site and smell of vomit for the first hour. When they did come to clean it up they did a horrible job. Only used a paper towel, no disinfectant spray, and left half of it there. Definitely don't want to return to this venue. read more

Have been here for the weekend for my kids dance competition. Have had two encounters with the Mid America staff that have been "interesting". While at the pickup waiting on my family to come out in the rain I was continually badgered to move because "other people need to pick up their kids" this even though there was no one there but me SMH. Then we picked up some popcorn and as the kids got through the bucket they saw writing on the inside and it turns out it was previously used a a tip jar!!!!!!!! DISGUSTING!!!!! read more

Mid-America Center - When you realize you were served popcorn in the tip bucket..... DISCUSTING!!!! - Stadiums & Arenas Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

We were here for an all day competition and they did not allow outside food. The food they sold was terrible. Ordered nachos and every chip was broken. Ordered popcorn and 1/2 in of kernels in bottom! The staff are extremely rude for no reason. They wanted to search my diaper bag for alcohol which was ok but she didn't have time to finish so she yelled back at me, as she was walking off, that I'd be asked to leave if I had alcohol. Staff were very rude on multiple occasions for no good reason. I asked for warm water from vendor to fill a bottle and all they had was cold water they could microwave. Isn't it against health code for a food kitchen not to have running hot water? read more

I went here for the annual Spirit Catholic Radio dinner. The dinner was awesome, but the venue was lacking. There weren't enough handicapped spots, the parking lots are convoluted and difficult to navigate, the venue staff wouldn't let me walk through the building to get to the convention side even when it is literally freezing and you're walking with a cane, and the bathrooms are super spread out. The only saving grace is that the staff did take pity on me on the way out and let me walk past the other event inside to get to my car that we had to park ridiculously far away. I would recommend avoiding events here if at all possible. read more

We are here for a dance competition during Covid. I appreciate the fact that masks are required. What is incredibly annoying is the fact that they search bags and don't allow outside food or drink inside. They don't sell actual food, just junk snack foods. We are here from 7am until the doors close (5 or 6pm) and are unable to actually eat. I respect their livelihood and would happily buy a meal here but it's not offered. This is ridiculous. This venue is such a disappointment. Rethink your policies especially when you have people traveling from all over for a dance competition. we are here for hours on end and most of us are on a budget as things are still tough bc of the pandemic. Ridiculous. read more

A pretty gigantic sprawling space, with the capability to hold several concurrent events (which leads to confusion when you're looking to go to your first roller derby match, but groups of people dressed to go to both church and a rodeo are also heading into the same building). Once inside, it wasn't too difficult to find our way to the right venue. Though I do lament the fact that the Omaha Rollergirls have their matches in Council Bluffs... on well. Other events I've been to here include a professional trade show and a concert for The Killers. All were adequate, though nothing really impressed me or distressed me, earning the MAC a 3-star A-OK. read more

We stayed at the country inn that had a connecting hallway so we didn't have to walk outside to the event because we were going in and out of the hotel and center. We could not get in the hallway because the doors were locked. After the event we got lost and accidentally walked into a employee only area and they were extremely rude to us about getting lost. After we figured our way to the hallway to head back to the hotel someone comes chasing us rude saying stop you can't go in there. After arguing with the person they finally let us in. I wouldn't have gave such a bad review if they weren't so rude and we got what we payed for. Keep in mind we only got the hotel for the connecting hallway and couldn't use it, there was nothing on the website about doors being locked. read more

I've been coming to random events here for years and it's a good experience every time I go. The parking is crazy but it's an arena center so that's to be expected. The prices of the food and drinks are outrageous, but again, that's what to expect when you go to an arena for any show. Overall, this place is closer to my home and the parking is a lot better than the CenturyLink Center so I'm happy when I see a show I'm interested in, at the MAC. read more

The way they set up entrance and exit for the high school wrestling tournament was stupid. It's almost like they designed what doors to go in and out and the scan out at only one door just to be annoying. If you want to be a major event center, employ someone who knows how to not annoy all your customers. read more

3 star venue for me. I have been going to the MAC for years now. Not many times inside, but a lot of trade shows and the like. I think the best part is the oversized 'tacky' art outside. The Pugilists (the 3 figures that stand about 40 feet high, just on the West side of the arena. The checkered heads are also pretty cool to look at. Council Bluffs needed this place bad. The inside is kind of small. Seating for roughly 9000 people it really seems small. Perfect for Hockey, Indoor football or soccer, and maybe a concert for a former national touring act. For Monster Jam, it was tight. Only 10 trucks for the show which is plenty, but man, it was tight. A few jumps and cars. It was LOUD! The rumble gave me goosebumps and they had the exhaust fans on high to expel the emissions that these beasts spewed. It was worth it to go and see some cool stuff, but I would not see a music event here. Tight seating and bottlenecking concourses combined with $7 Craft beers that they didn't have made $6 Coors even worse. Traffic control upon leaving was well planned though. read more

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We are here for an all day dance competition. There is no dancer entrance which bottlenecks the whole thing. Then they don't allow outside food or drink. Seriously? You have an event like this, where 1,000 plus dance kids are stuck all day (our day is about 13 hours) and you don't let the athletes bring food? I assumed at least there would be options inside right? Well sort of, a coffee bar, ice cream, or hotdogs and nachos. Not a healthy option in site and priced through the roof. What the hell! They have you captive and they know it and don't give a damn about your experience. They also do a full bag check stricter than TSA which makes the bottleneck that much worse. I watched a lady get her purse full on wrecked to find a fun size snickers at the bottom. Really? And lastly the parking is a mess, not 1/2 the spaces needed for the venue size. Just a real disappointment of an experience/venue. read more

Came here for OCon a couple weeks ago...On the one hand, it seemed a great venue for a first time convention...Granted, Saturday of Con it was packed to the gills, almost too much, but hopefully that's a good sign the convention will be back here next year...What really rubbed me the wrong way was the concession stand...How dare they charge that much for their food and drink? Especially considering there was a lot of the younger crowd here, most of whom probably didnt have the money for snacks and things after buying tickets to get in...It seems the one fly in the ointment of an otherwise excellent time at a pretty decent venue read more

It is OK, building needs to be kept up to par little better, venues seem to be semi high priced for the size of arena. Staff is pretty tolerable to mildly rude, but with what they probably pay them people I would be rude too. SMG Corporatism run building and staff. Open ice skating during certain times of the week. read more

I went to an indoor football game at the "Mid-America Center" in Council Bluffs, IA on 5/5/2012. It was my first time there. The host team, the Council Bluffs Express, defeated the Colorado Lightning by a score of 45 to 24. I had a great time. read more

Staff was incredibly rude to both vendors and guests all weekend at o!comic-con this weekend. Confiscating food and drink from vendors before the con opened to guests, demanding that the vendors and wrestlers be wearing their badges during setup (that had yet to be provided) and threatening to make them leave if they didn't put their badges on (you can't put a badge on until they give it to you). Multiple vendors that the guests love are refusing to return next year if the con remains at this venue. The venue also assured that they would be cleaning the arena, telling con staff not to worry about it- this was a lie and became a very rude surprise when the wrestlers came in to their area still sprayed in fiberglass. They were told they weren't allowed to provide their push brooms so the wrestlers could clean it out themselves before the con opened that morning. Had I the opportunity to give zero stars, I would. I sincerely hope the convention changes venues next year because the Mid-America Center does not deserve their business. read more

This is a bit late in coming but I feel it's worth notifying people what they may expect at Mid-American Center in Council Bluff,Ia. .A friend & I bought tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) in Nov 2017. THEY were awesome, as anticipated. We paid a premium for floor seating close to stage.Upon arrival the "Premium" seats were chairs 15" wide with not an inch between them & people were in ours. An usher had to demand everyones tickets. Even after she requested the offenders slide over, they ignored her. She had to forcibly yell & motion for them to "MOVE" while shining a flashlight. We slid in, worked our way to mid row seats & thanks to the Extra LARGE neighbors, spent the next 45 minutes unable to move in ANY direction. Our bodies were wedged againt person on either side & our arms were LITERALLY pinned against bodies, I'm not kidding. It became so hot & uncomfortable, halfway thru I walked to back of center & STOOD for rest of show. NEVER- EVER- AGAIN will I attend an event at Mid-American Center in Council Bluffs Iowa.This is complete disregard for patrons SAFETY/COMFORT & total GREED for event Planners/Ticket Sellers read more