Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a
animal theme park An animal theme park, also known as a zoological theme park, is a combination of an amusement park and a zoo, mainly for entertainment, amusement, and commercial purposes. Many animal theme parks combine classic theme park elements, such as themed ...
located in
Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
, United States, with the entire park landscaped and designed around themes of Africa and Asia. Owned and operated by
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is an American theme park and entertainment company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. and owns and operates thirteen recreational destinations in the Unite ...
, the park opened on June 1, 1959. The park has an annual attendance consistently exceeding 4 million, often ranking second among SeaWorld parks behind
SeaWorld Orlando SeaWorld Orlando is a theme park and marine zoological park, in Orlando, Florida. It is owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. When combined with its neighbor Discovery Cove and Aquatica, it forms SeaWorld Parks and Resorts Orla ...
. The park features many roller coasters and thrill rides, including a Dive Coaster called
SheiKra SheiKra (, ) is a steel Dive Coaster roller coaster at the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster was proposed by Mark Rose, vice-president of design and engineering for the park, and desi ...
, a "family-style" thrill coaster (with one inversion and three launches) themed around cheetahs called
Cheetah Hunt Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The roller coaster was manufactured by Intamin and designed in collaboration with Mark Rose. Cheetah Hunt opened to the public on May 27, 2011, along ...
, a
launched roller coaster The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster. A launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or a series of linear induction motors (LIM), linear synchronous motors (LSM), catapults, tires, chains ...
called
Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
, a classic seated steel roller coaster called
Kumba Kumba is a metropolitan city in the Meme department, Southwest Region, Western Cameroon, referred as "K-town" in local slang. Kumba is the most developed and largest city in the Meme Department and has attracted people from the local villag ...
, a wood-steel
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
hypercoaster A hypercoaster can mean one of two things: *Any continuous-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop measuring greater than 200 feet Or, more narrowly: *Any complete-circuit roller coaster with a height or drop between 200 and 299 feet ( ...
called
Iron Gwazi Iron Gwazi (formerly Gwazi) is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, a theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The ride, named after a fabled creature with a tiger's head and a lion's body, was built by Great Coa ...
,
Falcon's Fury Falcon's Fury is a free-standing Sky Jump drop tower attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Intamin subsidiary Intaride, the ride reaches a maximum height of , making it North Amer ...
(the second-tallest free-standing
drop tower A drop tower or big drop is a type of amusement ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. Th ...
in North America, and one of few to tilt and face riders towards the ground), and
Montu Montu was a falcon-god of war in ancient Egyptian religion, an embodiment of the conquering vitality of the pharaoh.Hart, George, ''A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses'', Routledge, 1986, . p. 126. He was particularly worshipped in Upper ...
, which was the tallest and fastest
inverted roller coaster An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the tr ...
in the world when it opened. The park also features several rides and attractions aimed for children under the age of nine, as well as two water rides — a
river rafting ride A river rapids ride (or river rafting ride) is an amusement ride that simulates whitewater rafting. History The river rapids ride concept was proposed by Bill Crandall (general manager of AstroWorld in Houston) and developed by Intamin. Astro ...
and a classic
log flume A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pre ...
.


History


1957–1959: Busch Brewery and Gardens

Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple glo ...
proposed acquiring land in Florida to develop a brewery with Tampa and Jacksonville as potential sites in April 1957. By June, unconfirmed rumors were reported that a $25–30 million brewery would be built in
Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
, but were initially denied by Anheuser-Busch. Anheuser-Busch made public on July 25, that it had purchased a plot of land in Tampa for $320,000 to construct a $20 million brewery. The construction of the Tampa brewery coincided with the construction of a competing brewery in the Tampa Industrial Park complex by Schlitz. For the planning of the brewery,
August Busch Jr. August Anheuser "Gussie" Busch Jr. (March 28, 1899 – September 29, 1989) was an American brewing magnate who built the Anheuser-Busch Companies into the largest brewery in the world by 1957 as company chairman from 1946 to 1975.Holian, Ti ...
remarked Anheuser-Busch wanted to include gardens to attract the local community and contribute landscaped areas. Busch Jr. held the opinion that functional parks could help widen Anheuser-Busch's interest. In March 1958, August Busch Jr. commemorated the
groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are o ...
for the Tampa brewery. Construction took place through the rest of 1958 and the early months of 1959. In February 1959, Anheuser-Busch acknowledged the brewery would open in March. A dedication ceremony for the brewery was scheduled in March, though the opening of the Busch Gardens would not take place until June when the brewery's beer would begin to ship. Manufacturing in the Busch brewery began on March 12. The brewery was dedicated on March 31, by August Busch Jr. with around 2,000 people in attendance, including the press, political and local leaders. Anheuser-Busch formally announced the operating hours of the Busch brewery and gardens in May. The brewery and gardens officially opened to the public for tours on June 1, 1959, as an admission-free facility with 250 attending the opening ceremony and around 1,000 attendees to Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens opened on of land southwest of the brewery at the cost of around $500,000. The associated gardens featured lagoons and landscaping done by Charles B. Wedding, with around 36,000
flowering plants Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
and 300 trees. Opening animal attractions for Busch Gardens included a bird show in an
amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
seating around 200 individuals, a
bird sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...
featuring
flamingos Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas (including the Caribbean) ...
and a separate animal area named "Devil's Island," and caged enclosures for
eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
and
cockatoos A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the ord ...
. Additional attractions included a dwarf village and the "Hospitality House," a William B. Harvard designed facility that sampled free beer to guests. Another was used for housing the brewers
Budweiser Clydesdales The Budweiser Clydesdales are a group of Clydesdale horses used for promotions and commercials by the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company. There are several "hitches" or teams of horses, that travel around the United States and other countries that rem ...
, and planned to host buffalo, ostriches, and zebras located east of the brewery. The original gardens was later dubbed the "Bird Gardens".


1959–1968: Additions and African veldt

A $5 million expansion was announced in July 1959 by Anheuser-Busch to the existing facility because of the newfound success. In February 1960, construction started on a
geodesic dome A geodesic dome is a hemispherical thin-shell structure (lattice-shell) based on a geodesic polyhedron. The triangular elements of the dome are structurally rigid and distribute the structural stress throughout the structure, making geodesic dom ...
in the gardens that was high and in diameter, later opening on March 22, at the cost of $75,000. The dome, named the Adolphus Busch Space Frame, was constructed from
anodized aluminum Anodizing is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts. The process is called ''anodizing'' because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electr ...
colored gold and located north of the bird amphitheater. The dome featured landscaping, suspended birds nests, and ponds that connected to a lagoon outside. Anheuser-Busch revealed its plan to construct the "Stairway to the Stars" attraction in October that would be a
Otis Otis may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Otis (Superman), in the films ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' and related DC Comics media ** Otis Graves, in the TV series ''Supergirl'' * Otis (The Walking Dead), Otis (''The Walking Dead' ...
escalator An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
to the roof of the brewery. The escalator opened on March 22, 1961, as part of a renovation to the Busch brewery and its public tours. The escalator featured a pool beneath, a observation deck atop of the brewery, and a raised walkway to enter Busch Gardens. The pool originally hosted penguins. Anheuser-Busch bought additional parcels of land in May 1962. In the same month, Anheuser-Busch communicated its intentions to expand Busch Gardens at the cost of $3.5 to $4 million as the company projected a rise in attendance for the coming decade necessitating growth. The expansion called for different themed lands, with an African veldt and the
American Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and ...
being planned, accompanied by wildlife animals pertaining to each geography. The additions would also call for a railway and create more landscaped environments for animal habitats. In October, Busch Gardens expanded its animal collection to around 1,000 birds. As part of the expansion, Anheuser-Busch detailed a
monorail A monorail (from "mono", meaning "one", and "rail") is a railway in which the track consists of a single rail or a beam. Colloquially, the term "monorail" is often used to describe any form of elevated rail or people mover. More accurately, ...
to be constructed through the African veldt in January 1963, and a four-story Swiss-themed restaurant in December, both east of the brewery. Another land purchase was made by Anheuser-Busch in April 1964, their third since the opening. Thomas J. Pinta was named manager of Busch Gardens in July. Busch Gardens debuted a trackless transportation train on October 1, to travel between the gardens and the Old Swiss House via the parking lot. The Old Swiss House was completed in October. The "Wild Animal Kingdom" representing the African veldt was completed in 1965, in addition to a clock tower built adjacent to the Old Swiss House. The African veldt contained a variety of animals mostly imported from Africa, including
cheetahs The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
,
chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
s,
elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and ...
,
gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
s,
lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...
, and rhinos with habitats faithfully recreated by the park. By November, Anheuser-Busch acquired around of land east of its existing property for a potential expansion of Busch Gardens or its brewery. The gardens and brewery encompassed around , with the total acreage owned by the brewer amounting to around . A portion of the 1965 land purchase would be used for a trackless transportation train to shuttle guests between a new parking lot and its facilities in the latter half of 1966. Busch Gardens began charging guests for parking in August because of the increase in visitors and to offset costs. The monorail, originally named the Skyrail, opened to the general public on September 22. The Skyrail opened as a long
Arrow Development Arrow Development was an amusement park ride and roller coaster design and manufacturing company, incorporated in California on November 16, 1945, and based in Mountain View. It was founded by Angus "Andy" Anderson, Karl Bacon, William Hardiman ...
monorail taking parkgoers through the African veldt, which had an upcharge for adults and children initially costing $1 and ¢40 respectively. Near the end of 1966, around 475 animals were exhibited in the African veldt. A snack bar was constructed and opened in the parking lot in 1967.


1969–1975: Boma and themed area expansions

For the coming year, Anheuser-Busch announced in March 1969 a zoo area expansion entitled "Boma" to the current gardens. The exhibit space would be priced at $1 million, located between the brewery and the monorail, and contribute to the growth of the brewery and park. Busch Gardens saw short manager changes with Pinta being replaced by Franklin H. Rust in May 1969, and Rust resigning in February 1970. With the development of
Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
near
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
, Anheuser-Busch signaled its intentions to expand its animal habitats. August Busch Jr. had toured the Disney World site and wanted the Tampa brewery and gardens to maintain its hold in the tourist market. The Anheuser-Busch Tampa location was favored amongst its other four properties, being the company's leading model into the
entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...
.; During the preview event for the Boma area in June 1970, Anheuser-Busch announced a $12.6 million expansion for the coming decade. The expansion would initially call for the additions of an amphitheater seating 1,000 guests, a "tree tops" viewing platform of the African veldt, a locomotive train, and a
log flume A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pre ...
. The plans also stipulated the end of free-admission and charging a general admission to the park as well as getting rid of parking admission.; General admission to the park was implemented on July 31, coinciding with the opening of the Boma area that featured
African mammals The fauna of Africa, in its broader sense, is all the animals living in Africa and its surrounding seas and islands. The more characteristic African fauna is found in the Afrotropical realm. Lying almost entirely within the tropics, and equally to ...
, birds, and a manmade mountain. The initial price of entry to the park was $1.25 for adults and ¢50 for children. The park's entrance was relocated during the same day to an adjacent road. The immediate extension of Busch Gardens called for the construction of a railroad, African village, and an amphitheater in the following years. Robert B. Bean was named the new general manager for the Busch Gardens park in April 1971. The Trans-Veldt Railway opened on July 4, between the monorail and Boma section. The train departed from the "Nairobi Junction" station into the animal habitat and was an upcharge attraction. In January 1972, the tree tops observation deck was being constructed at the cost of $250,000, opening months later with the African village on June 19. The African village, located north of the original gardens, accommodated the Stanleyville station, an additional train station on the Trans-Veldt Railway. The African village contained the Tanzanian Theater featuring an elephant show, gorilla and
okapi The okapi (; ''Okapia johnstoni''), also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe, or zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal that is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. It is the only species i ...
enclosures, and various shops. The tree tops was a three-level observation deck in the northern half of the African veldt and only reachable by the Trans-Veldt Railway upon opening. During this time, the monorail and railway upcharges were eliminated, with the general admission increased in price. The boat ride in the African village, titled Livingstone's Landing, later opened in the summer 1972. A further $6.5 million was detailed in March 1973 for a phase two development of the 1970 expansion plans. The plans would affect three park sections: Boma, Stanleyville (renamed from the African village), and the African veldt. The plans called for a Morocco-themed area, a log flume, a
dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain Animatronics, animation, sound, music and Special effect#Live special effects, special e ...
, a
gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supp ...
, an "animal training center," and a safari attraction. Busch Gardens opened a nearby campervan park in May. The first thrill ride at the park, the log flume, opened in June in the Stanleyville section. Bean resigned as general manager and was replaced by Joseph C. Fincher in April 1974. The
sky ride The Sky Ride was an attraction built for the Century of Progress 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois. It was a transporter bridge (with a design similar to an aerial tramway or gondola lift) designed by the bridge engineering firm Robins ...
transportation gondola opened in May, which linked the park's monorail station, tree tops outlook, and Stanleyville section together. By 1975, the park housed over 800 animals and expanded its live entertainment options throughout the park. Busch Gardens opened its Morocco-themed village on April 16, acting as the new entrance to the park. The Morocco area hosted shops, landscaped areas, eateries, and the Algiers Theater upon opening. The snack bar originally located in the parking lot was incorporated into the Morocco area with thematic upgrades. In September, the park disclosed a $7.6 million development that would include the park's first roller coaster, exhibits for tigers and elephants, extension to the Livingstone's Landing, extensive landscaping, and the addition of sound systems throughout the park.


1975–1989: The Dark Continent and continued growth

Near the end of 1975, Busch Gardens launched a new campaign that sought to promote the Tampa park around a centralized older Africa theme. The rebrand of the Busch Gardens park would introduce aspects of live entertainment, advertising, animal displays, and thrill rides. The beginning of the 1976 year saw the park take on a new name as "The Dark Continent". The Dark Continent was chosen to distinguish Busch Gardens from other comparably named attractions in Florida, such as the
Tiki Gardens Tiki Gardens was a South Seas Polynesian theme park in Indian Shores, Florida. The park, which opened in 1964, was closed in the 1980s and sold by the owners, "Trader" Frank Byars and Wahine Jo Byars, to a developer who planned to build a hotel o ...
and Sunken Gardens. As part of the campaign, the African veldt became known as the Serengeti Plain, Boma became Nairobi, and the Moroccan village was formally dubbed Marrakesh. Work on the last part of the $7.6 million development, another themed area specified as the Congo, began in January 1976.
Python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (pro ...
, a
steel roller coaster A steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world. Incorporating tubular steel track and polyurethane-coated whee ...
manufactured by Arrow Development, premiered on July 1, as the park's first roller coaster. A octopus-style flat ride, named the Monstrous Mamba, constructed by the
Eyerly Aircraft Company Eyerly Aircraft Company was an amusement ride manufacturing company in Salem, Oregon, founded by Lee Eyerly in 1930. The company originally intended to design flight simulators for the aircraft industry but shifted to amusement rides after an early ...
was opened shortly after in 1976. Both additions were part of Stanleyville and located in the northern half of the section. A marching brass group known as the "Mystic Sheiks of Morocco" began performing throughout the park in 1976. The Congo section opened on July 26, 1977, next to Stanleyville and located northwest in the park's layout. The Congo incorporated the Python roller coaster and Monstrous Mamba into its themed land. The land saw the transformation of Livingstone's Landing into the African Queen boat ride. In addition, the land hosted a
shooting gallery Shooting gallery may refer to: Firearms and amusements *Shooting gallery (carnival game), a facility for shooting live firearms or for shooting recreational guns within amusement parks, arcades, carnivals, or fairgrounds *Shooting range, is a ...
, the
Bengal tiger The Bengal tiger is a population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies. It ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. It is considered to belong to the world's charismatic megafauna. The tiger is estimated to have been present in ...
's Claw Island exhibit, and an
Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement ins ...
swing ride The swing ride or chair swing ride (sometimes called a swing carousel, wave swinger, yo-yo, waver swinger, Chair-O-Planes, Dodo or swinger) is an amusement ride that is a variation on the carousel in which the seats are suspended from the rot ...
entitled the Swinging Vines.
Bumper cars Bumper cars or dodgems are the generic names for a type of flat amusement ride consisting of multiple small electrically powered cars which draw power from the floor and/or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator. Bumpe ...
were opened in 1977. An unspecified addition to the park was disclosed in May 1978 at a cost of between $5 and $10 million, including a large dining facility. During 1978, Anheuser-Busch made land acquisitions extending their total property to encompass around in Tampa. Construction was well underway in November for the expansion entitled Timbuktu. In February 1979, the park unveiled a $18.5 million expansion that would include the Timbuktu addition and a new water park adjacent to the park called Adventure Island. The Timbuktu addition would mark the 20th anniversary of the park's opening. It would also connect the Congo and Nairobi sections, include a large dining facility, several attractions, and an amphitheater. The Trans Veldt Railway operated a new station in the area in 1979. Continuing with the back-to-back developments for the past years was the announcement of a $20 million hotel in April, though was later delayed. Parts of the Timbuktu section began to open in late-1979, with the dolphin show and games being of note. At the beginning of 1980, the park was operated by the newly formed
Busch Entertainment Corporation SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment is an American theme park and entertainment company headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company is a subsidiary of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. and owns and operates thirteen recreational destinations in the Unite ...
, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, to separately manage its entertainment and beer assets. In the early 1980s, the tree tops observation platform closed in favor of a Congo train station. A
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical theatre, musical performances, sketch comedy, magic (illusion), magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is ...
debuted in the since renamed Stanleyville Theater in 1980. The park officially opened the Timbuktu section of the park in January 1980. The section opened with a
Chance Rides Chance Rides Manufacturing is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. The company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wic ...
carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
and
trabant Trabant () is a series of small cars produced from 1957 until 1991 by former East German car manufacturer VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau. In total, four different models were made, the Trabant 500, Trabant 600, Trabant 601, and the Tra ...
, a dolphin show in the Dolphin Theater, the Sandstrom
orbiter A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, pl ...
, the Festhaus
dining hall A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school ...
with a dance show, an airplane ride, various game booths, and specialty shops.
Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
, a Schwarzkopf steel roller coaster, later opened in Timbuktu on May 16. To boost attendance in the park, Busch Gardens revealed plans for a $6 million
river rapids ride A river rapids ride (or river rafting ride) is an amusement ride that simulates whitewater rafting. History The river rapids ride concept was proposed by Bill Crandall (general manager of AstroWorld in Houston) and developed by Intamin. AstroW ...
for the Congo section in 1981. In 1982, the Old Swiss House closed indefinitely for structural renovations and white tigers were introduced to the park in the Claw Island exhibit. The Intamin Congo River Rapids ride opened on May 26. For the 1983 season, Busch Gardens added children rides to the Timbuktu and Congo sections. Additionally, the Marrakesh Theater opened in the southern portion of the Marrakesh area with a Moroccan-American dance show. In the latter half of 1983, Dwarf Village was reconstructed to appeal to younger audiences. The Dwarf Village reopened with a miniature log flume, a car ride, and various play areas. In November, Anheuser-Busch issued its intentions to deemphasize and slowly shift away from "The Dark Continent" name in favor of "Busch Gardens" as the name did not catch on with park visitors and was not as recognizable. The return of the prominent Busch Gardens name would bring changes to the slogan and logo. The following year, an Intamin
looping starship The Looping Starship is an amusement ride manufactured by Intamin of Switzerland. The ride is a Pirate ship (ride), swinging ship that can spin a complete 360-degree revolution. The ride has been modified with custom theming to resemble a number ...
, Phoenix, opened in the Timbuktu section on June 5, 1984. The eagle enclosure was relocated to a different location under the brewery escalator in January 1985. A new elephant habitat was created in the Nairobi section in 1986. The Moroccan Palace Theater was completed on August 11, and debuted the show, ''Kaleidoscope'', on August 22. Upon its opening, the Moroccan Palace Theater was the park's main venue to host larger style productions. An animal nursery, named the Nairobi Field Station, opened on December 9. The bird show gained a
birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators ...
segment including falcons, eagles, and owls in February 1987. Busch Gardens
leased A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...
a pair of pandas from the Chinese government in October 1987, with a temporary exhibit opening in the bird gardens on November 17. To accommodate the pandas, new bird aviaries were built in the gardens. The first panda on loan left in April 1988 while the second left in October 1988. The monorail received electric trains in 1988. The aviary dome was removed in the same year due to the expansion of the brewery. By the end of 1988, park officials were considering several additions such as a new boat ride, another show for the Moroccan Palace theater, new exhibit spaces, and reopening the Old Swiss House. The park had started a refurbishment of the Zagora Café and relocated the white tigers to the panda's previous enclosure. Busch Gardens officials planned to launch promotions to attract the European tourist market and draw on its unique position in the Florida amusement park industry. For the park's 30th anniversary, Busch Gardens announced in May 1989 a
shoot the chute Shoot the Chute is an amusement ride consisting of a flat-bottomed boat that slides down a ramp or inside a flume into a lagoon. Unlike a log flume or super flume, which generally seats up to eight passengers, a modern-day Shoot the Chute ride ge ...
water ride named the Tanganyika Tidal Wave, a koala exhibit, and a Clydesdale stable for the coming year. Previews of the Intamin-made Tanganyika Tidal Wave began on June 15, and officially opened weeks later. The water ride replaced the African Queen boat ride and featured a nature walk named the Orchid Canyon. The koalas exhibit opened in the previous panda enclosure on June 28. The Clydesdale Hamlet opened south of the monorail station on August 11, housing four Clydesdale horses. The Moroccan Palace Theater's first show, ''Kaleidoscope'', was replaced by an
ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...
show titled, ''Around the World on Ice'', in November.


1990–1999: Thrill additions and animal habitats

By the early 1990s, Busch Gardens sought to add more attractions to keep the attention of the public and to keep up with amusement industry trends. The last major attraction, the panda exhibit, debuted in 1988, officials acknowledging the park was due for another addition. The campervan park was closed in 1990 due to the decline in sales. The former Old Swiss House reopened as the Crown Colony House in early 1990. A restaurant was added on the top floor of the renovated building utilizing an African theme. The Swinging Vines attraction was removed around 1991. The park announced Questor in May 1991, a
motion simulator A motion simulator or motion platform is a mechanism that creates the feelings of being in a real motion environment. In a simulator, the movement is synchronised with a visual display of the outside world (OTW) scene. Motion platforms can provi ...
ride manufactured by Reflectone, which opened on May 23. Located near the Clydesdale stables and Crown Colony House, Questor featured the story of explorer Sir Edison Fitzwilly pursuing the Crystal of Zed through different landscapes. To maintain its hold in the Florida theme park market, Busch Gardens unveiled plans to construct the Myombe Reserve, a chimpanzee and gorilla exhibit that would replace the Boma section. The exhibit opened on June 17, 1992, with its entrance located near the Moroccan Palace Theater. The park hosted a temporary
Olympic village An Olympic Village is an accommodation center built for the Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials and athletic trainers. Afte ...
for the U.S. team in July as a sponsor of the
1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...
. Continuing efforts to expand, the park revealed its plans to construct a signature steel roller coaster within the Congo section named
Kumba Kumba is a metropolitan city in the Meme department, Southwest Region, Western Cameroon, referred as "K-town" in local slang. Kumba is the most developed and largest city in the Meme Department and has attracted people from the local villag ...
in November. Manufactured by
Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard, officially Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. and often abbreviated B&M, is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabil ...
, the roller coaster was established in the northwest area of the park near the Congo River Rapids and bumper cars. The roller coaster debuted with a height of , a track length of , and reached speeds of upon opening on April 21, 1993. In 1994, a kids area titled the Land of the Dragons was earmarked to replace the Dwarf Village. The Stanleyville variety show saw its production close in 1994, after fourteen years, and a new ice skating show debut in the Moroccan Palace Theater titled, ''Hollywood Live on Ice'', in November. The construction of the Wild Animal Kingdom prompted Busch Gardens to map out a competitive strategy for the coming years in preparation for its first direct competitor in the Florida theme park market. The Land of the Dragons opened on May 9, 1995, debuting on a area featuring a large three-story tree house, miniature cars, a
ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...
, and
rope bridge A simple suspension bridge (also rope bridge, swing bridge (in New Zealand), suspended bridge, hanging bridge and catenary bridge) is a primitive type of bridge in which the deck of the bridge lies on two parallel load-bearing cables that ar ...
.; The dragon rethemed addition was done to update the area and was adopted from its sister park in Williamsburg. The success of Kumba prompted the park to file plans for an Egypt section in May that would include the park's fourth roller coaster, shopping, and a train station. Additional details of the Egypt land were revealed in August. Anheuser-Busch stated its intentions to close the brewery inside the Busch Gardens Tampa location on October 25. The plant on the Busch Gardens property had become the smallest brewery of the company's 13 and was slated to close down because of the decreased beer consumption and high per-barrel costs. The shutdown was part of an overall restructuring effort, with the land transferred to the park. The Monstrous Mamba flat ride closed in the fall season. A safari upcharge attraction was opened to the public in November riding through the Serengeti Plain section. The park's brewery closed in December and was later demolished. The park began expanding its international marketing efforts in Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom in 1996. In addition, the park hosted another temporary Olympic village as a sponsor of the
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
. The Egypt section opened to guests on May 16, located in the south east portion of the park at the cost of $5 million. The section included a recreation of
King Tut Tutankhamun (, egy, twt-ꜥnḫ-jmn), Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen () (), sometimes referred to as King Tut, was an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ruled ...
's tomb, a
sand pit A sandpit (most Commonwealth countries) or sandbox (US and Canada) is a low, wide container or shallow depression filled with soft (beach) sand in which children can play. Sharp sand (as used in the building industry) is not suitable for s ...
,
Egyptian hieroglyphs Egyptian hieroglyphs (, ) were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, used for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with some 1,000 distinct characters.There were about 1,00 ...
structures, and the Bolliger & Mabillard
inverted roller coaster An inverted roller coaster is a roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended coaster, which runs under the tr ...
,
Montu Montu was a falcon-god of war in ancient Egyptian religion, an embodiment of the conquering vitality of the pharaoh.Hart, George, ''A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses'', Routledge, 1986, . p. 126. He was particularly worshipped in Upper ...
. Montu was created at the cost of $10 million, opening as the world's longest and tallest inverted roller coaster. Busch Gardens entered a theme park partnership in June with SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Studios Florida, and Wet 'n Wild Orlando to compete with Disney. In the same month, the park considered the feasibility of a hotel, the latest effort since the 1980s. In October, park officials disclosed plans for a animal exhibit section at the cost of $20 million. General manager Fincher was replaced by Robin D. Carson in a corporate shuffle in February 1997. The Edge of Africa animal exhibit section opened on July 4. Located in the middle of the park on a parcel of the Serengeti Plain, the animal exhibit featured crocodiles, hippos, hyenas, lions, meerkats, and vultures among an African village and wildlife themes. Plans for an entertainment complex, the likes that would rival Disney's Animal Kingdom, were in the planning stages in December 1997. Further improvements to the park were disclosed, including an refurbished simulator ride and a bird walk through exhibit. An arcade area would open in the Egypt section in April 1998. The simulator ride, Akbar's Adventure Tours, opened on May 12, replacing Questor. The walk through Lory Landing bird exhibit opened in May 5, near the Land of the Dragons. In June, updated plans for the entertainment complex cited a $10 million ride to open in the coming year, which would later be revealed as the
dueling A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and la ...
wooden roller coasters A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also b ...
,
Gwazi Iron Gwazi (formerly Gwazi) is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, a theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The ride, named after a fabled creature with a tiger's head and a lion's body, was built by Great Coa ...
, in July. Busch Gardens purchased a area north of
San Antonio, Florida San Antonio, or unofficially San Ann as the locals call it, is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. It lies within Florida's ...
, for an animal retirement facility in September. In the ensuing year, the Tangiers Theater was replaced by a confectionary store. The monorail closed on May 13, 1999, with demolition occurring on the same day. Gwazi opened on June 18, on the former site of the Anheuser-Busch brewery. The park would debut its first family-friendly Halloween event, titled the Spooky Safari, in October. Occurring in the same month, the San Antonio facility for the park's animals opened, as well as plans to revitalize the Serengeti Plain were announced. Landscaping and physical barriers were planned to separate animals, bring wildlife closer to the train, and include several animals such as antelopes, gazelles, giraffes, and zebras. Another ice skating show, ''World Rhythms on Ice'', debuted in the Morocco Palace Theater in November.


2000–2009: Updates and end of Anheuser-Busch ownership

Up to 2000, Busch Gardens' manager, Carson, had replaced several long-time executives and created a new leadership team to rejuvenate the park because of the growing competition from other Florida theme parks. Instead of investing in technologically innovative and expensive rides, the park sought to attract guests through unique experiences with interactive wildlife elements. The park began advertising its location as a holiday destination within the Tampa Bay area as Disney had done in Orlando. To retain attendance from returning visitors, Anheuser-Busch began offering a "Fun Card" to Florida residents at their Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld Orlando theme parks beginning in 2000. The pass would provide benefits and ability to visit the park to the end of the year and would replace most of its discount programs previously offered. Park officials revealed plans to construct Rhino Rally in May, a Land Rover safari attraction for the coming year. The revitalized land of the Serengeti Plain debuted to the public on June 22, including an add-on tour in a truck through the animal habitat. Busch Gardens premiered a Halloween event from the previous year, Howl-O-Scream, in October adopting the event from its sister park in Williamsburg after its success and in hopes of challenging Universal's own Halloween event. After its success, the Fun Card was reintroduced in 2001 for Florida residents. Rhino Rally opened to the public on May 23. After the events on
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
, Anheuser-Busch temporarily closed its parks, but reopened the following day. In the wake of the attacks, Busch Gardens temporarily offered coupons for hotels and gas to attract consumers close-by. Starting in June 2002, the park was the first Florida to offer a second day free entrance when it rained during a guests stay. In August, the park indicated it would replace its Dolphin Theater with a
4D film 4D film is a high technology multisensory presentation system combining motion pictures with physical effects that are synchronized and occur in the theatre. Effects simulated in 4D films include motion, vibration, scent, rain, mist, bubbles, fo ...
theater. Several projects were proposed to open during the 2003 season, including a
white rhino The white rhinoceros, white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum'') is the largest extant species of rhinoceros. It has a wide mouth used for grazing and is the most social of all rhino species. The white rhinoceros consists ...
habitat, an add-on zoo keeper experience, a revitalized Timbuktu area with the Das Festhaus restaurant being rethemed, and the premiere of the 4D film, ''
Haunted Lighthouse ''R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse'' is a 2003 short 4-D film. It debuted in several United States theme parks, including SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio. The film was created by Busch Entertainment Corporation and Lookout Entertainmen ...
''. A new logo would also be introduce to phase out an old one used for 20 years prior. General manager Carson was replaced by Dan Brown in mid-May. The 4D film debuted in the newly constructed 750-seat theater in May, with the Timbuktu revamp and the Kasbah restaurant scheduled to open soon after. The area for the three white rhinos from South Africa debuted in June. Starting in June 2003, Busch Gardens introduced the "Summer Nights" event offering extended hours during the summer season nights. The park began construction in late-2003 on its parking lot to accommodate new tunnels to be built under McKinley Drive for easier access to the park. With
August Busch III August Anheuser Busch III (born June 16, 1937) is a great-grandson of Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus Busch and was the company's Chairman until November 30, 2006. August Busch III is informally known as "Auggie" and as "The Third" or "Three Stic ...
taking more interest in the Anheuser-Busch parks to help in monetary gains, Busch Gardens also announced an overhaul to its entertainment options. A permanent replacement for an ice show in the Moroccan Theater, named ''Katonga'', would come the following year, and a temporary ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' show would be introduced in the coming months. Park officials also formally scrap the hotel entertainment complex plan. Busch Entertainment disclosed it would move its
wild mouse roller coaster A wild mouse is a type of roller coaster consisting of single or spinning cars traversing a tight-winding track with an emphasis on sharp, unbanked turns. The upper portion of the track usually features multiple 180-degree turns, known as flat ...
, Wild Maus, from Busch Gardens Williamsburg to its Tampa park and replace the Crazy Camel trabant flat ride. The Kasbah restaurant would be renamed the Desert Grill in 2004. The wild mouse roller coaster,
Cheetah Chase The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...
, opened in February. The Broadway-equivalent show, ''KaTonga'', debuted on April 8, in the Moroccan Palace Theater. The park announced in October the construction of
SheiKra SheiKra (, ) is a steel Dive Coaster roller coaster at the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster was proposed by Mark Rose, vice-president of design and engineering for the park, and desi ...
, a steel roller coaster to be located in the Stanleyville section and built by Bolliger and Mabillard. In January 2005, the park implemented fingerprint scans to replace ticket photo identification, deployed kiosks for self-service, and a new entrance. A gift shop in the bird gardens was reintroduced as the Xcursions shop. In addition, construction on the road tunnel for transportation trams and parking were completed and opened on January 7. SheiKra opened on May 21, becoming the tallest roller coaster in Florida and the first Dive Coaster model built in the United States. A barbeque restaurant also opened within the confines of the Stanleyville section. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was marketed in the short term as Busch Gardens Africa beginning in 2006 to distinguish the Tampa park from its Williamsburg counterpart, which had similarly adopted "Europe" to its name. The name change came as part of an effort to distinguish both parks as unique from each other and to drive more visitors. However, the use of Tampa Bay would still be used in local marketing. By 2006, the park had also updated five activity areas. A new 4D film, ''
Pirates 4-D ''Pirates 4D'' (also known as ''Pirates 3D'') is an attraction film designed to be shown in a specially-built or remodeled theater space in a theme park, featuring in-theater special effects, sometimes referred to as a 4D film. The film itself ...
'', debuted in the Timbuktu Theater on February 18, replacing the ''Haunted Lighthouse''. After 30 years of operation, the Python roller coaster closed on October 31, for a planned expansion in 2008. The closure included part of the Congo section surrounding the roller coaster, including the Claw Island exhibit and a restaurant. The park's bird show in the Bird Gardens ended in 2007, after 48 years of production. The bird show would later be replaced by an animal show titled, ''Critter Castaways''. The roller coaster, SheiKra, closed temporarily in May 2007 and reopened in June with floorless trains. Busch Gardens revealed its plans in September to build a $16 million dollar section, named Jungala, where the Python roller coaster once stood. The land would house several animal habitats, involving Bengal tigers, ''
Tomistoma ''Tomistoma'' is a genus of gavialid crocodilians. They are noted for their long narrow snouts used to catch fish, similar to the gharial. ''Tomistoma'' contains one extant (living) member, the false gharial (''Tomistoma schlegelii''), as we ...
'',
flying foxes ''Pteropus'' (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Austra ...
,
gibbon Gibbons () are apes in the family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical rainforest from eastern Bangladesh to Northeast India ...
s, and
orangutan Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
s. The area would also host several attractions that included a "mini space shot", a sit-down zip line, a play area, educational areas, and restaurants. General manager was taken over by Donnie Mills, as Brown left for a position at Busch Entertainment in December. The previous Nairobi Field Station was renamed Jambo Junction in January 2008. Jungala opened on April 5, at a higher estimated cost of around $40 million. The park section was marketed for age groups between older adolescents and young teenagers, who would be too young for their SheiKra roller coaster but too old for the Land of the Dragons area. Belgian brewer
InBev InBev () is a brewing company that resulted from the merger between Belgium-based company Interbrew and Brazilian brewer AmBev which took place in 2004. It existed independently until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch in 2008, which formed Anheu ...
was reported in May to make a potential bid for Anheuser-Busch. The bid by InBev came when consolidation of companies was largely taking place and amid national competition for Anheuser-Busch. The Belgian brewer considered the sale of the Busch Entertainment division to help fund its buyout of Anheuser-Busch, which composed of ten theme parks including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. InBev formally proposed its bid to Anheuser-Busch's board of directors on June 11. By June 26, Anheuser-Busch contemplated restructuring and dropping some of its assets, such as Busch Entertainment, to strengthen its profitability and rationalize its refusal of InBev's bid. The next day, InBev filed suit to prepare a facilitated
takeover In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to t ...
bid of Anheuser-Busch through the removal of its board of directors. InBev formally drafted its takeover bid on July 7, placing speculation as to a possible buyer for Busch parks, anticipated changes to park operations, and its identity. A friendly agreement between Anheuser-Busch and InBev was negotiated on July 13, forming
Anheuser-Busch InBev Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, is an American-Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev has a global functional management office in New York City, and regional headquarters ...
. In the deal, InBev reaffirmed the merger would be funded by the sale of subsidiary assets, which added into the uncertain future of Busch Gardens Tampa park. It was theorized the Busch Entertainment parks may form their own company, be sold off independently, or be bought together. Potential buying participants were speculated, to be the
Blackstone Group Blackstone Inc. is an American alternative investment management company based in New York City. Blackstone's private equity business has been one of the largest investors in leveraged buyouts in the last three decades, while its real estate b ...
,
Cedar Fair Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included-w ...
,
Parques Reunidos Parques Reunidos (meaning "Reunited Parks") is an international entertainment operator based in Madrid, Spain. The group operates over 60 parks in about dozen countries. Parques Reunidos operates theme and amusement parks, zoos, water parks, fami ...
, and
Six Flags Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is an American amusement park corporation, headquartered in Arlington, Texas. It has properties in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Six Flags owns the most theme parks and waterparks combined of any amu ...
, as all were operating parks domestically or globally. In early August, it was reported that the Blackstone Group, operating
Merlin Entertainment Merlin Entertainments Limited is a British entertainment company based at Poole in Dorset, England. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until November 2019, when it was acquired by a consortium that includes Kirkbi A/S (the investment ...
, and Parques Reunidos, were emerging to bid for the Busch parks. Talks of the acquisition were ongoing in November, with industry officials signaling a deal might take place during summer in 2009. As part of its plan to sell off Busch parks, Anheuser-Busch InBev ceased free beer samples for guests at the beginning of 2009, having been in place since the parks opening. The park also deemphasize Anheuser-Busch products by reducing, removing, or replacing several offerings. For the park's 50th anniversary, park officials asked the public to bring in memorabilia to be displayed in a temporary historic museum. The building that housed the former Akbar's Adventure Tour simulator ride and U.S. Horseshow Jumping Hall of Fame was turned into a museum in March, with guest and corporate contributions displayed. In June 2009, it was anticipated the Busch Gardens Tampa park would replace its Land of the Dragons area with a ''Sesame Street'' area as its Williamsburg sister park had completed. Busch Gardens revealed its intentions in August to build the kids area, with the plans calling to enlarge the section, add a kids roller coaster, and retheme several attractions to fit the ''Sesame Street'' theme. Rumors of Busch Gardens' sale were reported in September, as the Blackstone Group was becoming more prominent to purchase the parks, with a deal close in October. Anheuser-Busch InBev announced it would sell Busch Entertainment to the Blackstone Group on October 7. The acquisition saw the Clydesdale horses removed, but allow the continuation of the Busch Gardens name, as well as previous programs, employees, and leadership from before its purchase. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay began to be operated by the renamed SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment division in December, with the last Anheuser-Busch symbols from the park taken out.


2010–present: New ownership and additions

General manager Mills was replaced by Jim Dean in the role as park president in February 2010. The Mystic Sheiks of Morocco band ceased performances in 2010, and a new 4-D film based on the ''Sesame Street'' cast would debut in the Timbuktu Theater, replacing ''Pirates 4-D''. The ''Sesame Street'' section opened as Sesame Street Safari of Fun on March 27, on a area. A walk through
kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
enclosure, titled the Walkabout Way, opened in the Bird Gardens area on June 14. The long running show, ''KaTonga'', would end its production on September 6. Busch Gardens announced two attractions for the coming year on October 13, with an Intamin-made
launched roller coaster The launched roller coaster is a modern form of roller coaster. A launched coaster initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or a series of linear induction motors (LIM), linear synchronous motors (LSM), catapults, tires, chains ...
named
Cheetah Hunt Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The roller coaster was manufactured by Intamin and designed in collaboration with Mark Rose. Cheetah Hunt opened to the public on May 27, 2011, along ...
located in the former monorail station and a cheetah enclosure titled Cheetah Run. ''KaTonga'''s replacement, ''Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy'', debuted on December 3. Busch Gardens disclosed on May 16, 2011, a replacement to the old rhinoceros enclosure with a "Animal Care & Nutrition Center". Cheetah Hunt and its associated Cheetah Run enclosure opened on May 27. Disney discontinued their Grad Night event in 2011, leading to Busch Gardens to pick up its own event for graduating local high schools. A replacement for the short-lived ''Cirque Dreams'', titled ''Iceploration'', was detailed in September, being the largest show production in the park's history. Busch Gardens opened its Animal Care Center on January 23, 2012, at an estimated cost of $5 million in the Nairobi section. The ''Iceploration'' show debuted on February 2. A winter event, titled Christmas Town premiered in November and would continue on into December. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment changed the logo and slogan of its Busch Gardens parks in February 2013, choosing a "coaster tree" to represent the park's environment and rides. The Stanleyville Theater was enclosed in 2013 and would debut a ''
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
'' themed show on May 18. The Sandstorm orbiter flat ride would close in June, which would make way for a drop tower named
Falcon's Fury Falcon's Fury is a free-standing Sky Jump drop tower attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Intamin subsidiary Intaride, the ride reaches a maximum height of , making it North Amer ...
to open within the next year. The Intamin-made drop tower would be located in the Timbuktu section and drop riders face down. The park's Crown Colony restaurant closed indefinitely by mid-2013, with industry observers citing budget cuts and slow attendance for the change in operation. Busch Gardens later revealed in November a retheme of the Timbuktu section into "Pantopia", where Falcon's Fury would be located. The Pantopia section would feature a vibrant color pallet for existing buildings, introduce a new story line for the fictional land and refreshments, keep existing rides, and open with the drop tower. The animal show, ''Critter Castaways'', in the Bird Gardens Theater would be moved to the Pantopia Theater following the former theater's closure in February 2014, which was subsequently demolished having been at the park since its opening. Within the same month, the park opted into Tampa's City Pass alongside other local zoos and aquariums. Falcon's Fury was delayed from its initial opening date on May 1, though, the Pantopia section officially opened. The drop tower would later open on September 2, after varied soft-openings. The safari attraction Rhino Rally permanently closed in September. The park would disclose in December that wooden roller coasters Gwazi would close in the coming months due to rising costs in operation and feedback from guests. Gwazi closed on February 1, 2015, after 15 years of operation. A new attraction for the Egypt section was disclosed in February 2015, to come the next year. A replacement of the park's Bands, Brew, and BBQ event debuted in March, as the Food and Wine Festival. Busch Gardens formally announced its Egyptian addition in May as Cobra's Curse, a
spinning roller coaster A spinning roller coaster is a roller coaster with cars that rotate on a vertical axis. Models Virginia Reel The first spinning roller coaster was the Sierra Sidewinder, first built in 1908 by Henry Riehl. Instead of trains, the ride had "tubs ...
to debut the following year. The previous Desert Grill reopened as the Dragon Fire Grill on June 1. The Tanganyika Tidal Wave closed on April 10, 2016, with no plans to replace the attraction. The former Crown Colony opened with the addition of a new restaurant in May. The spinning roller coaster, Cobra's Curse, opened on June 17, in the Egypt section of the park adjacent to Montu. The Jambo Junction animal center closed indefinitely on December 9, due to corporate layoffs. Stewart Clark replaced Dean as Busch Gardens President in January 2017 following the formers departure to become President of Orlando's SeaWorld parks. By April, the ''Iceploration'' show ended its performance in the Moroccan Palace Theater, replaced by ''Turn It Up'' during the summer months. Free beer samples returned to the park in May 2018, being hosted within the former Hospitality House since renamed to the Garden Gate Cafe. A
Premier Rides Premier Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in the United States. The company was the first to use Linear Induction Motors (LIMs) on their roller coasters. Jim Seay has been the sole owner and company president since 1996. The first r ...
triple-launch roller coaster, named
Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
, was announced in September to open the following year. The park would later announce in March 2019 the replacement for Gwazi as
Iron Gwazi Iron Gwazi (formerly Gwazi) is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, a theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The ride, named after a fabled creature with a tiger's head and a lion's body, was built by Great Coa ...
, a
Rocky Mountain Construction Rocky Mountain Construction, often abbreviated as RMC, is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. The company is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters. History In 200 ...
conversion of the wooden roller coasters into a steel roller coaster. Busch Gardens opened Tigris, its ninth roller coaster, on April 19. Iron Gwazi, was expected to be completed by Spring 2020, however, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Florida On March 1, 2020, the U.S. state of Florida officially reported its first two COVID-19 cases, in Manatee County, Florida, Manatee and Hillsborough County, Florida, Hillsborough counties. On April 1 Governor of Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis de ...
, the park temporarily closed from March 16 to June 11, to assist in slowing down the exposure of guests. As a result of the pandemic, the opening of Iron Gwazi was initially delayed until 2021. SeaWorld Entertainment parks as a whole saw a 96% drop in attendance figures. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay named Neal Thurman as its new president in August, amid Clark leaving to pursue a role at SeaWorld Entertainment in September. Iron Gwazi, after several months of previews, opened on March 11, 2022. A new entrance plaza, entertainment, and pass member lounge were planned in April to come during the season. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced in October the Serengeti Flyer, a S&S Screamin' Swing, scheduled to debut in Spring 2023.


Park layout and attractions

* The
Serengeti Express The Serengeti Express, formerly known as the Trans Veldt Railway, is a narrow gauge heritage railroad and amusement park attraction located within the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida. Opened on July 3, 1971, the railw ...
, a
narrow-gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structur ...
railway, consists of a
steam train A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
that runs along the back end of the park and makes stops at the
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, Congo and Stanleyville themed areas. * The Skyride transports guests between the Edge of Africa (near Cheetah Hunt) and Stanleyville.


Morocco

The park's main entrance. Treats can be purchased at the Sultan's Sweets and the Zagora Cafe. The Moroccan Palace is located here, as well as the outdoor Marrakesh Theater. * Gwazi Gliders, a small hang glider flat ride relocated from the Congo section's defunct Pygmy Village kids' area. *Myombe Reserve, a home for six lowland
gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...
s and nine
chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
s located in Nairobi, opened in 1992. *Moroccan Palace, A palace themed theater nearby Myombe Reserve chimpanzee entrance. It is home for Busch Gardens's newly award-winning ice skating show, ''Turn It Up! The Hottest Show On Ice''. *
Iron Gwazi Iron Gwazi (formerly Gwazi) is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, a theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The ride, named after a fabled creature with a tiger's head and a lion's body, was built by Great Coa ...
, a hybrid wooden-steel roller coaster. In 2019, Busch Gardens Tampa announced that a new hybrid coaster would be built on the space where Gwazi once stood. It was built by world-famous roller coaster manufacturer
Rocky Mountain Construction Rocky Mountain Construction, often abbreviated as RMC, is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. The company is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters. History In 200 ...
. Upon its opening, it became North America's tallest hybrid coaster as well as the world's fastest and steepest hybrid coaster.


Sesame Street Safari of Fun

Former "Land of the Dragons" children's section of the park. Land of the Dragons, which itself replaced the Dwarf Village in 1995, was replaced by
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
Safari of Fun on March 27, 2010. It contains all the attractions from Land of the Dragons which are now re-themed. * Telly's Jungle Jam, an interactive play area. * Rosita's Djembe Fly-Away, a
swing ride The swing ride or chair swing ride (sometimes called a swing carousel, wave swinger, yo-yo, waver swinger, Chair-O-Planes, Dodo or swinger) is an amusement ride that is a variation on the carousel in which the seats are suspended from the rot ...
. * Bert & Ernie's Watering hole, a water play area. *Air Grover, a children's roller coaster.


Stanleyville

This section of the park is home to one of the park's water rides, Stanley Falls Flume. It is also home to launch coaster Tigris, and SheiKra, which was the first and only Dive Coaster in the United States until the addition of Griffon at the sister park
Busch Gardens Williamsburg Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park located in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Located approximately northwest of Virgini ...
. The section opened in 1973 with the addition of the Stanley Falls Flume. The African Queen Boat Ride opened in 1977 as Busch's version of Disney's
Jungle Cruise Jungle Cruise, formally named Jungle River Cruise, is a riverboat amusement ride located in the Adventureland themed section at various Disney theme parks worldwide. The attraction is a simulated riverboat cruise that travels along a waterway ...
. The African Queen featured live animals, including
alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...
s,
crocodile Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
s,
rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
es and
spider monkey Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus ''Ateles'', part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The g ...
s. A South American
macaw Macaws are a group of New World parrots that are long-tailed and often colorful. They are popular in aviculture or as companion parrots, although there are conservation concerns about several species in the wild. Biology Of the many differe ...
rode on each boat. In 1989, the African Queen Boat Ride was converted into Tanganyika Tidal Wave with the addition of a drop that generates a large splash. The section remained unchanged until 2005 when SheiKra opened and the surrounding area was renovated. *
SheiKra SheiKra (, ) is a steel Dive Coaster roller coaster at the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster was proposed by Mark Rose, vice-president of design and engineering for the park, and desi ...
, a
Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard, officially Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. and often abbreviated B&M, is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabil ...
floorless dive roller coaster with a 90-degree vertical drop. This was North America's first vertical dive coaster. The ride originally operated with floors until these were replaced with floorless trains in 2007. The ride was repainted in 2013. * Stanley Falls Flume, a
log flume A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pre ...
with a drop. *
Tigris The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the ...
, a
Premier Rides Premier Rides is an amusement ride manufacturer based in the United States. The company was the first to use Linear Induction Motors (LIMs) on their roller coasters. Jim Seay has been the sole owner and company president since 1996. The first r ...
Sky Rocket II Sky Rocket II is a steel roller coaster model made by American manufacturer Premier Rides. The first Sky Rocket II was Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, which opened on June 30, 2012, and the latest is Sky Loop at Riyadh Wi ...
. It is located on the site of Tanganyika Tidal Wave. Tigris officially opened on April 19, 2019.


Congo

This section, themed to the jungles of Congo, contains two of the park's rides,
Kumba Kumba is a metropolitan city in the Meme department, Southwest Region, Western Cameroon, referred as "K-town" in local slang. Kumba is the most developed and largest city in the Meme Department and has attracted people from the local villag ...
and Congo River Rapids. In November 2006, Congo underwent a major renovation, including the removal of the park's
Python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (pro ...
corkscrew roller coaster. Other former Congo attractions include the Swinging Vines, a family swing flat ride which closed in the early 1990s and the Monstrous Mamba octopus flat ride which closed in the late 1990s. The Pygmy Village kids area featuring three children's rides, a teacup ride, a kiddie swing ride relocated to Sesame Street Safari of Fun and the Gwazi Gliders moved to Morocco. *
Kumba Kumba is a metropolitan city in the Meme department, Southwest Region, Western Cameroon, referred as "K-town" in local slang. Kumba is the most developed and largest city in the Meme Department and has attracted people from the local villag ...
, meaning ''roar'' in Swahili, is a steel sit-down roller coaster with seven inversions. Built in 1993 by Bolliger & Mabillard, it remains a popular ride today. The ride was repainted in 2010, and again in 2019. *Congo River Rapids, a river rapids ride opened in 1982. The queue also houses a
Komodo dragon The Komodo dragon (''Varanus komodoensis''), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae that is endemic to the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. It is the largest extant ...
exhibit. *Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars, a
bumper cars Bumper cars or dodgems are the generic names for a type of flat amusement ride consisting of multiple small electrically powered cars which draw power from the floor and/or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator. Bumpe ...
ride.


Jungala

Opened on April 5, 2008, Jungala is a family attraction featuring up-close animal encounters,
rope bridge A simple suspension bridge (also rope bridge, swing bridge (in New Zealand), suspended bridge, hanging bridge and catenary bridge) is a primitive type of bridge in which the deck of the bridge lies on two parallel load-bearing cables that ar ...
s to explore three stories of jungle life, and a water-play area for children. Also located in this area are two family attractions: Jungle Flyers, a
zip line A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bott ...
that offers three different flight patterns above the treetops of the new area, and Wild Surge, a shot tower that launches guests above a waterfall. Another attraction is Tiger Trail, which is a walkthrough with
tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
s where there is also a glass turret where guests can look out right in the middle of the tiger enclosure. During the Kareebu Jungala atmosphere show,
stiltwalker Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, wav ...
s perform with puppets and interact with guests in the heart of Jungala. *Jungle Fliers, a zip line ride (closed as of 2018). *The Wild Surge, a Moser family launch tower ride. *Orangutan Outpost, a tree-top observation platform to watch and interact with
Bornean orangutan The Bornean orangutan (''Pongo pygmaeus'') is a species of orangutan endemic to the island of Borneo. Together with the Sumatran orangutan (''Pongo abelii'') and Tapanuli orangutan (''Pongo tapanuliensis''), it belongs to the only genus of great ...
s. As of 2017, Busch Gardens has 6 orangutans including 3 males and 3 females. * Tiger Lodge and Tiger Trail, Observation areas, trails and a bridge to watch and interact with tigers. Busch Gardens has at least 10 tigers. On March 31, 2013, Bzui, a female
Malayan tiger The Malayan tiger is a tiger from a specific population of the ''Panthera tigris tigris'' subspecies that is native to Peninsular Malaysia. This population inhabits the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula and has been classified ...
, gave birth to three cubs sired by Mata. She had two males and one female. The males were named Bundar (meaning round) and Rukayah (meaning delicate). The female was named Cinta (meaning love). * Kulu Canopy, A multi-species habitat for white-cheeked gibbons,
flying fox ''Pteropus'' (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Aust ...
es (
fruit bat Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera ''Acerodon'' and ''Pteropus''—flying foxes. They are the only member of the sup ...
s) and
false gharial The false gharial (''Tomistoma schlegelii''), also known by the names Malayan gharial, Sunda gharial and tomistoma is a freshwater crocodilian of the family Gavialidae native to Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and Java. It is listed as Vu ...
- a reclusive and very rare crocodilian native to
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.


Pantopia

A section originally themed after the malls and bazaars of Africa that opened up in May 1980 as Timbuktu. The Phoenix was built in 1984. The section was renovated in 2003. Elements added during this facelift included the enclosing of the Timbuktu Theater, which replaced the park's
Dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
Theater with an indoor 4-D movie theater. The dolphins retired to other locations. The 4-D theater premiered with "R.L Stine's Haunted Lighthouse" film in 2003, followed by "
Pirates 4-D ''Pirates 4D'' (also known as ''Pirates 3D'') is an attraction film designed to be shown in a specially-built or remodeled theater space in a theme park, featuring in-theater special effects, sometimes referred to as a 4D film. The film itself ...
" in 2006 and "Sesame Street Presents: Lights! Camera! Imagination!" in 2010. In 2004, Das Festhaus was transformed into the Desert Grill, and the park's family-friendly Sand Serpent
wild mouse roller coaster A wild mouse is a type of roller coaster consisting of single or spinning cars traversing a tight-winding track with an emphasis on sharp, unbanked turns. The upper portion of the track usually features multiple 180-degree turns, known as flat ...
opened, replacing the Crazy Camel Trabant flat ride. In September 2014, Falcon's Fury, a 335-foot drop tower, opened, replacing the former Sandstorm orbiter flat ride. This section of the park was re-themed to Pantopia alongside the opening of Falcon's Fury. *
Scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
, a steel, Schwarzkopf-designed sit-down roller coaster with one
vertical loop The generic roller coaster vertical loop, where a section of track causes the riders to complete a 360 degree turn, is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. At the top of the loop, riders are completely inverted. History The vertical ...
. It is Busch Gardens' oldest operating roller coaster. *
Sand Serpent Sand Serpent is a Wild Mouse roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The ride originally operated at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia as Wild Izzy in 1996 and later as Wilde Maus from ...
, a steel
wild mouse roller coaster A wild mouse is a type of roller coaster consisting of single or spinning cars traversing a tight-winding track with an emphasis on sharp, unbanked turns. The upper portion of the track usually features multiple 180-degree turns, known as flat ...
. * Pantopia Theater, an indoor theater that originally housed ''Opening Night Critters'' with the opening of ''Pantopia'' in 2014. In Spring 2019, it is now home to ''Critters Inn Charge'' after Opening Night Critters closed. * Caravan Carousel, a carousel with horses, camels, and chariots. *
Falcon's Fury Falcon's Fury is a free-standing Sky Jump drop tower attraction at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Intamin subsidiary Intaride, the ride reaches a maximum height of , making it North Amer ...
, a
drop tower A drop tower or big drop is a type of amusement ride incorporating a central structure or tower. Drop towers vary in height, passenger capacity, lift type, and brake type. Many are custom-made, although there are some mass-produced designs. Th ...
that has a speed of and tilts 90 degrees towards the ground. It is the tallest free-standing drop tower in North America at .


Nairobi

Alligators and crocodiles can be observed here up close. In Curiosity Cavern, guests can view
mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
and reptile exhibits. Visitors to Nairobi can meet the Animal Ambassadors who travel the country and make educational appearances at Jambo Junction. The area also contains Myombe Reserve, a tropical rainforest that is home to western gorillas and
chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
s. In 2012 the Animal Care Center opened, allowing guests to observe actual veterinary procedures, as well as meet the stars of ''Wildlife Docs'', Busch Gardens' Saturday morning television show. The main train station at Busch Gardens is located at Nairobi. Another popular attraction here is the Asian elephant exhibit. Nairobi used to have a safari truck ride called Rhino Rally, similar to Kilimanjaro Safaris at Walt Disney World. The attraction closed in 2015. *Animal Care Center, a nearly attraction, allows visitors the chance to view the Busch Gardens' Veterinary physician, veterinarians at work in a new state-of-the-art veterinary hospital. The major visitor aspects of the facility include a nutrition demonstration kitchen, treatment rooms, a clinical lab and an interactive diagnostic activity. Behind the scenes the veterinary hospital also includes the animal nutrition center, animal recovery and holding rooms and vet offices. The park's former animal care center was located behind the scenes. * Elephant Interaction Wall, the Nairobi section of the park has five female and one male (arrived from the Calgary Zoo in 2013) Asian elephants. The females are named Tina who is 53 years old, Rosie who is 50 years old, Simba who is 52 years old, Carina who is 48 years old and Carnaudi who is 30 years old. There are daily interactions at the Elephant Interaction and Husbandry Wall or during the Elephant Keeper Experience.


Edge of Africa

Edge of Africa, otherwise known as Cheetah Hunt Plaza, is the smallest section of the park. It features a restaurant, The Serengeti Overlook Restaurant and Pub, the Cheetah Hunt roller coaster, and the Skyride station. *
Cheetah Hunt Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The roller coaster was manufactured by Intamin and designed in collaboration with Mark Rose. Cheetah Hunt opened to the public on May 27, 2011, along ...
, a multi-launch steel roller coaster that opened in 2011. A suspended monorail which took guests around the Serengeti Plain previously occupied Cheetah Hunt's station but had sat empty since the attraction closed in 1999. *Cheetah Run, an animal exhibit located next to Cheetah Hunt. It replaced the Clydesdale Hamlet. In May 2011, Cheetah Run opened. Cheetah Run is home to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay collection of cheetahs. There are running demonstrations and Meet a Keeper sessions throughout the day. In addition, the exhibit has interactive screens with cheetah facts. One of Cheetah Run's most notable residents is Kasi, a male cheetah, who was paired with Mtani, a female Labrador Retriever, from 2011 to 2013 when they were young. Mtani now lives with a zookeeper and Kasi has been paired with a female Cheetah. As of 2013, Busch Gardens has 14 cheetahs.


Egypt

Bedouin tents, authentic handicrafts and art create an Egyptian marketplace feel. The primary attraction of the Egypt-themed area is Montu, an inverted steel coaster. Tut's Tomb, a former audio guided walk-through tomb excavation closed in Winter 2013 and the interior was gutted to make way for the queue for Cobra's Curse. The former Golden Scarab Gift Shop was converted into a gift shop at the exit of the attraction. * Cobra's Curse, a Mack Rides steel Spinning roller coaster, spinning coaster that replaced Tut's Tomb and opened on June 17, 2016. *
Montu Montu was a falcon-god of war in ancient Egyptian religion, an embodiment of the conquering vitality of the pharaoh.Hart, George, ''A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses'', Routledge, 1986, . p. 126. He was particularly worshipped in Upper ...
, named after the Montu, Egyptian falcon-god of war, a steel inverted Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster with seven inversions.


Animal habitats

Busch Gardens is Tampa's largest zoo, with more than 200 species of animals.


Animal Care Center

Facility that allows visitors to view animal care being conducted from treatments to x-rays. * The Wildlife Docs, an Emmy nominated television series that follows animal caretakers treating more than 12,000 different animals living in Busch Gardens Tampa.


Bird Gardens

A free flight aviary that shows over 500 tropical birds from around the globe including parrots, flamingos and others. The original section of the park opened in 1959. The area for the most part remains mostly gardens and animal exhibits. A staple attraction that once stood in this section was the brewery. However, the brewery closed in 1995 and Gwazi now sits where the brewery was located. In 2014, the Bird Gardens theater was demolished and the outdoor show (Critter Castaways) was relocated inside the Pantopia Theater under the new name "Opening Night Critters". This ran until December 2018 and the theater remains empty (as of February 2022). *Walkabout Way, themed as an Australian outpost, opened in June 2010. This area allows guests to hand-feed
kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
s and Wallaby, wallabies, and see animals including kookaburras, magpies, black swans and tawny frogmouths. A male kangaroo, Horatio, arrived at the park in early 2014. This experience is open to all guests 5 years of age or older. * Lory Landing, an open aviary habitat that invites guest to walk around and be visited by Lories and lorikeets, lorikeets. Purchasing nectar is an optional part of the habitat, providing an experience of hand-feeding the birds.


Edge of Africa

Opened in 1997, Edge of Africa is a walk-through attraction where guests can observe African animals. Among the exhibits are a Nile crocodile named Sobek, meerkats, two prides of lions, a pack of spotted hyenas, three hippopotamus, hippos named Moyo, Kita and Devi, vultures, and a troop of lemurs. The three newest members of the lion pride include a male named Kembe and two females named Shaba and Shtuko. They arrived at the park as cubs in 2013 from a zoo in Africa. Another pride of lions at the park include a male named Simon and two females named Rose and Iris. Iris and Rose are unable to have cubs as they have been spayed. The hippos Moyo and Kita are never exhibited together, being father and daughter, and being unaware of this would try to mate with each other. Therefore, both are rotated into the exhibit and holding area day by day to avoid accidental inbreeding.


The Serengeti Plain

In 1965, the park opened its Serengeti Plain animal habitat, the first of its kind to offer animals in a free-roaming environment. Over the years, the habitat has expanded from to its current size of . It is home to the Grévy's zebra, Grant's zebra, sable antelope, reticulated giraffe, Ankole-Watusi, addax, white rhinoceros, Taurotragus, eland, impala, ostrich and marabou stork. Also, in a secluded area of this region is a solitary female black rhinoceros named Jodi.


Events

From January to March, Busch Gardens hosts a weekly concert series which invites popular bands either in big band music or Pop music, pop to perform classic or contemporary songs. (Previously called Bud & BBQ and Bands, Brew & BBQ) For the months of March & April, Busch Gardens hosts a series of concerts in Gwazi Field, mostly from classic rock and country music acts. Sometimes the event includes alternative rock, pop, hip hop and rhythm and blues, R&B acts as well as comedians. Also, there are special culinary offerings that include a variety of ethnic food and wine samplings from various local vendors along the walkway from the Gwazi Roller Coaster to the gate in Gwazi Field. The documentary film ''Blackfish (film), Blackfish'' and a subsequent online petition led to several popular musical groups cancelling performances at SeaWorld and Busch Gardens "Bands, Brew & BBQ" event in 2014. This caused the removal of the event in Tampa, which was replaced by the annual Food and Wine Festival, resembling the one currently at Epcot in Walt Disney World Orlando. In March, several Latin music (genre), Latin music acts are hosted on the stage in Gwazi Field. There is a similar culinary setup with special offerings for the concert days as there is for Bands, Brew & BBQ. During summer months, the park stays open later and includes concerts by performers like David Cassidy and Starship (band), Starship with Mickey Thomas (singer), Mickey Thomas. The park's Independence Day (United States), Independence Day festivities add fireworks to the entertainment lineup. In 2010, Busch Gardens added a new nighttime show called Kinetix, the first special effect-heavy show put on in Gwazi Field. Also, they added many new special effects (i.e. Strobe, Lighting, Fog) to the existing rides just for the Summer Nights season. Kinetix discontinued after the 2016 Summer Nights. Since 2017, Busch Gardens Summer Nights now includes party zones where guests can dance with Party Starters and DJs to the music and compete for special prizes. The most major party zones are ¡Fiesta Festa! in the Cheetah Hunt Plaza and Tigris's Party Zone (formally Viben Village) in Stanleyville. On every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, guests can compete in the "Dance Challenge" at Gwazi Park to win four free tickets to Adventure Island as well as a fireworks show directly afterward. In 2022, Busch Gardens Summer Nights was officially renamed to "Busch Gardens Summer Celebration," following general renovations to the park. Every September and October since 2000, Busch Gardens is transformed into Howl-O-Scream (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay), Howl-O-Scream. This event contains haunted attraction (simulated), haunted houses, scare zones and shows. Howl-O-Scream is one of the top rated Halloween events in the United States. Howl-O-Scream has featured some attractions of the park turned into "horrified" attractions at night. This includes Serengeti Safari Tours, which was turned into Evening Serengeti Safari Tours and Curiosity Caverns, which was turned into Dark Cavern, both in 2000. In 2012, Howl-O-Scream celebrated 13 "unlucky" years. From November to December, theaters throughout the park are transformed into Christmas-themed shows (Like Christmas On Ice in the Moroccan Palace) in celebration of the holiday season for an event called Christmas Town. The park is decorated with over a million Christmas lights and theming. At Snow World, guests may play in snow and ride down ice slides. This event was first introduced in 2012. At Santa's House, guests may bring their little ones and have pictures taken with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, and Santa's Elves next to the Nairobi Train Station which circles around the Serengeti Plain as the Christmas Town Sing Along Train featuring select Christmas carols and songs. Guests may also meet the stars from ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'' over in Rudolph's Winter Wonderland since 2016. Two Christmas Town princesses can be spotted in the Icy Forest (Ice Princess), and the poinsettia trees (Poinsettia Princess) which guests can also have pictures taken. Princess Fae, a sugarplum princess made her debut during the 2019 Christmas Town season. The poinsettia, sugarplum and icy princesses can also be seen together there near closing time. During New Year's Eve, Busch Gardens celebrates the new year by hosting live music throughout the park, thrill rides opened through the night and fireworks located at the Gwazi Field. Including a park-wide countdown to the new year.


Awards and recognition


Rankings

The following is a list of roller coasters at Busch Gardens Tampa that have placed on ''Amusement Today, Amusement Today's'' award or nomination list, along with the highest ranking and year awarded or nominated. Busch Gardens Tampa has also been nominated for best landscaping in 1998 and 2007.


Steel

*
Montu Montu was a falcon-god of war in ancient Egyptian religion, an embodiment of the conquering vitality of the pharaoh.Hart, George, ''A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses'', Routledge, 1986, . p. 126. He was particularly worshipped in Upper ...
: 2 (1999) *
Kumba Kumba is a metropolitan city in the Meme department, Southwest Region, Western Cameroon, referred as "K-town" in local slang. Kumba is the most developed and largest city in the Meme Department and has attracted people from the local villag ...
: 4 (1998) *
SheiKra SheiKra (, ) is a steel Dive Coaster roller coaster at the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster was proposed by Mark Rose, vice-president of design and engineering for the park, and desi ...
: 13 (2006) *
Cheetah Hunt Cheetah Hunt is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. The roller coaster was manufactured by Intamin and designed in collaboration with Mark Rose. Cheetah Hunt opened to the public on May 27, 2011, along ...
: 29 (2011) *
Iron Gwazi Iron Gwazi (formerly Gwazi) is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, a theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. The ride, named after a fabled creature with a tiger's head and a lion's body, was built by Great Coa ...
: 29 (2022)


Wood

* Iron Gwazi, Gwazi: 40 (2007)


Attendance


See also

*Incidents at SeaWorld parks *SeaWorld San Antonio *SeaWorld San Diego *Sesame Place (Pennsylvania)


References


Bibliography

* *


External links


Official website
{{authority control 1959 establishments in Florida Tourist attractions in Tampa, Florida Landmarks in Tampa, Florida Amusement parks in Florida Zoos in Florida SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Buildings and structures in Tampa, Florida Amusement parks opened in 1959 Zoos established in 1959