Busch Gardens Williamsburg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Previously known as Busch Gardens: The Old Country (1975–1992) Busch Gardens Williamsburg (1993–2005, 2008–present) Busch Gardens Europe (2006–2008)
Location	James City County, Virginia, U.S.
Coordinates	37°14′5″N 76°38′40″W / 37.23472°N 76.64444°W / 37.23472; -76.64444
Status	Operating
Opened	May 16, 1975; 50 years ago (1975-05-16) (as Busch Gardens: The Old Country)
Owner	United Parks & Resorts
Theme	Europe
Slogan	"Celebrate, Connect, and Care for the natural world through the power of entertainment."
Operating season	Year round
Area	422 acres (1.71 km2)
Attractions
Total	53
Roller coasters	10
Water rides	3
Website	Busch Gardens Williamsburg Home Page

Main gate of Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 2014

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a super fun amusement park in James City County, Virginia. It's about 422 acres big and is themed like different countries in Europe! The park is owned by United Parks & Resorts and is one of two Busch Gardens parks in the United States.

This amazing park first opened on May 16, 1975. It was originally called 'Busch Gardens: The Old Country'. Later, it changed its name to Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 1993. For a short time, from 2006 to 2008, it was known as Busch Gardens Europe. In 2015, over 2.7 million people visited the park! It's famous for its awesome roller coasters like Griffon, Verbolten, Pantheon, Alpengeist, and Apollo's Chariot.

Park History and Fun Facts

Busch Gardens Williamsburg was created by a company called Anheuser-Busch. They wanted to build a cool place for families in the Williamsburg area. The park opened in 1975, bringing a piece of "The Old Country" to Virginia.

The park has grown a lot over the years. In the 1990s, another local water park called Water Country USA joined the Busch Gardens family. In 2009, a company called Blackstone Group took over the park.

In 2020, the park had to close for a while because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it reopened with special events and safety rules. Since January 2021, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has been open all year round! This means you can visit even in the winter for special events.

What to See and Do

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is packed with exciting roller coasters and amazing live shows, like Broadway-style performances. The park is split into different "countries," and each one has its own special food, music, and rides. It's like traveling around Europe without leaving Virginia!

Helping Animals and Nature

Busch Gardens cares a lot about animals and nature. The Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve is home to different wild animals, including gray wolves and bald eagles. The park works with SeaWorld through the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. This fund helps protect wildlife around the world.

The boats on the Rhine River Cruise use batteries to help keep the air and water clean. Also, Busch Gardens uses insects instead of harmful sprays to take care of its plants. All the park's maps and paper products are made from recycled materials.

• 

  A gray wolf with its trainer.

• 

  A barn owl at Busch Gardens.

• 

  An Eclectus Parrot.

• 

  One of the bald eagles at Eagle Ridge.

Spooky Fun: Howl-O-Scream

Big Ben in Banbury Cross, decorated for Howl-O-Scream

Every fall, the park transforms for Howl-O-Scream. This special Halloween event started in 1999. It features lots of spooky attractions with vampires, zombies, witches, and skeletons for a thrilling good time!

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Since 2021, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has celebrated St. Patrick's Day! Throughout March, the park celebrates Irish culture. You can enjoy Irish food, music, and live shows. The famous Celtic Fyre Irish dance show is a must-see. There's even a scavenger hunt for younger kids with a leprechaun named Clancy!

Christmas Town Magic

Christmas Town is the park's amazing Christmas event, which started in 2009. The park lights up with millions of lights and dozens of real Christmas trees. There's a huge 50-foot Christmas tree called "O Tannenbaum" that lights up to Christmas music. You can watch holiday shows, go ice skating, and enjoy festive food and drinks. Many rides and roller coasters are open too, like Verbolten, InvadR, Pantheon, and Apollo's Chariot.

• 

  Banbury Cross, England, decorated for Christmas.

• 

  Aquitaine, France, at dusk during Christmas Town.

• 

  New France lit up at night.

• 

  The North Pole (Rhinefeld, Germany) covered in lights.

• 

  The festive Town Center of the North Pole.

• 

  The 50-foot Christmas tree with Das Festhaus behind it.

• 

  Italy's "Escape From Pompeii" becomes the Polar Pathway.

• 

  Santa Claus with the Polar Pathway in the background.

Explore the European Villages

The park is divided into 10 different areas, or "hamlets," that look like traditional European villages. You can visit places themed like England, France, Germany, Italy, Scotland, and Ireland.

To get around, you can ride The Aeronaut Skyride, a gondola lift that connects Sesame Street Forest of Fun, Aquitaine, and Rhinefeld. Or hop on the Busch Gardens Railway, a replica steam train that takes you between Heatherdowns, Festa Italia, and New France. It's a fun way to see the park!

Banbury Cross (England)

A street view of Banbury Cross, England

This area looks like old England, with classic Tudor English buildings. You'll see a copy of the famous Elizabeth Tower (also known as Big Ben). The Globe Theatre, a large copy of William Shakespeare's famous theater, hosts live shows like "American Jukebox: Summer Remix."

Heatherdowns (Scotland)

A view of Heatherdowns, Scotland

Tweedside railway station in Heatherdowns, Scotland

Heatherdowns is a Scottish village with the Tweedside Train Station. Here, you can catch a 20-minute train ride around the park. Don't miss the Highland Stables, where you can see Scottish Blackface sheep, Border Collies, and Clydesdales. You might even see the dogs show off their herding skills!

• Loch Ness Monster – This classic Arrow Development roller coaster has interlocking loops, which was a first in the world! It got a cool makeover in 2023.

Sesame Street Forest of Fun

This area, opened in 2009, is perfect for younger kids and families. It has four rides themed to Sesame Street characters.

• Bert and Ernie's Loch Adventure – A gentle boat ride with water effects.
• Oscar's Whirly Worms – A rocking and spinning ride.
• Prince Elmo's Spire – A small drop tower ride.
• Grover's Alpine Express – A family-friendly roller coaster that's 24 feet tall.

Killarney (Ireland)

A street view of Killarney, Ireland

This Irish section of the park opened in 2001. It features Celtic Fyre, an award-winning Irish dance show at the Abbey Stone Theatre. You can also find Grogan's Grill for some Irish food.

The Jack Hanna Trail, which used to be its own area, is now part of Killarney. It has animal exhibits like Eagle Ridge and Wolf Valley.

• Finnegan's Flyer – This S&S Sansei Screamin' Swing opened in 2019. It swings guests 100 feet high at 45 miles per hour!
• Eagle Ridge & Wolf Valley – Places to see bald eagles and wolves.
• Lorikeet Glen – A bird sanctuary where colorful lorikeets might land on you!

San Marco (Italy)

A street view of San Marco, Italy

A performance of "Mix It Up" in San Marco.

San Marco is designed to look like Italy during the Renaissance. A cool spot here is Da Vinci's Garden of Inventions, with rides inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's ideas. You can also enjoy Italian food at Ristorante Della Piazza.

• Escape from Pompeii – A boat ride that takes you through a city like Pompeii, with fire and water effects!
• Little Gliders & Little Balloons – Small carnival rides for kids.
• The Battering Ram – A big swinging ship that goes high but doesn't flip upside down.

Festa Italia (Italy)

Festa Italia is themed like a festival celebrating Marco Polo's return from China. It has many carnival games and rides based on Roman myths.

• Apollo's Chariot – This Bolliger & Mabillard Hyper Coaster is super fast and has big drops and hills.
• Roman Rapids – An Intamin River Rapids ride that will definitely get you wet!
• Tradewinds – A spinning ride.
• Elephant Run – A child-friendly spinning ride.
• Turkish Delight – A fun teacups ride.
• Tempesto – A Premier Rides Sky Rocket II coaster that launches you forward and backward at 60 miles per hour!
• Pantheon – An Intamin multi-launch coaster with incredible speed.

Rhinefeld (Rhineland Germany)

A street view of Rhinefeld, Germany

Rhinefeld in the spring.

This German section looks like a ski resort in the Alps. It's home to the Land of the Dragons, a big play area for kids.

• Alpengeist – A thrilling Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster. It's themed like a ski lift taken over by the "Ghost of the Alps" and flips riders six times!
• Kinder Karussel – The park's old-fashioned carousel.

Land of the Dragons

Opened in 1994, this is a magical play area for kids. It has a three-story dragon-themed treehouse, a wet play area with waterfalls, and fun rides.

• Flutter Splutter – A flying dragon ride.
• Chug-A-Tug – A boat ride.
• Bug-A-Dug – A spinning ride with ladybug cars.

Oktoberfest (Bavaria, Germany)

Das Festhaus in Oktoberfest, where you can find live performances, shops, and food.

Beste Brezeln und Bier, a pretzel shop in Oktoberfest.

This area is themed like the famous German celebration, Oktoberfest. Das Festhaus is a large building where you can eat German food and watch live shows. This area also has some exciting rides.

• Der Autobahn – Bumper Cars!
• Der Autobahn Jr. – Smaller bumper cars for kids.
• Der Roto Baron – A spinning Red Baron plane ride.
• Der Wirbelwind (Waveswinger) – A classic swing ride.
• DarKoaster: Escape The Storm — This indoor straddle coaster opened in 2023. It's North America’s first all-indoor straddle coaster, offering a thrilling ride in the dark!
• Verbolten – Brave The Black Forest – This family-style launched roller coaster goes up to 53 miles per hour and even has a surprise drop!
• Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge – A new steel roller coaster opening in 2025, inspired by the original Big Bad Wolf.

Aquitaine (France)

Entering Aquitaine, France in 2014

This section looks like beautiful old France. It has shops and one of the Skyride stations. The Royal Palace Theatre here hosts many shows throughout the year.

• Griffon – A huge Bolliger & Mabillard dive roller coaster. It drops you straight down from 205 feet, does two loops, and ends with a big splash!

New France (French Colonial)

The final plunge of Le Scoot Log Flume in New France.

New France shows what French colonial Canada was like. You can find unique shops and the Caribou Station for the Busch Gardens Railway. Trappers Smokehouse offers delicious grilled and smoked foods.

• Le Scoot Log Flume – A classic log flume ride with a 50-foot drop through a sawmill.
• Le Catapult – A spinning carnival ride.
• InvadR – A Great Coasters International wooden roller coaster that opened in 2017. It's themed like a Viking invasion and has 9 airtime hills!

Awesome Roller Coasters

The Loch Ness Monster's interlocking loops

Griffon, Alpengeist, and Loch Ness Monster roller coasters shown close together.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is famous for its amazing roller coasters! Here are some of the main ones:

Animal Friends

A Border Collie playing in the fields of Highland Stables

Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve

This area is dedicated to animals like bald eagles and wolves. Eagle Ridge is a special place for bald eagles to live and get care. Wolf Haven lets you watch some of the park's wolves. There's also Lorikeet Glen, an aviary where you can see colorful Rainbow lorikeets.

Highland Stables

At the Highland Stables, you can meet Scottish Blackface sheep, Border Collies, black Clydesdale horses, and Highland cattle. You can even watch daily demonstrations where the animals show off their skills!

Getting Around the Park

A Caledonian Railway locomotive built by Crown Metal Products for the Busch Gardens Railway.

The park has special parking for people with disabilities, RVs, and buses. Trams take you from the parking lots to the park entrance.

Inside the park, you can ride the Busch Gardens Railway, which has three steam locomotive trains. They travel on a 1.5-mile track and connect the Heatherdowns, Festa Italia, and New France areas. The Skyride also takes you between Banbury Cross, Aquitaine, and Rhinefeld.

Awards and Recognition

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has won many awards! In 2021, it was named the fourth best amusement park in the country by USA Today. It has also won awards for its beautiful landscaping and has been called the "Most Beautiful Park" many times.

Images for kids

• 

  Daytime Street View of Banbury Cross, England with Christmas Decoration Visible

• 

  Seating in the Royal Palace Theatre

• 

  Front View of Das Festhaus at Christmas Town

• 

  Another View of the North Pole (Rhinefeld)

• 

  Night View of San Marco, Italy

• 

  The "Peppermint Twist" in Christmas Livery