Visitors Guide to Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

With lands themed to several nations in western Europe, Busch Gardens Williamsburg opened in 1975 as Busch Gardens: The Old Country, switching to its current name in 1992 before a brief change to Busch Gardens Europe from 2006-08.

Ticket Icon Looking for discount tickets? Get Busch Gardens Williamsburg tickets

Our recommendations below come from our ongoing survey of Theme Park Insider readers. Locations with star ratings ranked especially highly among our readers.

What to Do

Roller Coasters

  1. Pantheon ★ ★
    A 3,328-foot Intamin coaster featuring four launches, two inversions, a maximum height of 180 feet, a 95-degree drop, and a top speed of 72 mph. Height requirement: 52 inches

  2. Alpengeist: A 3,828-foot Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster with a 170-foot drop, top speed of 67 mph and six inversions. Height requirement: 54 inches

  3. Apollo's Chariot: A 4,882-foot Bolliger & Mabillard hyper coaster with a 210-foot drop and top speed of 73 mph. Height requirement: 52 inches

  4. Griffon: A 3,108-foot Bolliger & Mabillard dive coaster with a 200-foot drop, top speed of 71 mph and two inversions. Height requirement: 54 inches. 🎦 Video

  5. Loch Ness Monster: A 3,240-foot Arrow custom looping coaster with a 114-foot drop and top speed of 60 mph. Known for its unique, interlocking vertical loops over the water, Nessie is getting a partial track rebuild for the 2024 season. Height requirement: 48 inches. 🎦 Video

  6. Verbolten: A 2,835-foot Zierer coaster themed to a drive through the Bavarian forest, with an 88-foot drop and top speed of 53 mph. Height requirement: 48 inches. 🎦 Video

  7. The Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf's Revenge: Located in Oktoberfest, this 2,583-foot Bolliger & Mabillard family inverted coaster calls back to the park's Arrow Suspended Coaster that ran from 1984 to 2009 on the site now occupied by Verbolten. 🎦 Video

  8. InvadR: A 2,118-foot Great Coasters International wooden coaster with a 74-foot drop and top speed of 48 mph. Height requirement: 46 inches. 🎦 Video

  9. DarKoaster: A four-launch indoor Intamin coaster, with a top speed of 36 mph, built within King Ludwig's abandoned fortress from the old Curse of DarKastle ride. Height requirement: 48 inches. 🎦 Video

  10. Tempesto: A 863-foot-long, 150-foot tall Premier Rides Sky Rocket II coaster, with a multi-pass LSM launch and top speed of 62 mph. Height requirement: 54 inches. 🎦 Video

In addition to these "grown-up" coasters, Busch Gardens Williamsburg offers Grover's Alpine Express, a Zierer Force coaster in the Sesame Street Forest of Fun children's land.

Other Attractions

England

  • Sesame Street Forest of Fun: Children's play area with rides
  • Aeronaut Skyride: Von Roll Ropeway sky ride with additional stops in France and Germany

Italy

  • Escape from Pompeii: Intamin Shoot The Chute flume ride. Height requirement: 42 inches
  • The Battering Ram: Intamin Pirate Ship. Height requirement: 42 inches

Festa Italia

  • Roman Rapids: Intamin River Rapids. Height requirement: 42 inches
  • Turkish Delight: Mack Rides Teacups. Height requirement: 48 inches
  • The Trade Wind: Mack Rides Musik Express ride. Height requirement: 48 inches

Oktoberfest

  • Der Autobahn: Bumper cars. Height requirement: 48 inches
  • Der Wirbelwind: Zierer Waveswinger. Height requirement: 48 inches

Germany

  • Kinder Karussel: Carousel. Height requirement: 42 inches
  • Rhine River Cruise: Boat ride
  • Land of the Dragons: Children's play area with rides

New France

  • Le Scoot: Arrow Dynamic Log Flume. Height requirement: 46 inches
  • Le Catapult: Scrambler. Height requirement: 48 inches

Ireland

  • Celtic Fyre: Live show featuring Irish music and step dancing
  • Finnegan's Flyer: S&S Screamin' Swing with a height of 80 feet and speed of 45 mph. Height requirement: 48 inches.

Buy Tickets

Park Map

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is located off Interstate 64, about five miles south of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.