Visitors Guide to 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.
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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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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.
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Park Map
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is located off Interstate 64, about five miles south of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.