Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

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. With lands themed to several nations in western Europe, the park is moving to year-round operation in 2021.

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Our recommendations below come from our annual survey of Theme Park Insider newsletter subscribers. Locations with star ratings ★ ranked especially highly among our readers. Click here to subscribe to our free, twice-weekly email of theme park news and to participate in the next ranking survey.

Certain locations may not be available due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Roller coasters

The new coaster for 2021 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg will be Pantheon, a 3,328-foot Intamin blitz coaster that will America's fastest multi-launch coaster when it debuts, featuring four launches, two inversions, a maximum height of 180 feet, a 95-degree drop, and a top speed of 72 mph.

Ranking

  1. 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
    › Read Russell Meyer's Griffon review.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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. Height requirement: 48 inches
    › Read Robert Niles' feature on Loch Ness Monster.
  5. 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. (Follow the link for a spoiler that might be needed for sensitive riders.) Height requirement: 48 inches
    › Read Russell Meyer's review of Verbolten.
  6. 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
    › Read Russell Meyer's Tempesto review.
  7. 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
    › Read Russell Meyer's review of InvadR.

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 rides

Other notable attractions include Escape from Pompeii, a shoot-the-chutes flume ride; Le Scoot Log Flume, the Mach Tower drop ride, the Rhine River boat ride, and Finnegan's Flyer, a Screamin' Swing with a height of 80 feet and speed of 45 mph.

Shows

Our top recommended show at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is Celtic Fyre ★ ★, a celebration of Irish music, dance, and culture.

Dining

Top recommendations

  1. Das Festhaus
    Cafeteria serving German food, often with an Oktoberfest show playing
  2. Trapper's Smokehouse
    Counter service barbecue located in New France
  3. Marco Polo's Marketplace
    Market-style Italian food, often accompanied by live entertainment

Map

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