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History of Busch Gardens Williamsburg


History of Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens opened in 1975, near the colonial capital of Williamsburg, Virginia. Originally called “The Old Country,” planning for this park began in the mid-1960’s when the company started looking for a place to build a new brewery. In 1969, the company purchased a 3,000-plus acre tract of land just east of Williamsburg on the James River. According to a Sept. 17, 1969 Wall Street Journal article, the tract would be used to build a brewery, a residential development and recreation attraction. Company officials were quoted as saying the company “has been actively studying the land development business for the past 12 months as part of its long-range diversification program.” As a condition of the sale, Busch Gardens could not use an “early American” theme, since it could detract from the historical site located in Williamsburg. Construction of the brewery began soon afterward and was completed in 1971. Then in April 1973, the company’s board of directors approved plans for a 300-400 acre theme park on the site adjacent to the brewery. On May 10, 1975, “The Old Country” opened to the public after many months of planning and construction. A formal dedication ceremony was held on May 16, 1975 and was described in detail in the May 17, 1975 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The article stated, “More than 6,000 guests led by Governor Mills E. Godwin, Jr. and television personality Ed McMahon dedicated and officially opened The Old Country as Busch Gardens.” When Busch Gardens opened, it featured England, Scotland, France, and Germany. Today, Busch Gardens features England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, and Italy. It was clear after the first season that Busch Gardens was successful and plans for future expansion were implemented. Today, Busch Gardens has been voted the world’s “Most Beautiful Park” for 20 consecutive years by the National Amusement Park Historical Association. More than 50 thrilling rides, attractions and shows fill the park, 40 of which are kid-friendly.

The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Timeline

1969 - Anheuser-Busch buys 3,000 acres of land alongside the beautiful James River

1975 - Busch Gardens opens featuring England, Scotland, France, and Germany

1976 - Oktoberfest debuts

1978 - Loch Ness Monster roller coaster opens

1980 - Italy, the park’s fifth country, opens

1984 - The Big Bad Wolf roller coaster opens

1987 - Festa Italia rides area opens

1988 - Roman Rapids white water raft ride opens

1994 - Land of the Dragons children’s adventure attraction debuts

1995 - Escape From Pompeii debuts

1997 - Alpengeist roller coaster opens

1998 - “Pirates,” a 4-D high-tech comedy adventure debuts, “American Jukebox” takes center stage at the Canadian Palladium

1999 - Apollo’s Chariot roller coaster opens, “Howl-O-Scream” debuts

2000 - Jack Hanna’s Wild Reserve opens

2001 - Ireland, the park’s sixth country, opens

2005 - “Curse of DarKastle” opens

2006 - “Emerald Beat” and “Kinetix” debuts

2007 - Griffon opens May 25

2009 - Sesame Street Forest of Fun at Busch Gardens debuts,Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration debuts

2010 -“IllumiNights: A Busch Gardens Encore” debuts, “Celtic Fyre” debuts,“Europe in the Air” debuts .


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Busch Gardens Williamsburg Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.

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