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 . |