Visit the entire continent of Europe in one day, exploring the culture, history and stories of the lands and the people through world class rides and attractions...
| Opened | 16 May 1975 |
|---|---|
| Season | March to January |
| Owner | SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment |
| Attendance | 2,780,000 (TEA 2015) |
| Website | buschgardens.com/williamsburg/ |
| Nearby | Kings Dominion (60 miles) Six Flags America (116 miles) Idlewild and SoakZone (253 miles) Kennywood (278 miles) Carowinds (281 miles) |
France at Busch Gardens
It would be hard to argue that Busch Gardens Williamsburg is not one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world, with its alluring landscaping and rich theming.
The park, which was named after brewery giant and original owners Anheuser-Busch, takes Europe as its overall theme with different lands representing various European countries. Its sister park in Florida, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, similarly has an African theme.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is famous for its world class rides. Amongst them are Loch Ness Monster, which when it opened in 1978 was the world's fastest and tallest rollercoaster; Griffon, one of the best examples of a B&M Dive Coaster operating anywhere; and Escape From Pompeii, an extensively themed shoot-the-chutes boat ride that takes visitors floating through the fiery destruction of Pompeii.
While Busch Gardens has a great ride collection and the park may look stunning, it is not the perfect park, with its operations occasionally letting it down badly. There are of course some outstanding staff, but others seem disinterested or in no hurry to do very much. Food service can be disasterously slow ... what good is it, for example, to have an Oktoberfest style dinner show in Das Festhaus when it takes the entire length of the show for most of the audience to queue up and get their food?
Aside from the operations though, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a stunning park. Each area is extremely immersive, and it is easy to imagine that you really are walking through a cobbled English village, relaxing in an Italian courtyard or sailing along the River Rhine. Put this together with a splendid selection of rides, many of which come with extensive theming, and a trip to Busch Gardens is a superb day out.
Soar through the skies with the legendary griffin
Greek mythology themed hypercoaster
A ski-lift taken over by the Ghost of the Alps
The Vikings have invaded New France
Italy's greatest daredevil's greatest stunt
Will you brave the Black Forest?
Freefall to the ground from 246 feet in the air
Boat tour through the ruins of Pompeii
VR simulator ride taking guests on a journey into the Otherworld
Ride your log from the saw mill and down the river
Swinging ship
Music express
Magic carpet ride
Orbiter
Giant spinning tea cups
Traditional carousel
Wave swinger
Aerial transportation across Busch Gardens
Boat trip up the Rhine
Steam train journeys around the park
Join Sesame Street's Grover for an adventure on his alpine sleigh
Fly in an aeroplane alongside the Red Baron
Junior wave swinger
Children's hot air balloon ride