Theme Park Guides | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Guide to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s history dates back to March 31, 1959, when the Tampa-based Anheuser-Busch brewery opened a few attractions: a brewery tour, beer tastings, and a bird garden. The 29-acre (12 ha) Serengeti Plain, which features African wildlife, was added in 1965 - 33 years before the 580-acre Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s since been expanded to 65 acres (26 ha).

The park was known as Busch Gardens: The Dark Continent from 1976 through the 1990s before being renamed “Busch Gardens Tampa.” The park was briefly known as “Busch Gardens Africa” from 2006-2008.

Travel Tips

As of 2024, there is no official hotel or resort. There are “hotel partners,” but none have walking paths to the park. Some partners have shuttle services.
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World before Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, then an easy option is to rent a car at the Swan and Dolphin Resort or the Walt Disney World Car Care Center and drive about one hour to Tampa. You can fly home from the Tampa International Airport (TPA).

Must-Do Attractions

Cheetah Hunt is an Intamin steel launched coaster adjacent to a cheetah exhibit.
Cobra’s Curse is a Mack Rides steel spinning coaster with a unique elevator lift.
Falcon’s Fury is a 335-foot drop tower with a speed of 60mph. Riders are tilted 90 degrees forward and face down for the drop!
Iron Gwazi is a 2019 Rocky Mountain Construction steel coaster. It is without question the best coaster in the park.
Kumba is a B&M steel sit-down coaster with seven inversions.
Montu is a B&M inverted coaster with seven inversions.
The Serengeti Express is a 3 ft narrow-gauge railway.
SheiKra is a B&M floorless dive coaster. It was America’s first vertical dive coaster.