Located approximately 60 miles northwest of Virginia Beach in the US state of Virginia
is Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
This amusement park which was developed by Anheuser-Busch and owned by SeaWorld Park
& Entertainment first opened its gates on May 16, 1975.
It's adjacent to the beer manufacturer's brewery and the popular Kingsmill Resort Complex.
The park features themes that borrow from various European country elements and was
originally called Busch Gardens: The Old Country.
It's estimated that around 3 million guests attend the park annually, although the recent
pandemic temporarily reduced that number substantially.
The amusement park is known for its world-class roller coasters, including the Loch Ness Monster,
Alpengeist, The Griffon, and Apolo's Chariot.
The latter of which has even been ranked as the fourth-best steel roller coaster in the
world by Amusement Today in 2012.
Beyond coasters, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has a wide array of rides and attractions
suited for visitors of all ages.
Some are on the tamer side, like the Turkish Delight spinning teacup ride while others
are quite intense.
Join Viewcation as we take a look at all of the top rides at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Whether you're looking for thrills and spills or tilts and tumbles, this in one North American
amusement park is definitely worth going out of your way to experience.
InvadR
This wooden roller coaster opened in 2017.
While it's not incredibly tall, standing at a max height of just 18 meters, it is incredibly
fast for its type, clocking in at 77 km/h.
It's also quite long, with a length of 646 meters.
Loch Ness Monster
This steel coaster was the first in the world to feature two interlocking loops.
It opened in 1979 at a cost of $5 million.
It has a height of 40 meters with a 35-meter drop, 990 meters of tracks, and a top speed
of 97 km/h.
When it first opened, it was the tallest and fastest coaster in the world.
Even though it's almost half a century old now, it's still one heck of a ride.
Best of all, queue wait times are typically not excessively long.
Pantheon
Busch Gardens Williamsburg's newest ride is this steel launching beast which was designed
by the renowned design and manufacturing company Intamin Amusement Rides.
It stands tall at 54 meters high with a track length of just over one kilometer and a top
speed of 117 km/h.
It features a theme set in ancient Rome with a focus on the deities Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto,
Minerva, and Mercury.
The ride is marketed as the fastest multi-launch coaster in the world.
It features five air-time hills, a 96-degree beyond vertical drop, and four gut-lurching
launches.
Alpengeist
Featuring an Alpine Mountain region theme, this steel coaster was the tallest inverted
coaster in the world when it opened in 1997.
As of 2021, it still holds the record of being the tallest and longest complete circuit inverted
roller coaster on the planet.
Alpengeist boasts six inversions, a height of 59 meters, a top speed of 108 km/h, and
a track length of 1,167 meters.
When it first opened, it held the record for being the tallest inverted coaster until it
beat Cedar Point's Wicked Twister in 2002.
Apollo's Chariot
This 'Hyper Coaster' designed by Swiss coaster firm Bolliger and Mabillard opened in 1999.
It's 1,488 meters long with eight air-time hills and a height of 52 meters.
Its lop speed is 117 km/h.
While it doesn't feature any inversions, Apollo's Chariot is known for being smooth as butter.
Interestingly, during its inaugural run, a passenger was struck by a goose mid-ride leaving
his face covered in blood.
While his injuries weren't serious, sadly the goose was killed on impact.
Year after year, Apollo's Chariot has been featured on numerous lists of the best roller
coasters in the world, peaking at number 4 in 2012 in Amusement Today's annual Golden
Ticket Awards.
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Don't go anywhere just yet.
Keep watching to learn all about Busch Gardens Williamsburg's other unique rides, including
a few that hardly ever get mentioned in videos like these but definitely are worth experiencing.
Griffon
This so-called 'dive coaster' is one of the most adrenaline-inducing rides at the park.
Right off the bat, it plunges riders down a 90-degree drop straight down.
It also features two Immelmann loops, a splashdown, and an additional vertical drop.
Griffon towers at 62 meters tall and reaches a top speed of 114 km/h.
With a total ride time of 3 minutes, it takes riders on a lengthy trek around its 947 meters
of track.
Like many of Busch Garden's other coasters, Griffon regularly appears on lists of the
best steel coasters in the world, peaking at 19th place in 2010 for Amusement Today's
annual Golden Ticket Awards.
Grover's Alpine Express
This coaster is best suited for the little ones in your party.
After all, the grownups can't have all the fun!
This Junior coaster has a top speed of 42.6 km/h, a height of 7.3 meters, and a length
of 180 meters.
It can be found in the park's Sesame Street's Forest Of Fun section.
Verbolten
Here we have another multi-launch steel coaster that opened in 2012.
It doesn't have any inversions, and its drop is only 24 meters, but it makes for one incredibly
fun ride.
In addition to two launches that propel riders up to 85 hm/h, Verbolten zips in an out of
a building that houses various special effects.
The ride is inspired by the Autobahn in Germany.
According to lore featured in its teaser trailer and queue-theming, a sudden lightning strike
plunges the car into the Black Forest, where it encounters all sorts of legendary and mythical
oddities.
It's a fun ride, albeit relatively short, and typically doesn't have very long wait
times.
Tempesto
This steel coaster opened in 2015 and was manufactured by Premier Rides.
The ride launches out of the station up into a partial twist before falling back down through
the station backward into another twist.
It then falls back into the station again and accelerates to a top speed of 100 km/h
before traveling up to a height of 46 meters, where it completes a half-loop and a heartline
roll before exiting in a second half-loop.
The train then enters a full non-inverting loop before it returns to the station.
The ride is notable for being one of the tallest inversion coasters in the world.
Le Scoot
Perfect for a hot summer day, this classic log flume ride, which opened in 1975, will
be sure to cool you off.
Just be sure that you keep all of your water-sensitive items in a dry bag or have someone hold them
for you that isn't on board.
Turkish Delight
Classic spinning teacup rides as this one will never get old.
You just might want to hold off on the chili cheese fries until afterward.
Escape From Pompei
Debuting in 1995, this family-friendly water ride is ideal for riders of all ages.
As the name suggests, the ride is themed after the ancient runes of Pompeii at the base of
Mount Vesuvius.
The Battering Ram
This giant pendulum ride reaches higher and higher the longer it goes, giving riders a
sense of weightlessness.
While there is no need for battering rams these days to break down castle walls, the
medieval theme of this family-friendly swinging boat ride is a welcome addition.
Der Autobahn
For a change of pace, go full throttle on this classic bumper car ride suitable for
guests of all ages.
Der Wirbelwind
After getting soaked on Le Scoot or Escape from Pompeii, you can always dry off in style
by wobbling around with your family at harrowing heights on this classic swing ride.
The Trade Wind
Yet another classic county fair-style attraction, this musical circular ride is relatively mild
yet thoroughly entertaining for riders 52'' and taller.
Le Catapult
These 'scrambler' style rides have always been one of my personal favorites.
So, while it might not be quite as technically impressive as something like Pantheon or Griffon,
it still deserves a shout-out.
Kinder Karussel
A trip to the amusement park isn't complete without a ride on a classic carousel ride
– well, that and a bag of cotton candy!
Perfect for all ages, this half-century-old carousel features hand-painted horses that
have been meticulously restored to their original condition.
Roman Rapids
This white-water rafting ride takes you through all sorts of twists, turns, and splashes.
The rafts, which are pulled along a submerged track, hold up to six riders.
At first, you might get the impression that the ride is fairly tame, but it quickly speeds
up and increases in intensity.
The ride is themed like a canal race through Roman ruins and will leave you utterly soaked
by the end.
You'll feel like you just stepped aboard a water chariot as you race along the surging
currents.
As you splash through the canals, water jets will shoot up out of the water on all sides
of the raft and you'll come face to face with drenching waterfalls.
Mach Tower
This 73-meter tall drop ride can hold up to 30 riders per ride, accommodating 500 riders
per hour.
It opened in 2011 and has been scaring the bejeezus out of those that are afraid of heights
ever since.
As you ascend to the top, classical music is played that trails off with three echoing
notes.
After a brief pause, riders are plunged straight down at 80 km/h.
That about wraps up our rundown of all of the amazing rides at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Hopefully, now you have a better idea of what awaits you on your next family outing to this
fantastic Virginia amusement park.
Which one of Busch Gardens Williamsburg's rides are you most excited to experience?
If you've already visited the park before, what are some of your favorite rides and attractions?
Let us know in the comments.
As always, thanks for watching.
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