Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Williamsburg, VA; (800) 343-7946
Open: Seasonal - Call for hours and days of operation; (Open: Daily all Summer / Closed Nov-Feb);
Group Rates available for 15 or more people;
Notice: Most amusement park do not give rain checks but Busch Gardens does. If it rains during your visit to Busch Gardens or Water Country USA, the next day is on us. Our Rain Fun Ticket allows guests who experience wet weather during their visit to return any single day until the end of the operating season. So don't let the forecast scare you away!
Location: 3 miles east of Williamsburg on US-60 or use I-64 exit 243A.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg - is European-themed amusement park with a knack for lots of fun. Each of the park's authentically detailed European Hamlets is connected together with tree-lined walkways and graceful bridges.

This park consistently enjoys high ratings every year for best roller coasters, best landscaping, cleanliness, best theming and best food. You definitely get your money's worth here as you stroll through this park with beautiful landscaping and lush forestry.

Because of the great theme identification, this park provides a great educational experience for the whole family as you interact with native artisans and view their terrific arts and craft productions. And don't forget to sample the great traditional foods! It is one of key ingregients to what makes this such a great theme park.

Whats New at Busch Gardens Williamsburg


Spring 2005 – Curse of DarKastle - A castle frozen in time that will freeze you with fear. Buckle up and brave Curse of DarKastle - the newest, most intense thrill ride ever. In this castle, there are no "happily ever-afters." Just an all-too-vivid afterlife...that's after you. Designed with state-of-the-art technology and eye-popping visuals, this bone-chilling chase is a relentless assault on your senses. And a test of just how much you can take before the Curse of DarKastle takes you.

Beat the crowds / Beat the Price $
Special Vacation Packages to Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Special feature by MainTour helps you to get an extra blast from day at the super themeparks.

Tour Busch Gardens Worldwide
MainTour special feature on other Busch Gardens theme parks around the world.

This park is famous for its monster roller coasters which include at least three that are consistently ranked in the list of top ten America's best roller coasters. There are over 40 major thrill rides in the park scattered amounst the hamlets of Old World Europe.

Many of the coasters take excellent advantage of the diverse terrain in the park. (Oh, you'll also get quite a workout walking around here.) [Roller Coasters]

Alpengeist - Super award-winning roller coaster - consistently rated #2 in America. Actually this is one of the tallest, most twisted inverted roller coaster ever created. Reaches a height of 195 feet and diving speeds of 67 MPH. Winner of many industry awards for best thrill ride in America.
Apollo's Chariot - Hypercoaster featuring high speeds and multiple (9) drops of upto 825 feet. The biggest drop is heart-stopping 210 feet.
Loch Ness Monster - Busch Garden's famous double looping steel marvel.
Wilde Maus - Fast-paced roller coaster ride through a colorful maze of revolving dips and hairpin turns.
Big Bad Wolf - Free-flight roller coaster rides through a Bavarian village while suspended from an overhead track.
Le Mans Raceway - test drive classic European race cars on harpin turns, through tunnels and across bridges.
Le Scoot - Log flume ride features a 50-foot vertical plunge.
Escape from Pompeii - here is a trill ride you don't want to miss. Visitors on an expedition through the famous Italian ruins get caught in the next fiery eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. The only escape route is a flume ride with a lot of splashing water.
Roman Rapids - very wet waterride with mists and fog - very popular during the summer.

Entertainment.com - Big savings on area attractions, hotels, dining, theater and more.

The parks extensive theming invites guests to explore nine hamlets the re-create the charm and magic of Old World Europe. Each hamlet contains a funfilled mix of giant coaster creations, live shows and musical revues. There are also more mellow venues such as tranquil canal cruises, authentic European shopping and restaurant cuisine.

Banbury Cross - England

Guests receive royal treatment in the majestic hamlet of England's Banbury Cross. Banbury Cross is a quaint village comprised of unique shops, a delightful bakery and replicas of Big Ben and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. "R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse," anchored at the Globe Theatre, offers guests immersive adventure from the twisted mind of R.L. Stine, renowned author of "Goosebumps" children's books.


Spring 2003 - Haunted Lighthouse 4-D - The brand new, frightening 4-D family attraction at Globe Theatre takes you up close and inside of horror author R.L. Stine's mysterious Haunted Lighthouse. Maybe a little too close...
Muffin Man - pastry shop with Muffins, giant pastries and sweets, homemade fudge and chocolates.

Scotland

Home of Busch Garden's legendary Loch Ness Monster - A monster roller-coaster is what this thing is - 13 stories of double looping steel thrills.


Busch Gardens Train Station
Budweiser Clydsdales.

Hastings - England


The Enchanted Laboratory - Mystical show with computer-animation and special effects.
Hastings Magic Lantern Theatre - Currently hosting "Rockin' The Boat" - a cruise-ship style song and dance Broadway revue.
Wizard Works - Perform your own magic.
Feathered Folles Theatre - A great show featuring some of the world's rarest and most beautiful birds.
Eagle Ridge - In cooperation with the World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Missouri; Busch Gardens is home to several American bald eagles that, because of physical injury or disability, are incapable of flight and therefore unable to survive in the wild.
Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve - Discover how adventurous learning can be at Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve. This interactive wildlife reserve area offers a fascinating and up-close look at some amazing species, including gray wolves, reptiles, lorikeets, rare raptors and exotic birds, as well as a sanctuary for American Bald Eagles. . [ZooTour]

Aquitane - France

Strolling entertainers and street artists entertain and amuse guests dining in romantic sidewalk cafes.


Le Grand Gourmet - high quality desserts and espresso shop
Royal Palace Theatre - showcase for summer evening concerts and special events
Le Mans Raceway - drive classic European race cars

New France

This rustic trader's village has a fine collection of craftsmen shops, folk music, dancing and barbecue. Visitors can paint their own pottery.


American Jukebox - Stage for live rock concerts - both old-time favorites and contemporary chartbusters.
Le Scoot - Log flume ride is the highlight in this section

Rhinefeld - Germany

This is one of the busiest hamlets in the park - lots of children's rides and two giant roller coasters. Authentic detail includes cobblestone streets and gigantic town clock inported from Germany


Wild Maus - Roller coaster
The Big Bad Wolf - Roller coaster
Carousel - Antique 1819 original
Rhine River cruises
Candy Shop
German Gifts - special gift shop with figurines, beer steins and holiday giftware
Land of the Dragons - special children's adventure area.
Das Festhaus - 2,000-seat German festival hall with a noisy traditional Bavarian band and dancers create a festival atmosphere.
Der Roto Baron - children's airplane rides
Der Autobahn - bumper cars
Octoberfest - native folk dancing show

San Marco - Italy

Located across a scenic 300-foot bridge over the Rhine River Bridge is this hamlet with cobblestone walkways that strives to capture the pageantry of Renaissance Italy. Visitors sample native foots and hand-crafted works of art, porcelain, Venetian face masks and more.

Beware - located closeby is the volcano Mt. Vesuvius starting to rumble in preparation for its next catastrophic eruption.


Italian Pavilian - Showcase for the new musical production "Holiday in Rome" -
Da Vinci's Garden of Inventions - a collection of several fun children's rides including Da Vinci's Creadle, The Battering Ram, The Flying Machine and more.

Festa Italy

Re-creation of a new classic Italian street festival. This is where to cool hot off on hot summer days. Check out the view from San Marcos Bridge, one of the best photo spots in the park.


Apollo's Chariot - Busch Gardens new hypercoaster.
Splashus Maximus - Roman water battle area
Roman Freeze Ice Cream Shop -
Roman Rapids - very wet waterride with mists and fog - very popular during the summer.
Mangia! - Italian restaurant lets you see pasta made fresh daily and serving authentic Italian delicacies in the outdoor cafe theater.

Ireland

Busch Gardens Williamsburg captures the essence of Ireland - from warm-hearted people and lush landscapes to ancient castles and fine Waterford Crystal. Guests visiting the Irish hamlet of Killarney get a taste of true Irish spirit. Corkscrew Hill, a white-knuckle, 4-D adventure ride, propels guests on a mythical Celtic journey. "Irish Thunder," in the Abbey Stone Theatre is a 30-minute, Irish step dancing spectacular. Strolling balladeers throughout the marketplace add to the unique theming of this area.


Authentic Irish dance show
Amazing 3-D action adventure
Castle O'Sullivan - Enchanted castle with resident leprechaun and his sound machine
Irish Pub serving mammoth baked potatoes, stew and sausage sandwiches
Celtic Gift shop featuring Waterford Crystal, Irish linens, jewelry, toys, music and prints.

	--- AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA DC WV WI WY

Busch Gardens has several features designed just for the younger crowd including the following:

Friendly Dragons
Mini-flume log ride
Dragon themed ferris wheel
Children's Theatre
A three-story tall treehouse play area
Royal Preserve Petting Zoo
Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales

All aboard for a tour of the world's "Most Beautiful Theme Park." Travel the tracks on one of three steam-powered locomotives. These antique European reproductions will take you on a journey through Scotland, Italy and New France. [Historic Railroads]

You can also tour the park with the Aeronaut Skyride - a system aerial gondola carts on a 3,000 foot triangular route.

Days Inn Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area
331 Bypass Road - Williamsburg, VA, US 23185
AAA 3-Diamond beautiful 120-room hotel with a homey atmosphere is Williamsburg's newest Days Inn (completed Spring 2000). Amenities include:

• Free coffee and tea in a spacious lobby 24 hours a day.
• Free Continental Breakfast
• Indoor Pool & Spa - open year-round
• Outdoor Sundeck
• Fitness Center
• Game Room
• Cable TV/HBO
• Adjacent to Outlet Shopping and Championship Golf
• Only minutes from Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg and Water Country USA

Kingsmill Resort
1010 Kingsmill Road - Williamsburg, VA, US 23185
At the 4-Star - 4 Diamond Kingsmill Resort - guests enjoy luxury in tastefully furnished villas overlooking the golf course fairways, our tennis complex, Wareham's Pond, and the James River. Accommodations are available in guest rooms and one, two and three bedroom suite accommodations. Each suite includes a complete kitchen and living room (most with fireplaces). Enjoy an incredible dining experience at The Bray Dining Room, Eagles, or the Sports Club Grille. Also on site for your evening entertainment is Moody's Tavern.

Hilton Garden Inn® Williamsburg
1624 Richmond Road, - Williamsburg, VA, US 23185
Located in Colonial Williamsburg, the city's newest hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn is conveniently situated near all the city's major attractions. The property offers 119 beautifully appointed guestrooms and suites, each equipped with a spacious work desk with two phones (each with 2 lines), voicemail, dataport, and highspeed internet access. The signature pavilion provides a very comfortable setting for both leisure and business traveler. For the business traveler, a complimentary business center is available 24-hours a day. On-site restaurant and indoor pool.

Myrtle Beach Vacation Getaway
Get two free rounds of golf when you book this mini-vacation to the premier golf and surf destination in America. Myrtle Beach is a popular tourism destination located right on South Carolina's upper coast. (Free Bonus gift included)

Legoland California Vacation Getaway
Includes free tickets to one of several area theme parks. This MainTour vacation package lets you stay 3 days / 2 nights directly across the street from Legoland California at the new Grand Pacific Palisades Resort & Hotel (Free Bonus gift included).

Romantic Weekends in Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland
A brand new edition of this unique guide to getaways in the tri-state region, including the Baltimore-Washington corridor. Well researched and laid out in easy-to-use sections that profile one trip each, this book covers Virginia's Blue Ridge, the Tidewater, the Shenandoah Valley, Chincoteague, Charlottesville, Central Virginia and the Eastern Shore.

Other Recommended Reading
Find these titles at Amazon.com - some at discounts of upto 30%.

Hike America Virginia - An Atlas of Virginia's Greatest Hiking Adventures
The Hauntings of Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown - by Jackie Eileen Behrend
Tidewater Virginia With Children - Where to Go and What to Do in Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Newport News, and Hampton
Virginia State Road Atlas