Busch Gardens Africa (also known as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) is a 335-acre 19th century African-themed park located in Tampa, Florida. It opened on March 31, 1959 as an admission-free hospitality facility for the Tampa Anheuser-Busch brewery on the grounds of the manufacturing plant. Visitors could watch animal acts in a tropical setting and before leaving the grounds entered a beer garden offering free Busch beer to drink. This article is about the unit of measure known as the acre. ... Nickname: Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (91st in leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. ...

After the manufacturing plant closed down some years later, Busch Gardens focused progressively on its tropical landscape, exotic animals, and amusements to draw visitors. Busch Gardens began charging admission as the entertainment became more complex, with extra fees for the thrill rides, such as the roller coasters for which Busch Gardens is now known.

Currently Busch Gardens Africa competes with other such parks in Florida and charges comparable fees. Beer is no longer manufactured there. According to the web site of Anheuser-Busch Companies, the parent company focuses on beer, adventure park entertainment, and packaging. Busch Entertainment Corporation is the company subsidiary that runs the Busch entertainment parks and claims that it is one of the largest adventure park operators in the United States.

Attractions

Train cars from the Serengheti Express in the foreground with the Skyride in the background.

• The Serengheti Express (a replica steam train) runs along the back end of the park and makes stops at the Nairobi, Congo and Stanleyville themed areas. The train track was recently renovated, and its tracks have been changed.
• The Skyride transports guests between Crown Colony and Stanleyville.

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1456, 819 KB) A picture I took of the cars of the Serengheti Express in Busch Gardens Africa. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2592x1456, 819 KB) A picture I took of the cars of the Serengheti Express in Busch Gardens Africa. ... Nairobi (pronounced ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. ... Kisangani, formerly Stanleyville, (population 500,000) is a city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Morocco

The park's main entrance is home to the Mystic Sheiks of Morocco brass and percussion ensemble. Treats can be purchased at the Sultan's Sweets and the Zagora Cafe. The Moroccan Palace is located here as well as the outdoor Marrakesh Theater.

Bird Gardens

The original section of the park that opened back in 1959. The area for the most part remains to be mostly gardens and animal exhibits/shows. A staple attraction that once stood in this section was the brewery. However, the brewery closed in 1995 and Gwazi now sits where the brewery was located. Gwazi is the only major attraction in this area, with other nearby attractions being upcharge or small. The traditional, educational bird show is currently being replaced with a newer, more entertainment-based show, including a number of mammals. Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

• Gwazi, a 90-foot, 50 mph dueling wooden roller coaster named after a mythological creature with the head of a tiger and the body of a lion.
• Gwazi Gliders, a small hang glider flat ride relocated from the Congo section's defunct Pygmy Village kids area. [1]
• Hospitality House, offers free Budweiser beer samples for guests 21 and older and home to the Anheuser-Busch Beer School.

Gwazi is a dueling roller coaster at Busch Gardens Africa (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay) in Florida. ... The Texas Giant, a large wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, TX Thunderbird in the PowerPark amusement park A wooden roller coaster or woodie is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlayed upon a wooden track. ... Budweiser, sometimes referred to as Bud, is a global pale lager brand owned by the St. ...

Land of the Dragons

A children's section filled with scaled down versions of popular thrill rides and a massive treehouse playground. The section opened up in 1995 and replaced the Dwarf Village, a smaller kids area.

Stanleyville

This section of the park is home to the park's water rides and SheiKra, a roller coaster that holds numerous records. The section opened up in 1973 with the addition of the Stanley Falls Flume. The African Queen Boat Ride opened in 1977 as Busch's version of Disney's Jungle Cruise. In 1989, the African Queen Boat Ride was transformed into Tanganyika Tidal Wave with the addition of a 55-foot drop that generates a giant splash. The section remained untouched until 2005, when SheiKra opened up and the surrounding area was renovated. The Jungle Cruise is an attraction at the following Disney theme parks: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland (under the name Jungle River Cruise). ...

• SheiKra, a 200-foot Bolliger & Mabillard dive roller coaster with a 90-degree vertical drop.
• Stanley Falls Flume, a log flume with a 43-foot drop.
• Tanganyika Tidal Wave, a 20 passenger shoot the chutes water ride with a 55-foot drop.

SheiKra (pronounced shee-krah) is a vertical drop roller coaster in Tampa, Florida. ... Bolliger and Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. ... SheiKra, a 200-foot dive coaster, which opened at Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, FL) in 2005. ... A log flume ride A log flume is a horizontal structure that has a cavity for flowing water to carry lumber and logs and generally spans a long distance. ...

Congo

This section contains two of the park's more popular rides. As of November 2006, the section is currently undergoing major renovation, which includes the removal of the park's classic Python roller coaster. Python was a steel corkscrew roller coaster at Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa. ...

• Kumba, meaning roar in an African dialect, is a 143-foot steel sit-down roller coaster with seven inversions. First built in 1993 by Bolliger & Mabillard, it still remains a popular ride today. The ride was recently repainted.
• Congo River Rapids, a water ride that simulates raging whitewater rapids. The ride opened in 1982.
• Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars, a bumper cars ride.

Kumba entrance. ... A typical roller coaster The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. ... Bolliger and Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. ... Bumper car at a small town fair Bumper car is the generic name for a type of flat ride consisting of several small electric cars that draw their power from an overhead grid, which is turned off by the operator at the end of a session. ...

Timbuktu

A section themed after the malls and bazaars of Africa. This section opened up in May 1980. The Phoenix was built in 1984 and remains a popular ride to this day. The section was renovated in 2003. Important rides added during this facelift included the Timbuktu Theatre, which replaced the park's Dolphin Theatre with an indoor 4-D Movie theatre. In 2004, the park's family friendly Cheetah Chase roller coaster opened up, replacing the Crazy Camel flat ride.

• Scorpion, a steel Schwarzkopf designed sit-down roller coaster with one vertical loop.
• Cheetah Chase, a steel wild mouse roller coaster.
• Phoenix, a looping Egyptian cargo vessel.
• Pirates! 4-D, a "4-D" movie about pirates starring Leslie Nielsen. The show replaced the Haunted Lighthouse 4-D attraction written by R. L. Stine.
• Sandstorm, an orbiter ride with three arms that spins riders around.

Scorpion is a steel looping roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Florida, United States. ... Anton Schwarzkopf (1924-2001) was a prolific German roller coaster engineer and founder of the Schwarzkopf Industries company, which built numerous amusement park rides and roller coasters. ... A typical roller coaster The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. ... Vertical loop on the Shockwave coaster at Six Flags over Texas The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. ... Cheetah Chase is a Wild Mouse roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Florida. ... The Wild Mouse, a Wild Mouse roller coaster in operation at Luna Park Sydney A Wild Mouse roller coaster (or Wildemous or Mad Mouse) is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars, which seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat... Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. ... Robert Lawrence Stine (born October 8, 1943), known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. ... At night time, an Orbiter in full motion, is a bewildering blur of lights. ...

Nairobi

Alligators and crocodiles can be observed here up close. In Curiosity Cavern, guests can view mammal and reptile exhibits. Visitors to Nairobi can view injured or abandoned newborns at the Nairobi Field Station Animal Nursery. The areas also contains Myombe Reserve, a tropical rainforest that is home to Western Lowland Gorillas and Common Chimpanzees. The major ride here is Rhino Rally, an unpredictable off-road safari that ends spiraling its riders down a raging river. The main train station at Busch Gardens is located at Nairobi. Species Alligator mississippiensis Alligator sinensis An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. ... Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in... Subclasses Anapsida Diapsida Synonyms Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 Reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes, animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane, and members of the class Sauropsida. ... The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... Trinomial name Gorilla gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847) The Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is a subspecies of the Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps throughout all or parts of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo... Binomial name (Blumenbach, 1775) distribution of Common Chimpanzee. ...

• Rhino Rally, a Vekoma River Adventure ride, Riders board inside modified Land Rovers through the park's Serengeti Plain habitat, interacting with animals and a raging river.

Crown Colony House

Vekoma-built Limit (Heide Park) Vekoma is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. ... Land Rover was the name of one of the first British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles, first produced by Rover in 1947. ... Image File history File links Busch_Gardens_Crown_Colony. ... Image File history File links Busch_Gardens_Crown_Colony. ...

Crown Colony

Crown Colony is the smallest section of the park. It features only 2 attractions and a restaurant. The Crown Colony House offers both casual and fine dining. The Budweiser Clydesdale Hamlet and posing area are located here along with a Skyride station. Clydesdale draft horse at the Maryland State Fair The Clydesdale is a breed of draft horse derived from the very hard-working farm horses of Clydesdale (now Lanarkshire), Scotland and named for that region. ...

Egypt

Bedouin tents and authentic handicrafts and art create an Egyptian marketplace feel. Guests can visit a replica of King Tutankhamen's tomb with the excavation in progress. The primary attraction of the Egypt themed area is Montu, an inverted steel coaster. A Bedouin man on a hillside at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic ( ), a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the... Tutankhamun (alternate transcription Tutankhamen), named Tutankhaten early in his life, was Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (1334 BC/1333 BC - 1323 BC), during the period known as the New Kingdom. ...

• Montu, named after the Egyptian God of War, is a 150-foot steel inverted Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster with seven inversions.

Montu entrance Montu is an Inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. ... Bolliger and Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. ... A typical roller coaster The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. ...

Animal Exhibits

The Serengeti Plain

In 1965, the park opened its 29-acre Serengeti Plain animal habitat, the first of its kind to offer animals in a free-roaming environment. It is home to the grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, bongo, addax, addra gazelle, eland, impala, ostrich, marabou stork, East African crowned crane and sacred ibis. Species Equus zebra Equus hartmannae Equus quagga Equus grevyi The Zebra is a part of the horse family, Equidae, native to central, eastern and southern Africa. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all land-living animal species. ... Binomial name Tragelaphus eurycerus Ogilby, 1837 The Bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus is a large African forest antelope species. ... Binomial name Addax nasomaculatus (Blainville, 1816) The Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) is a critically endangered desert antelope that lives in several isolated regions in the Sahara. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Eland might refer to: Common Eland or Taurotragus oryx a savannah and plain antelope found in East and Southern Africa. ... Binomial name Carolus Linnaeus, 1758 The present-day distribution of Ostriches. ... Genera See text. ... Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. ... Genera Threskiornis Pseudibis Thaumatibis Geronticus Nipponia Bostrychia Theristicus Cercibis Mesembrinibis Phimosus Eudocimus Plegadis Lophotibis Ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae. ...

Myombe Reserve

Giraffes at the "Edge of Africa" attraction.

A 3-acre home for six lowland gorillas and nine chimpanzees located in Nairobi, opened in 1992. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 145 KB) A view from Busch Gardens Africas Edge of Africa walk-through attraction. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 145 KB) A view from Busch Gardens Africas Edge of Africa walk-through attraction. ...

Edge of Africa

Opened in 1997, Edge of Africa is a walk-through attraction where guests can observe African animals. Among the exhibits are meerkats, a pride of lions, a pack of hyenas, a few hippos, and a troop of baboons. Binomial name Suricata suricatta (Schreber, 1776) The Meerkat (Afrikaans: lit. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ... Genera Crocuta Hyaena Parahyaena Proteles Hyenas (or Hyaenas) are moderately large terrestrial carnivores native to Africa and Asia, and members of the family Hyaenidae. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758[2] Range map[1] The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), from the Greek ‘ιπποπόταμος (hippopotamos, hippos meaning horse and potamos meaning river), is a large, mostly plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other being the Pygmy Hippopotamus). ... Species Papio hamadryas Papio papio Papio anubis Papio cynocephalus Papio ursinus The Baboon is the largest non-hominid member of the primate order. ...

Curiosity Caverns

This cavern attraction, formerly known as Nocturnal Mountain, contains animals such as bats. For the flying mammal see bat. ...

Past Attractions

• African Queen Boat Ride, a boat ride (similar to Disney's Jungle Cruise attraction) located in what is Tanganyika Tidal Wave today. Most of the theming is still intact from the old ride. The ride was transformed to Tidal Wave in 1989, with new boats and a drop section.

• Questor * A motion simulator ride in which the narrator was on the search for diamonds. Was replaced in the late 90s by Akbar's Adventure Tours.

• Akbar's Adventure Tours, A motion simulator experience of a wacky tour of Egypt with Akbar (played by Martin Short), encountering markets, pyramids, and more. The ride opened up in May, 1998 as the first family-oriented attraction in the Egypt section. As of January 2005, the attraction has been SBNO (Standing But Not Operating). Today, most of the building is used for The Show Jumping Hall of Fame exhibit. The ride operated for a couple days over New Years of 2007. The ride only operates a couple of days a year, and usually only on some crowded days.

• Crazy Camel, a Chance Rides "Trabant" flat ride replaced by Cheetah Chase. It was removed in November, 2003.

• Dwarf Village, a small children's area that was located in what is now Land of the Dragons.

• Monstrous Mamba, A flat ride that spun riders around as arms raises the cars up and down.

Python, the first roller coaster to be removed from the park. It was also Florida's first inverting roller coaster.

• Python, an Arrow Dynamics designed steel corkscrew roller coaster with two inversions that opened on July 1, 1976 as Florida's first inverting coaster. The ride closed forever on October 31, 2006 after more than thirty years of operation. The ride was demolished throughout November 2006, with the track being scrapped. The trains, however, are being sent to Busch Gardens Europe for use on their Loch Ness Monster roller coaster ^{[citation needed]}. Construction is taking place where Python once stood.

• R.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse 4-D, a "4-D" movie about two children spending a night inside a haunted lighthouse. Based on a story written by author R.L. Stine. The attraction opened up in May, 2003 as the first film in the newly redone Timbuktu Theatre (previously Dolphin Theatre).

• Stairway to the Stars, Guests boarded what was said to be the world's longest outdoor escalator for a ride up to an observation platform, on the roof of the on-site Anheuser-Busch beer brewery. From there, guests wended their way back down in a walking tour of the brewery.

• Swinging Vines, A wave swinger flat ride that swings its riders around in a circle.

• Veldt Monorail, allowed guests to get up close with animals on the Serengeti Plain. The ride was removed in 1999 due to upkeep cost. [2]

The Jungle Cruise is an attraction at the following Disney theme parks: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland (under the name Jungle River Cruise). ... Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian/American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Chance-Morgan, a roller coaster manufacturer, was formed in 2001 with the merger of Chance Industries and D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, both roller coaster manufacturers. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 957 KB) Python slithering through its double corkscrew element. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 957 KB) Python slithering through its double corkscrew element. ... Python was a steel corkscrew roller coaster at Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa. ... Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster design company based in Clearfield, Utah. ... A typical roller coaster The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. ... Busch Gardens Europe is a theme park located in James City County, Virginia about 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Williamsburg. ... The Loch Ness Monster is a fairly large roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Europe (formerly Busch Gardens Williamsburg). ... Robert Lawrence Stine (born October 8, 1943), better known as R. L. Stine, is an American writer. ... Robert Lawrence Stine (born October 8, 1943), better known as R. L. Stine, is an American writer. ... Escalators at Canary Wharf, London. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Golden Ticket Awards

The following is a list of roller coasters at Busch Gardens Africa that have placed on Amusement Today's Top 50 coasters, along with their highest ranking.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Busch Gardens Africa

• Busch Gardens
• SeaWorld
• Incidents at Busch parks

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Busch Gardens is the name of two amusement parks in the United States owned and operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a division of Anheuser-Busch. ... For the unrelated theme park with a similar name in Australia, see Sea World. ... // This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various Anheuser-Busch-owned theme parks. ...

External links

• Official site
• Roller Coaster Database entries for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
• BGTGuide- Unofficial site with pictures and information
• Park Timeline from the Tampa Tribune
• Busch Gardens Information and Photos
• Maps and aerial photos for 28°02′17″N 82°25′16″W / 28.038046419369945, -82.42119312286377Coordinates: 28°02′17″N 82°25′16″W / 28.038046419369945, -82.42119312286377
  • Maps from WikiMapia, Google Maps, Live Search Maps, Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
  • Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA

Anheuser-Busch
August A. Busch IV, CEO & President • Patrick Stokes, Chairman
Past CEOs and Presidents: Eberhard Anheuser • Adolphus Busch • August A. Busch, Sr. • Adolphus Busch III • August A. "Gussie" Busch, Jr. • August A. Busch III • Patrick Stokes
Busch Entertainment Corporation
Busch Gardens : Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa, Florida) • Busch Gardens Europe (Williamsburg, Virginia)
SeaWorld: San Antonio • San Diego • Orlando
Miscellaneous: Adventure Island (Tampa, Florida) • Discovery Cove (Orlando, Florida) • Sesame Place (Langhorne, Pennsylvania) • Water Country USA (Williamsburg, Virginia)
Anheuser-Busch Products
Budweiser • Michelob • Busch Beer • Rolling Rock • Natural • Imports • Specialty Beers • Non-alcoholic • Energy Drinks • Organic Beers • Specialty Malt Beverages • Malt Liquors
Subsidiaries
Anheuser-Busch, Inc • Anheuser-Busch International, Inc. • Anheuser-Busch Agricultural Operations • St. Louis Refrigerated Car Co. • Manufacturers Railway Co. • Metal Container Corp. • Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corp. • Precision Printing and Packaging, Inc. • Eagle Packaging, Inc. • Longhorn Glass Corp. • Busch Entertainment Corporation • Busch Properties, Inc.
Equity Investments
Grupo Modelo • Tsingtao Brewery
Annual Revenue: $1.8392 billion USD (FY 2005) | Employees: 31,485 | Stock Symbol: NYSE: BUD | Website: www.anheuser-busch.com
Related Operations
Grant's Farm
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