Busch Gardens Africa (formerly 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.

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. It currently falls into the category of an amusement park and competes with other such parks in Florida and charges comparable fees.

The Serengheti Express (train) runs along the back end of the park and makes stops at the Nairobi, Congo and Stanleyville themed areas.
The Skyride transports guests between Crown Colony and Stanleyville.

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
Pink flamingos, parrots, black swans, and hundreds of rare birds live here among the foliage and waterways. In the Bird Theatre, guests can see the parrots as well as birds of prey.

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.
Hospitality House, offers free Budweiser beer samples for guests 21 and older and home to the Anheuser-Busch Beer School.

Land of the Dragons
A children's play area with a three-story-tall tree house, an enchanted forest, slides, a gentle waterfall, and smaller sized rides.



This section of the park is home to the park's water rides and SheiKra, a roller coaster that holds numerous records.

SheiKra, a 200-foot Bolliger & Mabillard diving roller coaster with a 90-degree vertical drop. After passengers have been secured, the trains make their way out of the station and begin the 45-degree lift hill to the ride's peak height of 200 feet. Trains make a turn and come onto a specially-designed holding brake (found on all Bolliger & Mabillard dive machines), which holds the trains for about 3-5 seconds. Riders are then taken down a 200-foot vertical drop and are quickly taken into an Immelmann inversion. An upwards turn brings riders to a block brake before riders take a second, nearly vertical, drop into a mist-filled tunnel. After the tunnel, trains maneuver a wide turn over the park's smoke house before coming to the finale, when the train travels across the surface of a pool, soaking onlookers. After another turn, the trains come into the service brake and are slowed by magnetic brakes before returning to the station
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.


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.

Kumba, 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. opened in 1993, it stands 143 feet tall and has a top speed of 60 mph. Kumba is one of the first in a line of multi-inversion coasters (that is, those having six or more inversions) built by B & M. It has seven inversions which, in order, are:

114-foot tall vertical loop, which wraps around the lift hill
B & M's first-ever diving loop
Zero-G roll
Cobra Roll (two inversions)
Interlocking corkscrews (also a first for B & M) immediately after the block brake
Kumba had the most inversions of any coaster by B & M until the opening of Dragon Khan in 1995.

“Kumba” means “Roar” in the African Congo language. The coaster itself mimics this definition with a dinstinctive roar that the train produces as it traverses the track. It is not known if this was a design feature or an incidental though appropriate aspect of the ride. Most likely, the cause of this roar is due to the track design. Similar to other Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters, the track contains a hollow spine and rails, which are known to produce a roaring sound.

Congo River Rapids, a water ride that simulates raging whitewater rapids. The ride opened in 1982.
Ubanga Banga Bumper Cars, a bumper cars ride.

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.


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.

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 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.


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.

Montu, is a 150-foot steel inverted Bolliger & Mabillard roller coaster with seven inversions. It is the park's second roller coaster designed by the company after the success of Kumba. The ride opened on May 16, 1996, and at its opening was the world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster. The ride stands at 150 feet tall and goes 60 miles per hour. Previously, that record was held by Raptor at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Montu's record was short lived, one year later, it was succeeded by sister coaster Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Europe. Montu still holds the record for the number of inversions on an inverted coaster (7).

Montu is named after the Egyptian god of war Menthu. The roller coaster is still the centerpiece of the park's Egypt section and the only major attraction in the section. Guests begin their experience on Montu entering through the park's Egypt section. A small midway of games on one end and a replica of Tut's Tomb on the other end greets guests entering through the area. On the horizon, Montu looms ahead, along with a fifty foot tall pylon that houses a gift shop and restrooms. The ride begins with a small dip turnaround out of the station, at one time, this section of the ride once had live Nile Crocodiles living below. Due to the fact that the animals eventually grew too large, they were moved to the park's animal habitat. After the dip comes the lift hill that takes riders 150 feet into the sky.

The drop then twists down 128 feet and into a 104 foot tall vertical loop. Following the vertical loop, an Immelmann loop comes next, and provides a 'foot chopper' element with the pylon. After completing the Immelmann, the train goes through a zero-G roll called the Camelback. Following the zero-G roll(Camelback), riders are then flipped upside down twice during the Batwing element (a rare element found on inverted roller coasters). Following the Batwing, the trains slow down on the block brake and it goes through a 60 foot tall vertical loop and then into sweeping arches finishing off with a corkscrew finale. After the corkscrew, the ride is over

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.

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.


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.

Curiosity Caverns
This cavern attraction, formerly known as Nocturnal Mountain, contains animals such as bats.

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