Within the park itself, three steam locomotive powered trains operate on the 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge[15] Busch Gardens Railway, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop of track, providing transportation between the Heatherdowns, Festa Italia and New France themed areas. Guests can also have pictures with the Clydesdales. 1 Busch Gardens Boulevard, Williamsburg, VA 23185, Busch Gardens® St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Banbury Cross is fashioned after England, with red telephone booths and classic English architecture. It contains many of the park's midway games, all with a festival theme. On January 23, 2018, it was announced that the park's only dark ride, Curse of DarKastle, would not reopen for the 2018 season and would be officially closing for being a burden with maintenance costs. Several animal sanctuaries and two animal performance theaters are situated along this path. During the summer until 2008, sounds of the Starlight Orchestra could be heard while dining. Also in the area is Ristorante della Piazza, featuring Italian cuisine and allowing guests to watch "Mix It Up." The hamlet also contains the skyride station nearest to the Main Gate. It is home to many boutiques and one of the park's skyride stations, where the first leg of the skyride arrives from England and the second leg departs for Rhinefeld, Germany. It currently features a Sesame Street live show, with performers in costume as popular characters. Previously, the theatre housing Celtic Fyre was named the Magic Lantern Theatre and housed some of the best theme park musical reviews in the United States. Two attractions provide transportation around the park. It opened 46 years ago in 1975 as Busch Gardens: The Old Country.[1][3]. A world of taste awaits at the annual Food & Wine Festival at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The rides in the sections of the park are also themed to the country that they are located in. Trappers Smokehouse offers grilled and smoked items such as chicken, turkey legs, ribs, and beef brisket. Beginning in January 2021, the park began year round operation. Make your event reservations here! Other major notes taken to Land of the Dragons include its dragon-themed 3-story tree house, a wet play area with waterfalls, squirting geysers, a serpent inhabiting the area and a dragon-egg Ferris wheel. Grogan's Grill offers Irish cuisine in this area. .site-alert-indicator {background: #fff} .site-alert-indicator .site-alert-indicator__message p {color:black; font-weight:normal} Rides in New France include the Busch Gardens Railway departing from Caribou Station and Le Scoot Log Flume, featuring a 50-foot (15 m) plunge through a saw mill. This area features Celtic Fyre, at the Abbey Stone Theatre, a celebration of Irish dance. 10 Ways SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Celebrate Earth Day, Every Day April 22, 2020 Today the world is marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but at our SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Parks we strive to celebrate and care for the planet every day. Celebrate Halloween with your favorite Sesame Street® Friends with Trick-or-Treating and more! The train serves as a convenient way for families with small children to travel around the park together as well as providing an "Old Country" themed method of transportation fitting the park's overall theme. It is also home to a large assortment of carnival-style games. New France is based on French colonial Canada and consists of a hub of Canadian-themed shops with a colonial tone throughout the area. By mid-March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the opening of the park for the 2020 season. Little Gliders & Little Balloons – Family-sized carnival rides themed to Da Vinci's inventions. Get your tickets here for Mardi Gras,St. ", Bert and Ernie's Loch Adventure – A flat flume ride with water effects, Oscar's Whirly Worms – A rocking, spinning, Prince Elmo's Spire – A family friendly shot-n-drop. Get to the fun faster with one-time priority access to select rides. Guests can enter and the birds will approach and land on them. Shopping and dining are also a prominent part of Christmas Town, with many of the park's restaurants offering food and drinks catered to the season and colder weather. Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA Preparing To Open Former Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde Joins Virginia Galactic Drayton Manor Sets 2021 Opening Date England Sets New Dates and Guidelines To Open Attractions Las Vegas Could Be Trying To Lure In Major New Show Productions Cedar Point Winter Chill Out 2021 News Update: 2/22/21 - For many years preceding 2014, the Globe Theatre's entertainment line up was limited to 4-D films, including Haunts of the Old Country. In 1993, the park was renamed Busch Gardens Williamsburg before briefly being named Busch Gardens Europe in 2006 until it returned to the Williamsburg name in 2008. [13] In recent years, animal attractions at the park have been extensively removed, though the staple attractions remain. Review Important Safety Guidelines. RELATED: Busch Gardens reopens during pandemic with new rides, limited-capacity special events The president of Busch Gardens had expressed frustration at the time. Mardi Gras will have guests indulging in the New Orleans spirit as Busch Gardens lets the good times roll with this ALL-NEW limited capacity special event. Find your way to rides, shows, restaurants and shops. One pair is on exhibition at a time. Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a 422-acre (1.71 km2) amusement park located in James City County, Virginia, United States. Like Rhinefeld, this section is based on Germany during the annual celebration of Oktoberfest. Take a look at upcoming events and things to do at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The third leg of Busch Gardens' skyride arrives and departs from this section. On September 18, 2010, it was announced that in 2011, Oktoberfest would be renovated with new shops and sights including a new beer garden and pretzel shop known as Beste Brezeln und Bier with a Bavarian maypole occupying the flower garden in front of Das Festhaus, along with a 246-foot (75 m) drop tower called Mäch Tower. Guests can interact with the animals during daily demonstrations.[14]. Originally named Jack Hanna's Wild Reserve when it opened in 2000, the animal sanctuary was considered its own section of the park, but in 2017 the Wild Reserve was merged with Killarney and renamed the Jack Hanna Trail. Fun for everyone! It is home to Dumpherey the Dragon, the area's mascot. Kinder Karussel – The park's antique Herschell Carousel. There's a reason to visit every season with kid concerts, fireworks, Halloween haunted houses and Christmas light displays. Celebrate the holidays with millions of twinkling lights, festive shows, and holiday-inspired culinary delights. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and an Executive Order by the Governor, the game room, activities center, hot tub and Ultra Lounge are temporarily closed until further notice. Outside the gateway next to Castle O'Sullivan, the walkway makes a sharp left turn and begins a long, moderately steep climb toward Aquitaine, France. The Big Bad Wolf was closed on September 7, 2009. Tweedside Train Station offers a 20-minute ride through the park with additional stops in Festa Italia and at Caribou Station, in New France. Heatherdowns is a Scottish hamlet situated at the top of the hill on the path leading from Banbury Cross (the park's English hamlet). The park is broken into "countries", each having its unique style of food and music. Banbury Cross, England in Christmas Livery. The activities line up for Busch Gardens Williamsburg… Mit Ihren Anmeldedaten können Sie bequem unseren Online Kundenservice nutzen. A predominant feature in this area is the Trappers Smokehouse which has an outdoor grill centrally located. Each of the show venues from the summer season have a holiday themed show during Christmas Town, ranging from reinterpretations of classic Christmas stories (Scrooge No More), to ice skating (Twas That Night On Ice), to a cappella performances (Gift of Harmony). As the pandemic progressed, the park has continued to host limited-capacity special events, including Taste of Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Halloween Harvest (in place of Howl-O-Scream), Christmas Celebration (in place of Christmas Town), Winter Weekends, and Mardi Gras. Boardwalk Resort and Villas, 1601 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 23451, United States. Trams provide shuttle service to and from entrance gates from outlying parking areas. Prior to the 4-D films, the theater hosted a variety of live shows including Mark Wilson's World's Greatest Illusions, America on Ice, Hot Ice, Celebrate America and the People's Choice. The Williamsburg theme park will offer three new “limited capacity” outdoor special events: Winter Weekends, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. Prior to 2010, the stables were home to several of the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales until the theme park unit of Anheuser-Busch was sold in 2009. http://bgwfans.com/2014/september-23rd-update/, "A New Home to Roam at Busch Gardens Williamsburg", Busch Gardens Williamsburg – Highland Stables, Amusement Today 2011 Park and Ride Winners, "Busch Gardens wins 'World's Most Beautiful Amusement Park' award", "TEA/AECOM 2008 Global Attractions Report", "TEA/AECOM 2009 Global Attractions Report", "TEA/AECOM 2011 Global Attractions Report", "TEA/AECOM 2013 Global Attractions Report", "TEA/AECOM 2014 Global Attractions Report", "TEA/AECOM 2015 Global Attractions Attendance Report Report", Busch Gardens Williamsburg expansion announcement page, Busch Gardens Williamsburg official website, Busch Gardens Williamsburg Howl-o-Scream official website, Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town official website, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Busch_Gardens_Williamsburg&oldid=1008671599, Buildings and structures in James City County, Virginia, Tourist attractions in James City County, Virginia, Short description is different from Wikidata, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Celebrate, Connect, and Care for the natural world through the power of entertainment. Pet Shenanigans Theater – An outdoor venue that currently hosts the. Overview. Festa Italia is themed around a fair celebrating Marco Polo's return to Italy from his famous visit to China. Busch Gardens was not able to host its usual Christmas Town event, instead organizing a smaller event, the Christmas Celebration, with a capacity limit of 4,000 for each session. Das Festhaus is a large, air conditioned eating facility where guests can purchase German food or American classics. Get up-close with our Clydesdales or let us plan and guide your VIP day. A new show has been added recently titled "Roll out the Barrel." In July 2010, the adjacent Kingsmill Resort was scheduled to be acquired by Xanterra Parks and Resorts, a company owned by Denver-based Phillip Anschutz. The Aeronaut Skyride gondola lift transports guests between the Sesame Street Forest of Fun, Aquitaine and Rhinefeld hamlets; while replica steam trains transport guests between the Heatherdowns, Festa Italia and New France hamlets. With a Membership Plan, you can visit our theme park and water park PLUS attend all of our special events (including exclusive Member-only events). Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a 422-acre (1.71 km 2) amusement park located in James City County, Virginia, United States.Located about sixty miles (100 km) northwest of Virginia Beach, the park was developed by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) and is owned by SeaWorld Entertainment.It opened on May 16, 1975, adjacent … The newer owners announced plans to sell-off the portions of A-B activities which were not part of the core beverage business as it worked to reduce debt incurred to fund the acquisition. Explore our world-class coasters & rides. A View of Santa Claus with the Polar Pathway in the Background. A simulacrum of the famous Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) is the central element of this area. In 2008, after initially resisting an unsolicited stock bid, A-B announced it had reached an agreement to be acquired by the even larger Belgium-based InBev. The event usually starts the weekend before Thanksgiving and continues every weekend until the week before Christmas, where it stays open for the rest of December, excluding Christmas Day, until a few days after New Year's Day.[7]. Howl-O-Scream, the park's signature Halloween event, began in 1999 and offers more than a dozen attractions featuring vampires, zombies, clowns, witches, and skeletons. Pass is non-transferable, non-refundable, and may be revoked for misuse or alteration. Please visit park websites for more details. It opened on May 16, 1975,[1] adjacent to Anheuser-Busch's brewery and near its other developments including the Kingsmill Resort complex. Beginning in the early 1970s, the Busch Gardens theme park was developed by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) as a portion of the company's development investment in the Williamsburg area, which grew to include a brewery, the Kingsmill Resort, as well as residential and office properties. Take on terrifying haunts and thrills as the sun goes down at this frightfully fun event. [5] The all-new special event featured limited capacity, required advanced reservations and temperature screening of guests upon arrival, and select villages of the park. Get unlimited visits, something new each season & exclusive benefits. The park features a combination of roller coasters and Broadway-style shows. From tasty dishes to frights and lights, we have special events and festivals throughout the year. Now $61 (Was $̶1̶1̶3̶) on Tripadvisor: The Historic Powhatan Resort, Williamsburg. Now $70 (Was $̶1̶5̶1̶) on Tripadvisor: Greensprings Vacation Resort, Williamsburg. Heatherdowns is also home to the Highland Stables featuring Scottish Blackface sheep, Border Collies and Clydesdales.