Veldt Monorail - BGT History - Busch Gardens Tampa History

The Veldt Monorail provided guests a chance to see much of the Serengeti Plain and the various species that roam freely across it.

Fast Facts:

Official Open Date: September 13, 1966
Closed: 1999
Location: Serengeti Plain
Also Known As: Skyway Safari, Skyrail, Monorail, Monorail Safari

History

Part of a long-range four-million-dollar expansion program first revealed in May 1962, a monorail was not officially announced then but was shown on an illustration of the overall plans. The thinner line that circles the African Veldt section and out into the parking area marked the proposed monorail route.

Anheuser-Busch officially announced the plans to construct a monorail months later on January 24, 1963. At the time of the announcement, the monorail was touted to be an investment of over $1 million, would be one mile in length, and would carry guests while being suspended at up to 35 feet in the air. Construction was expected to begin in 1964 after the first phase of the project was complete, which included the addition of African Veldt and American Plains areas complete with animals and naturalistic theming.

August A. Busch, Jr., president of Anheuser-Busch, was quoted at the time of the announcement saying, “Construction of a unique monorail has presented many problems, and frankly we don’t have them all licked yet. However, we are assured that the monorail will be built after phase one of our expansion program is completed.”

In late December 1963, another part of the multi-year expansion project was announced – the Old Swiss House. An article describing the planned restaurant also mentioned the monorail was expected to begin operations in September 1964. The next update on the addition of the monorail came in June 1964, when it was revealed a contract was made to build and deliver the system within 300 days. This meant the opening was expected sometime in the first half of 1965.

Completion of the monorail was delayed, with the blame on the rationing of some materials like steel due to the war in Vietnam. Construction continued into the spring of 1966, and by mid-April, the monorail was projected to open on June 1. That opening date would be pushed back, and by Independence Day, the park was projecting it would open to guests by the end of the summer. As the project neared the opening, testing was completed. Park manager Thomas J. Pinta said the animals were used to the monorail cars passing by in just two days.

The monorail officially opened to guests on Tuesday, September 13, 1966. Due to some last-minute issues, including improving the air conditioning units for the cars, there wasn’t much advance notice for the grand opening. At 11:30 a.m. on that day, a simple opening ceremony was held with August A. Busch Jr., president of Anheuser-Busch, in attendance.

At 7,000 feet in length, it was reported to be the second largest when it opened, with only the one at Disneyland in California being longer. The contractor for the monorail was Arrow Development Co. of Mountain View, California. The entire system was manufactured by Arrow and then transported for assembly at the park. The over one million dollar addition featured 12-person air-conditioned cars with onboard audio and a suspended car design that hovered low to the ground in most areas to provide excellent views of the wildlife. At its highest point, the monorail reached 30 feet, and in other spots, the cars passed just above ground level. According to a newspaper report, the cost for the 15-20 minute ride at opening was $1 for adults and 40¢ for children. It was to be called the Skyway Safari.

The monorail departed the station (now the station for Cheetah Hunt) and transported guests across the Serengeti Plain (previously known as the African Veldt and Wild Animal Kingdom). Guests traveled past destinations like Gorilla Island, the “Congo River,” lion moat, Goat Mountain, “Lake Victoria,” and the rhino and elephant displays.

A late 1960s brochure refers to the attraction as Skyrail, where guests can see a variety of species up close including lion, elephant, zebra, giraffe, rhino, cheetah, hippo, and many others.

Celebrating her 95th birthday in mid-April 1967, Mary A. Bryer visited the park along with her daughter. While there, they enjoyed a ride on the monorail, with park officials saying Bryer was the oldest guest to do so at that point.

In early September 1967, a sinkhole opened up on the veldt near the monorail. Drilling rigs were brought in and tests were done to see if there was any danger to the monorail supports.

The monorail proved to be a popular addition. In April 1968, the park took delivery of two additional trains, helping reduce wait times on busier days from over an hour down to an average of seven to 30 minutes.

By early 1970, the attraction was listed simply as Monorail. While the park didn’t charge an admission fee to this point, the monorail was a separate charge of $1.50 for adults and 75¢ for children under 12. It was described in a brochure from that year as a 1 1/3 mile tour with eye-level views of various species across Wild Animal Kingdom.

Starting in July 1970, the charge to ride the monorail was reduced as a general admission charge was instituted for guests to access the park.

A newspaper ad in June 1972 referred to the ride as Monorail Safari. Maps in 1974 listed the Monorail Safari as an Inner Veldt Tour bringing guests up close to lions, zebras, giraffes, and hundreds of other animals.

In 1988, the monorail trains were upgraded to a new, air-conditioned model.

The attraction closed in 1999.