Old Swiss House - BGT History - Busch Gardens Tampa History

The Old Swiss House was Busch Gardens’ premier dining experience for nearly two decades, featuring both casual and formal dining.

Fast Facts

Open Date: 1964
Replaced By: Crown Colony

History

The Old Swiss House was part of a $4 million expansion project originally announced in May 1962. At that time, the plans shared by Anheuser-Busch included nearly 100 acres for the addition of African Veldt and American Plains areas, with a two-mile train ride to view them. In January 1963, a monorail was also announced as part of the project.

The first mention found of the Old Swiss House was in the caption of an aerial image of the park and expansion progress in a November 1963 newspaper. The building was described as a ‘Swiss Chalet restaurant’ and was anticipated to be open by late 1964 as part of the project’s first phase.

Plans to add the Old Swiss House were officially announced by the park on December 26, 1963. Already under construction at the time of the announcement, it was reported the restaurant would be a four-story structure with 27,000 square feet of space, cost $1 million, and accommodate 800 guests at a time. At the time of the announcement, the restaurant was expected to open the following September.

The bottom floor was to house the receiving, mechanical, and service departments, a bakery, and storage space. The second floor was planned as the main guest floor, with two cafeteria-style serving areas and an outdoor terrace with additional seating. The third floor was to hold the formal dining rooms with gourmet cuisine on offer. A central kitchen, grille room, and banquet room were also planned for the third floor. Offices and additional storage were to take up the top floor.

C. Randolph Wedding was the architect for the Old Swiss House project, Mr. & Mrs. Lee Ward were the interior designers, and the Paul Smith Construction Co. served as general contractor. The theme of the building was a Swiss chalet, with the interior decor inspired by French, German, and Italian arts. Wood paneling, fine furnishings, and imported antiques & decor from Switzerland and other European countries were all part of the design. Local portrait artist Lorna Zornow was commissioned to create several pieces of decor. Views of the new African Veldt from the dining areas and terraces were also set to be a key feature for guests to enjoy during their meal.

A late 1960s brochure listed the restaurant as Old Swiss House, with food & beverages served in the Dining Room or lighter fare available in the Rathskeller, both featuring views of Wild Animal Kingdom from enclosed terraces. By 1970, the park map listed the location as Old Swiss House & Rathskeller. The restaurant on the third floor continued to be available for lunch & dinner, with Rathskeller on the second floor offering a casual buffet luncheon.

The 1974 park map listed the location as being in the African Veldt section, with the Veldt Room for cafeteria lunch & evening buffet and the Lucerne Room for complete lunch & dinner.

Old Swiss House continued to be a popular dining location for both park guests and locals who visited just for the restaurant. Even after the park began charging a general admission fee, guests could still visit Old Swiss House to enjoy a meal with no park ticket required.

Images

The Old Swiss House appeared in many postcards, both as the main subject and in the background of other shots featuring the Serengeti Plain, Clydesdales, and Veldt Monorail.