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BGT History – Busch Gardens Tampa History
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  • Attractions
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    • Defunct
      • Adolphus Busch Space Frame
      • African Queen Boat Ride
      • Anheuser-Busch Brewery
      • Aussie Station
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      • Aldabra Insider Tour
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  • BGT History.com
  • Dining
    • Current Dining
      • Serpent’s Snacks
      • Springs Taproom
      • Twisted Tails Pretzels
      • Village Snacks
    • Defunct Dining
      • Old Swiss House
      • Pyramid Joe’s
      • The Royal Treatment with King Julien
  • Entertainment
    • Current Entertainment & Venues
      • Let’s Play Together!
    • Current Venues
    • Defunct Venues
      • Bird Show Amphitheater
    • Past Entertainment
      • Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy
      • Iceploration
      • Kaleidoscope
      • KaTonga: Musical Tales from the Jungle
      • Moroccan Fantasy
      • Opening Night Critters
      • Rock A Doo Wop (2017)
      • Turn It Up!
  • Events
    • 8th Grade Grad Nite
    • Bands, Brew & BBQ
      • Bands, Brew & BBQ 2010
      • Bands, Brew & BBQ 2011
      • Bands, Brew & BBQ 2012
    • Bier Fest
    • Christmas Town
      • Christmas Town 2012
      • Christmas Town 2020
    • Food & Wine Festival
      • Food & Wine Festival 2023
    • Guy Harvey Weekend
    • Howl-O-Scream
      • Howl-O-Scream 2000
      • Howl-O-Scream 2001
      • Howl-O-Scream 2003 – Fear Has a New Face
      • Howl-O-Scream 2009 – House of Vayne
      • Howl-O-Scream 2012 – The Dark Side of the Gardens
      • Howl-O-Scream 2015 – Unearthed
      • Howl-O-Scream 2016 – Evil Encore
      • Howl-O-Scream 2017 – Nowhere to Hide
      • Howl-O-Scream 2018 – Nowhere to Hide
      • Howl-O-Scream 2020 – The Fear Is In Your Eyes
      • Howl-O-Scream 2023
    • Mardi Gras
      • Mardi Gras 2023
      • Mardi Gras 2025
      • Mardi Gras Weekend 2020
    • Real Music Series
      • Real Music Series 2010
      • Real Music Series 2011
      • Real Music Series 2012
      • Real Music Series 2015
      • Real Music Series 2017
      • Real Music Series 2022
      • Real Music Series 2023
      • Real Music Series 2025
      • Real Music Series 2026
      • Real Music, Real Masters 2018
      • Real Music, Real Masters 2019
    • Red Carpet Series
    • Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends
      • Sesame Street Kids’ Weekends 2020
    • Spooky Safari
    • Summer Nights
      • Summer Nights 2010
      • Summer Nights 2015
      • Summer Nights 2017
    • Three Kings Celebration
  • Galleries
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    • Brochures
    • Mailers
    • Maps
      • Event Maps
      • Howl-O-Scream Maps
    • Miscellaneous
    • Postcards
  • Shopping
    • Current Shopping
      • Cheetah Gifts
      • Painted Camel Bazaar
    • Defunct Shopping
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    • By Year
      • 1959 – 1969
      • 1970 – 1979
      • 1980 – 1989
      • 1990 – 1999
      • 2000 – 2009
      • 2010 – 2019
      • 2020 – Present
      • Pre-1959
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BGT History.com

Opening in 1959 as a free attraction to help promote the Anheuser-Busch line of products, Busch Gardens Tampa has evolved from a brewery tour and botanical garden into one of the nation’s top theme parks, with world-class roller coasters, animals, entertainment, and unique experiences.

BGT History.com is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Busch Gardens Tampa. Through this site, visitors can step back in time and see the park throughout the years. The goal is to provide a free, well-researched, cited source for all aspects of the park’s history for anyone who wants to learn more.

Use the menu bar above to navigate the site, see the park’s timeline, defunct & current attractions, galleries with maps & brochures, and lots of other great information, images, and videos!

The site continues to grow with new pages, maps, postcards, and much more, so bookmark the website and follow our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for updates.

Recently Added or Updated:

  • Old Swiss House – updated December 31, 2025
  • Howl-O-Scream Maps – updated December 30, 2025
  • Event Maps – added December 28, 2025
  • Food & Wine Festival 2023 – updated December 27, 2025
  • Real Music Series 2026 – added December 27, 2025
  • Maps – updated December 27, 2025
  • Animal Care Center – updated May 11, 2025
  • Veldt Monorail – updated April 12, 2025
  • Serengeti Plain – updated April 12, 2025
  • Serengeti Express – updated April 12, 2025



BGT History.com

Dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Busch Gardens Tampa

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