1959

Busch Gardens Tampa opened to the public in 1959, and this section details some of the major moments in the first decade of the park’s existence.

March 31 – In a ceremony attended by dignitaries and invited guests, the new Anheuser-Busch Brewery and grounds of Busch Gardens Tampa are dedicated.
June 1 – Busch Gardens Tampa officially opens to the public as a free attraction with tours of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, sampling of beers in the Hospitality House, and expansive tropical gardens with a number of avian species on display in the original Bird Gardens. Some 1,600 guests attended opening day, and hours were listed as 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
June 13 – It is reported that since opening on June 1, Busch Gardens welcomed over 20,000 guests, including 3,500 on June 7 alone. This exceeded expectations, resulting in an increase in personnel and an update to hours. Park hours were changed to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays, and closed Mondays. (Tampa Times 6/13/1959)
October – It was reported that attendance since opening had reached over 250,000 guests near the end of the month. (Tampa Tribune 10/25/1959)
November – Winter hours listed as Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 1 to 6 p.m. (Salt Lake Tribune 11/15/1959)

March 22 – The Adolphus Busch Space Frame formally opens to guests.
July 20 – The park announced the appointments of Richard Naegeli as Director of Busch Gardens and Thomas J. Pinta as Manager of Public Activities. Naegeli had been serving as the curator of Busch Gardens, in charge of all of the animals since his arrival in 1958 while the park was still under construction. He was to remain the trainer and main host of the bird show in addition to his new duties as park director. Pinta had been serving as the supervisor of Hospitality House since May 15, 1959, two weeks before the park opened to the public. (Tampa Tribune 7/21/1960)
July 25 – August 2 – Busch Gardens and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery are closed to the public during a labor strike.
August 3 – New park hours begin, with Busch Gardens open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Sundays. It was reported the change was made to accommodate larger crowds. (Pittsburgh Press 7/24/1960)
August 30 – The park expected its 1,000,000th visitor since opening. In addition to gifts from the park, the special guest & their family were to receive a deep-sea fishing trip and dinner at a Tampa restaurant of their choice. (Tampa Tribune 8/28/1960)
October – Park hours are listed as 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; closed Sundays and holidays. Admission was free. (St. Petersburg Times 10/19/1960)

March – The park sets a new weekly attendance record early in the month with 50,592 guests visiting. (Tampa Tribune 2/20/1962)
March 22 – Stairway to the Stars, billed as the world’s longest outdoor escalator, formally opens.
May 27 – The park is showcased on WFLA’s television broadcast of Floridaland Gardens. Park Director Richard Naegeli and Manager of Public Activities Thomas J. Pinta took viewers on a tour of the Bird Gardens area showing off the huge variety of plants and animals. Park hours were reported as 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sundays and holidays. (Tampa Tribune 5/28/1961)
July 17 – The park welcomed its 2,000,000th guest since opening. John C. Swager and his family, visiting from Beaver Falls, PA, received gifts including a camera kit, a night on the town, and a deep-sea fishing trip on the company’s cruiser, Miss Bavarian. (Tampa Times 7/18/2025)
Attendance for the year was reported at 1,250,000, and a total of 2.5 million guests had visited since the park opened in 1959. (Tampa Tribune 1/3/1962)

February – Park hours reported as 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, closed Sundays and major holidays. Admission was free. (Orlando Sentinel 2/4/1962)
February 12 – 17 – A new attendance record was set for the week, with 60,701 guests visiting the park, bringing the 1962 total to 171,198. (Tampa Tribune 2/20/1962)
February 13 – A new daily attendance record was set, with 18,081 guests visiting the park. (Tampa Tribune 2/20/1962)
March 1 – Patsy, a female chimpanzee residing in Myombe Reserve, is born.
May – Anheuser-Busch purchases additional land north & east of the brewery and gardens. (Tampa Times 5/16/1962)
May 25 – The park announces a 3.5 to 4 million dollar expansion program, to include an authentic American Plains area located behind the brewery, an African Veldt section located east and north of the facility, a miniature train with a 2-mile route through the new areas, and additional parking facilities to handle the expected increase in crowds. (St. Petersburg Times & Tampa Tribune 5/26/1962)
May 25 – It is reported that attendance for 1962 has reached 700,000. (Tampa Tribune 5/26/1962)
Attendance for the year was reported at 1,519,000. (Tampa Times 12/31/1963)

January 25 – Park announces plans to construct a mile-long monorail at an estimated cost of over $1 million.
September – Park hours reported as 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, closed Sundays and major holidays. (Orlando Sentinel 9/1/1963)
December 26 – Largest single-day attendance recorded to date at 35,000 guests. (Orlando Sentinel 12/29/1966)
Attendance for the year was reported at 1,450,000, with nearly 5.5 million guests having visited since the park opened in 1959. The decrease from 1962’s attendance was blamed on bad weather during the state fair week earlier in the year, which had been a peak attendance week for the park in past years. (Tampa Tribune 12/27/1963 & Tampa Times 12/31/1963)

March 26 – General Telephone Co. of Florida dedicated its half-millionth telephone at Busch Gardens – a gold-plated public phone in an anodized gold booth. (Orlando Sentinel 3/27/1964)
April – Anheuser-Busch purchases an additional 25 acres of land north & east of the park for $1125,305, bringing the total area owned to 208 acres. (Tampa Tribune 4/15/1964)
July – Thomas J. Pinta, who had been serving as Manager of Public Activities at the park since July 1960, is named Manager of Busch Gardens. His duties included supervising the brewery tours, hospitality areas, and gift shop, along with acting as the liaison between the company’s consumer relations department and operations at Busch Gardens. (Tampa Tribune 7/18/1964)

December 27 – Attendance reported as 2,139,000 year to date. (Orlando Sentinel 12/29/1966)

September 13 – Veldt Monorail officially opens at the park.
September 13 – “The Legend of El Blanco” airs for the first time on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Some scenes were filmed at Busch Gardens in 1964. (Orlando Sentinel 7/1/1964 & IMDB)
December 27 – New record single-day attendance of 42,000 guests was recorded at the park, pushing total attendance for the year up to 2,776,000. (Orlando Sentinel 12/29/1966)

June – Newspaper article lists Richard G. Naegeli as park director and calls Busch Gardens the largest tourist attraction in Florida. Annual attendance is reported at over 3 million (with a peak daily attendance of 42,000), and admission is free. The parking lot is estimated to hold 1900 cars, and the park hours are listed as 9 am to dusk, Monday to Saturday. (Boca Raton News 6/18/1967)

March 26 – The park announces a $900,000 expansion that would include Boma and Nocturnal Mountain.