If you are living in the Hampton Roads area, chances are you have heard of Busch Gardens. The theme park is located in Williamsburg (there is also a Busch Gardens in Tampa), about a 45-60 minute drive from Norfolk Naval Station.
Curious about making a visit? Here’s five things to know:
The park is European-themed.
Despite its proximity to Colonial Williamsburg, the theme of the park is classic Europe. The park is organized with landscaped villages or zones, with their own rides, food/beverage and uniforms associated with their theme. For example, the Germany area has an Oktoberfest beer hall. In all, there are nine villages centered around six countries for you to explore, including Parisian streets of France and hamlets of Scotland.
Busch Gardens has a variety of rides.
Busch Gardens has a ride for everyone! The park offers water rides, wooden coasters, a train, and large metal coasters. Low-thrill rides include a river cruise, kinder karussel, bumper cars and more. There are enough rides to please all the thrill seekers in your group. For a full list of rides, click here.
There’s plenty of experiences for littles.
If traveling with children, there are two main children’s areas-Sesame Street Forest of Fun and Land of Dragons. There are also multiple small kids areas in other parts of the park. Here is a full list of kid-friendly rides.
Military discounts are available.
Military members can utilize the Waves of Honor program and get up to 4 free theme park tickets per year. Military members can also purchase a Military Pass which includes unlimited visits to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. The Military Pass can be purchased in person at Busch Gardens, through their app, or online.
Plan ahead for fun, seasonal events.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is known for so many fun, seasonal events. Be sure to plan ahead and look at the calendar. At time of publication, Howl-O-Scream and Sesame Street Halloween Spooktacular are well underway with Halloween fun. Other fun events include Christmas Town, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, Food and Wine Festival, Bier Fest and more.
Have you been to Busch Gardens? Comment below and share your experience! For more Hampton Roads content, click here.