Busch Gardens Williamsburg
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| Slogan | "Celebrate, Connect, and Care for the natural world through the power of entertainment." |
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| Location | Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 37°14′5″N 76°38′40″W / 37.23472°N 76.64444°WCoordinates: 37°14′5″N 76°38′40″W / 37.23472°N 76.64444°W |
| Owner | SeaWorld Entertainment |
| Opened | May 16, 1975 (as Busch Gardens: The Old Country) |
| Previous names |
Busch Gardens: The Old Country - 1975 to 1992 Busch Gardens Williamsburg - 1993 to 2005, 2008–present Busch Gardens Europe - 2006 to 2008 |
| Operating season | March – January |
| Area | 389 acres (157 ha) |
| Rides | |
| Total | 54 |
| Roller coasters | 7 |
| Water rides | 3 |
| Website | BuschGardens.com/VA |
Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a 383-acre (155 ha) theme park located in James City County, Virginia, about 60.40 miles (97.20 km) northwest of Virginia Beach, originally developed by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) and currently owned by SeaWorld Entertainment, a division of Blackstone Group. The park opened on May 16, 1975, adjacent to Anheuser-Busch's brewery and near its other developments including the Kingsmill Resort complex. The park is themed around various European countries.
The park was originally called Busch Gardens: The Old Country, reflecting the European theme. In 1993, the park was renamed Busch Gardens Williamsburg before briefly being named Busch Gardens Europe in 2006 until it returned to the Williamsburg name in 2008. Similarly, its sister park in Florida was originally called Busch Gardens: The Dark Continent until it was officially renamed Busch Gardens Tampa Bay until a brief switch to Busch Gardens Africa from 2006 to 2008. In 2015, the estimated attendance of 2.78 million makes it the twentieth most-visited park in the US.
In addition to its landscaping and European theme, Busch Gardens is widely known for its roller coasters, including Griffon, Alpengeist, and Apollo's Chariot, which won No. 4 best steel coaster in 2012 from the Golden Ticket Awards.
Beginning in the early 1970s, the Busch Gardens theme park was developed by Anheuser-Busch (A-B) as a portion of the company's development investment in the Williamsburg area, which grew to include a brewery, the Kingsmill Resort, as well as residential and office properties.
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