The Story of Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Part I

The "Rhine" comes to Williamsburg

Busch Gardens' The Old Country, as it was initially called, opened in Williamsburg VA in 1975. Despite soggy weather delaying the opening (this is, after all, Virginia), The Old Country opened in May to rave reactions. Marylanders, Virginians, and Washingtonians flocked to the park, and by the end of just its first season, over 3.1 million visitors had passed through its gates.

Covering 360 acres of woodland, the park originally included the three lands of England, France, and Rhineland Germany. England contained the Shakespearean-era Banbury Cross and the medieval-style Hastings (later replaced by Italy). A monorail took visitors from the park to the Anheuser-Busch brewery tour and visitors center.

Just four months after opening, the park announced plans to add a new section to Germany: Oktoberfest, including a 21,000-square-foot Festhaus for shows and dining. The 10-acre section opened in June 1976, and included Die Wildkatz (also called Die Schwarze Spinn), a coaster inspired by the one at Cedar Point, the wild, spinning Der Blitzschneller, and another roller coaster, Glissade. The Glissade made the coaster fan and Washington Post reporter Marion Clark gush that "my legs were astonishingly shaky and I was, yes, dizzy. A splendid ride." Barely a year old, Busch Gardens was already establishing itself as a destination for top-notch rides.

Reactions to the park's European setting were varied. Some viewed the architecture as cute but kitschy, while others felt that the Old World villages brought a sophistication unique for an amusement park. In 1977, the Post observed that while the popular King's Dominion theme park nearby "accepts crowds more easily, ... Busch Gardens is more attractive, with a more mature theme."

Aesthetic gardens played an integral role in the park's image from the beginning. The park's landscapes were featured into the Baltimore Sun in 1975, which described the "peninsulas of mulched landscaping penetrating into the woods, hundreds of hanging baskets throughout the villages and tumbling artificial streams and fountains." The park's gardens and respect for the natural landscape furthered Anheuser-Busch's goal of complimenting the nearby Colonial Williamsburg without imitating or competing with it.

Read on... The Story of Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, Part II



SOURCES:

Newspapers

"Old Country Opening Delayed." The Sun 4 May 1975: R2.

Rosenberg, Morris D. "Welcome to Busch Gardens: A Hopping Good Time in Williamsburg" The Washington Post 18 May 1975: 133.

Dawson, Jack. "Back to the 'Old Country' in Virginia: New Busch theme park aims to complement nearby Williamsburg." The Baltimore Sun 15 June 1975: B10.

Clark, Marion. "The Most Roller Coasters Ever." The Washington Post 3 August 1975: 193.

"Roundup: Area: Expansion at Busch Gardens." The Washington Post 26 September 1975: D6.

Joseph, Richard. "When the Theme is Amusement." The Washington Post 25 April 1976: K8.

Elder, Shirley. "On this Open Field: Celebrating America." The Washington Post 20 June 1976: 111.

Fields, Howard. "Theme Parks: All This and Virignia Beach Too." The Washington Post 12 June 1977: 131.

Internet

"Busch Gardens Williamsburg." Theme Park Timelines. http://timelines.home.insightbb.com/bgw_years.htm