Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre 19th century African-themed park located in Tampa, Florida. It opened on March 31, 1959 as an admission-free hospitality facility for the Tampa Anheuser-Busch brewery on the grounds of the manufacturing plant. Visitors could watch animal acts in a tropical setting and before leaving the grounds enter a beer garden offering free Busch beer to drink.
After the manufacturing plant closed down some years later, B...
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre 19th century African-themed park located in Tampa, Florida. It opened on March 31, 1959 as an admission-free hospitality facility for the Tampa Anheuser-Busch brewery on the grounds of the manufacturing plant. Visitors could watch animal acts in a tropical setting and before leaving the grounds enter a beer garden offering free Busch beer to drink.
After the manufacturing plant closed down some years later, Busch Gardens focused progressively on its tropical landscape, exotic animals, and amusements to draw visitors. Busch Gardens began charging admission as the entertainment became more complex, with extra fees for the thrill rides, such as the roller coasters for which Busch Gardens is now known. Currently Busch Gardens Tampa Bay competes with other such parks in Florida and charges comparable fees. The park is operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a division of The Blackstone Group.
The park's main entrance is home to the Mystic Sheiks of...
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