Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Theme park and animal park in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a 422-acre (1.71 km2) amusement park in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, about 60 miles (100 km) northwest of Virginia Beach. It opened in 1975 beside an Anheuser-Busch brewery and is divided into hamlets themed to European countries, among them England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Germany and France, with roller coasters and Broadway-style shows.
The park opened in 1975 as part of Anheuser-Busch's expansion into the entertainment sector. What began as a hospitality center developed into a major attraction with European themed sections.
The park's hamlets stage national traditions: Oktoberfest hosts the 21-and-over Night of Oktoberfest, held since 1976, with German food and drink, while Das Festhaus shows Irish stepdance including Celtic Fyre. Since 2021 the park marks St. Patrick's Day across all ten hamlets each March, with a leprechaun named Clancy leading a children's scavenger hunt.
The park provides transportation services from the parking areas, offers rental lockers at major attractions, and maintains first aid stations throughout all sections. The different themed sections are close together and can be explored on foot.
Visitors can watch Scottish blackface sheep grazing freely in the Highland Stables while bagpipers perform traditional music in the Scotland section. The animals move among guests and contribute to the living presentation.
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