Tampa Attractions

Combining thrill rides with wonderful animal attractions, a day at Busch Gardens will delight everyone in the family. Also known as "The Dark Continent," the theme park is divided into nine different areas fashioned after locations in Africa. Morocco, at the park entrance, features shops, eateries and three theaters presenting great live shows. The Great Ape Domain, a three-acre habitat of Lowland Gorillas and chimpanzees, can be found in Nairobi. The largest collection of the park's animals can be found on the Serengeti Plain, where over 800 animals roam in a natural habitat setting. The highlight of Egypt, the newest section of Busch Gardens, is Montu, the southeast's longest and tallest inverted roller coaster. Timbuktu offers roller coasters and other midway rides, and Congo is host to Kumba, the southeast's fastest steel roller coaster. Stanleyville features two rides guaranteed to cool you off on a hot day; the Stanley Falls Log Flume and the Tanganyika Tidal Wave. The Bird Gardens and Land of the Dragons, an adventure play area for children, complete a tour of Busch Gardens.

Owned by Busch Gardens, this 25-acre waterpark offers loads of twisting and turning slides and water attractions. Daredevils will be thrilled by high speed rides such as The Water Moccasin, a 6-story-high twisting, extra wide water slide, and Tampa Typhoon, a 76-foot near free-fall drop. Splash Attack, a 12-level tree house with more than 50 slides, water jets and rope climbs, guarantee younger visitors will be entertained for hours. The whole family can get into the fun at Paradise Lagoon, a giant swimming pool with waterfalls, jumping platforms, cannonball slides, and translucent water tubes.