Retro Photo TR: Busch Gardens Tampa 1970

Here a few pictures of BGT back in 1970 that were taken by my Mom and Dad.

They sure had a lot to do at BGT before any coasters were built.

I wonder if the Python was built in this area.

Monkeys love to throw things at people.

This area seems familiar.

BGT used to be so open before all those rides were built. No skyride or Rhino Rally yet.

Isnt this the building next to Egypt?

Hooray for transportation rides.

The original Montu. Ok, maybe not, but its an inverted track ride.

My parents used to drive a tank. Yes the Mcdonalds in the background is still there, though the building is more modern now.

Holy poop that is an old TR. Nice find!

Nice Retro Photo TR. I sure wish I'd taken pictures during my '70s theme park visits. Those would make for interesting reports.

Busch Gardens in Ven Nuys (L.A. area) had a monorail similar to that one. It took visitors through the brewery so they could see how beer is made.

Believe it or not, this monorail (and the Van Nuys one) were built by Arrow Development.

Eric

I miss the monorail.

I loved seeing the Arches in the background there! Whata flashback hoot! To 1963, and me and my mom are bussing over to Knotts, from the Disneyland area, and I swear to McNuggets, we stop at an intersection and there "They" are. The Arches. My first Franchise Credit, heh heh heh.

One of my better memories of being 10, LOL.

Great Retro TR. Definitely a place here for all of that. The Alveys may have opened up quite the theme park and coaster archives ever imaginable with all the pix that we'll be able to supply if not share along with an old fashioned (gasp) video transfer here and there? :shock:

Fun times. Simple and just as different for us as it is/was, for you guys now. (My visit to Tampa was '87 so all I got was Python, lol.)

Holy crap, Busch looked so... open.

Anyways, the old swiss house thing? I think around the late 80's, early 90's, it was renovated into the Crown Colony House it is today.

And Nrthwnd, you also would have gotten a kickass Schwarzkopf credit (Scorpion) as well if you went to Busch in 1987.

^ Just re-checked my coaster count.... I stand corrected, thanks.

Great photos ! Never been to BGT; is the monorail still there? I'd love to see a complete catalog of all the rides Arrow has built over the years, especially everything that's not a coaster.

If you really want to read a great book on Arrow's early days, pick this one up:

Roller Coasters, Flumes and Flying Saucers

I think it is out-of-print so it may be a little hard to find, but well worth the search!

Great photos ! Never been to BGT; is the monorail still there? I'd love to see a complete catalog of all the rides Arrow has built over the years, especially everything that's not a coaster.

Nope, they have taken out the monorail quite a few years ago.

Nope, they have taken out the monorail quite a few years ago.

From Monorails.Com

VSL Corporation

2840 Plaza Place 200

Raleigh, NC 27612 USA

 

Phone: 919-781-6272

Fax: 919-781-6892

E-mail:

 

Monorail Type: Suspended & Straddle, rubber tires on steel & concrete beam.

Monorail Class: Medium Capacity to High Capacity & Peoplemover.

Systems in operation: MGM-Bally's / Las Vegas, NV (incorporated into Las Vegas Monorail system in 2004); Busch Gardens / Tampa, Florida (non-transit loop-removed and sold to Kennywood Park, PA).

Nobody has seen it since.

Or have they?

The ride is/was sitting at Lake Compounce. They were going to have it go from the parking lot then under the bridge to the front gate as a tram system but the ride was in such bad shape they never set it up.

(This was from the parks GM.. from tour day.. wooo tour day)

Love old photos of current parks. I just came back from BGT so those were interesting to see.