Busch Gardens opened as a hospitality facility for Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. on March 31, 1959. Busch Gardens originally hosted a brewery with beer tastings, but it was closed in 1995 and the roller coaster Gwazi was constructed in its place. In 1965, Serengeti Plains, inhabited by African wildlife, opened. In 1971, the Serengeti Express Railway, a two-mile railroad surrounding the park, was opened. The Stanleyville section opened, including the Stanley Falls Flume in 1973. In 1976, the Congo area opened, featuring Busch Gardens' first roller coaster, Python. Various theme areas and attractions have been added to the park over the years.

From 1976 through the 1990s, the theme park was called Busch Gardens: The Dark Continent, but was renamed Busch Gardens Tampa Bay during that same decade. From 2006 to 2008, the park was renamed Busch Gardens Africa. In 2008, it returned to its original name. The park is currently owned by SeaWorld Entertainment and the Blackstone Groups. Busch Gardens includes several themed areas in addition to the Edge of Africa: Morocco, Stanleyville, Congo, Jungala, Pantopia, Nairobi, Crown Colony Plaza, and Egypt.]]> Tampa Collection, Hillsborough County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.]]> RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.]]>