Busch Gardens Tampa: Congo

Tampa, Florida: Deep in the African jungle lies the Congo area of Busch Gardens Tampa. The Congo is home to one of the parks super coasters Kumba along with the white water rapids of the Congo River. In the older section of Busch Gardens and one of the original lands, the Congo has witnessed a renovation in recent years to transform the area.

Originally opened in 1976 as home to Busch Gardens first roller coaster, the Python. The Python took guests on a 70 foot drop into double corkscrews at speeds of 50 mph. The Python remained in operation until 2006 when it was removed for the Jungala expansion project.

In 1977, the Congo was completed with the addition of Claw Island. Claw Island was home to a pair of Bengal Tigers. Located on an island surrounded by a moat, the tigers enjoyed playing in the water and the many toys in their habitat. In 1982 a pair of White Tigers were added to the exhibit. The tiger population grew with the birth of three white tigers in 1988. Claw Island was eventually closed in 2006 and the tigers were relocated to a new interactive habitat in Jungala.

The Congo River Rapids was added to the park in 1982. The white water adventure takes its riders on an adventure down the Congo River. With raging rapids, waterfalls and passerby’s shooting water cannons, the ride is definitely a way to beat the Florida heat.

The face of the Congo changed in 1993 with the addition of Kumba. Kumba, meaning roar in African dialect, is a steel roller coaster that takes guests through seven inversions at speeds of 60 miles per hour. Guest drop 135 feet into a 114 foot vertical loop, a diving loop, Zero-G roll, Cobra roll and then two interlocking corkscrews. The Kumba has been ranked in the top 50 Best Steel Coasters for several years.

The Congo is also home to the Ubanga-Banga bumper cars and is one of the three stops on the Serengeti Express train system. There are also a few shops and snacks spots scattered throughout the region.

The Congo saw some change in 2006 as construction began on the newest expansion of the park, Jungala. As part of the construction; the Python, Claw Island and Pygmy Village were removed from the park and Vivi Storehouse Restaurant was closed.

For more pictures, visit my Busch Gardens Tampa photo page.

Updated: November 7, 2006

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