Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will be shutting down its Scorpion roller coaster after Labor Day, the park announced Friday.
Scorpion first opened in 1980 and is the oldest operating coaster at Busch Gardens. The 60-foot-tall ride was designed by legendary German coaster maker Anton Schwarzkopf, featuring a single 39-foot-tall loop along with 1,817 feet of track and hitting a top speed of 41 mph.
It’s also the only U.S. installation of Schwarzkopf’s Silverarrow model coaster, making it a rare credit for coaster enthusiasts. The only other operating version of the coaster is Blug Big at Dalmaland in Croatia.
First drop on Scorpion (Theme Park Tribune)
Busch Gardens teased that the space will be utilized for another attraction, stating in its press release, “While parkgoers will say goodbye to Scorpion, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is excited that this closure paves the way for exciting new future attractions, with more details about what’s coming to be revealed soon.”
Scorpion is the second coaster to close at Busch Gardens in as many years. In July 2023, the park shuttered its Wild Mouse coaster, Sand Serpent, later announcing it would be replaced with a family inverted coaster called Phoenix Rising which opened last month.