Busch Gardens Tampa announced the closure and removal of the legendary Scorpion roller coaster. After thrilling guests for over 44 years, the final day of ride operation will be Labor Day, Monday, September 2, September 8th, 2024. Guests are invited to take a final ride on the iconic Scorpion roller coaster before it takes its last run on the track. Scorpion is the last stationary coaster of its kind in the world, making this the last chance to experience a legend. The park did not confirm if the ride was being relocated (sold to another park) or scrapped.
© Busch Gardens Tampa
Scorpion Ride Experience
Scorpion was Busch Gardens Tampa’s second roller coaster, opening in May 1980. The Anton Schwarzkopf coaster is one of only three “Silver Arrow” models built. The coaster opened as part of the second phase of the park’s new “Timbuktu” area. That area was renamed “Pantopia” in 2014. Following the closure of the park’s first coaster, Python, in 2006, Scorpion became the oldest operating coaster at the park.
The coaster is deceivingly intense, standing only 60 feet tall and features a top speed of 41 mph. Its one version — a 39-foot-tall vertical loop — is surprisingly forceful. The coaster exerts a maximum of 3.5 g-forces on its riders. Each of Scorpions 20-seat trains are lapbar-only, making for an unrestricted ride experience. The coaster’s 1,817 feet of track is tightly compacted into its small footprint. While intense, the coaster is a great “step-up” coaster for coaster enthusiasts in training. It was one of our ten best coasters remaining from the 1980s.
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. Busch Gardens Instagram says “this closure paves the way for future thrills.” You can see in this Google maps image the small area of land the coaster occupied in the center of the park.
With the opening of Phoenix Rising this year, Busch Gardens Tampa was home to ten roller coasters. That number will be down to nine with Scorpion being the fourth roller coaster removed from the park, following Python, Gwazi, and Sand Serpent.
Will you miss Scorpion? What do you think will be taking its place? Let us know in the comments below.
I was born and raised in Tampa, been to Busch Gardens 21 times in my life. On the 21st visit i rode the Scorpion 21 times in the same seat. Loved the loop and the G’s it pulled. Will always miss it.