Fans take one last nostalgic ride on Scorpion, Busch Gardens’ oldest rollercoaster

TAMPA — Lines were long on Saturday for Busch Gardens’ oldest roller coaster, Scorpion, that had just a few days left before it closes operations.

The park’s long-operating coaster opened in 1980, and its closure “paves the way for future thrills,” the park announced. The park got plenty of complaints on social media about the sudden closure announcement last week, giving fans just 10 days to get one last ride. In response, the park has added another week. So instead of closing on Labor Day, its last day will be Sunday, Sept. 8.

“It’s always disappointing to lose a beloved roller coaster, but even more unfortunate when a park doesn’t give enough warning time to allow fans from out of town to make a trip to ride it one last time,” wrote Lance Hart of the theme park amusement news site Screamscape.

The steel coaster was the park’s second thrill ride, setting the scene for what is now the theme park with the most coasters in Florida. Scorpion opened in May 1980, with a fairly simple pretzel layout with a single vertical loop. It packs a lot of action in a short 90 seconds, climbing 60 feet and reaching a maximum speed of 41 miles per hour.

Built by Anton Schwarzkopf and designed by Werner Stengel, it features 1,817 feet of track that includes a 40-foot, 360-degree loop.

Scorpion made its debut in what was then called the Timbuktu section of the park. It is now called Pantopia.

“I see the love that folks have for that ride over the years,” Erick Elliott, Vice President of Engineering and General Services, said. “It’s not only going to be missed by fans, but it’s going to missed by all of us that have worked at the park for years.”

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