Loch Ness Monster Reopens at Busch Gardens

Loch Ness Monster Reopens at Busch Gardens

What To Know

Last Thursday, I had the privilege of attending Busch Garden Williamsburg’s Media Day for the recently re-opened Loch Ness Monster. While there, I got the chance to speak with the park staff and ride the infamous coaster. As of this year, Loch Ness Monster is celebrating 46 years at Busch Gardens. After being shut down last fall, the ride is back in action with a host of new and exciting elements. According to the Vice President of Design and Engineering for Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA, Suzy Cheely, renovations range from replacing 900 feet of track–out of roughly 3200 linear feet–to sprucing up theming in the queue area.

The fan-favorite coaster was the first–and now the only remaining–interlocking loop steel roller coaster in the world. The American Coaster Enthusiasts–a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving roller coasters–recognizes Loch Ness Monster as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark. This designation means it’s a historically significant ride. Despite its aging status, removal wasn’t the goal. As Cheely put it, they wanted it to be “a new and reimagined ride.” It certainly lives up to that hope. 

The Loch Ness Experience

Upon approach, the differences between the ride before closure and now, after reopening, are clear. When I got there, a Scottish gentleman named Dylan, dressed head-to-toe for a chilly fishing expedition, greeted me. He was a joy and cheerily told me to keep my eyes peeled for a glimpse of “Nessie.” Beyond the painted wood-like sign above the ride’s entrance was a diagram of Nessie’s bite analysis. This creative, thematic piece adds more depth to the ride’s experience and builds the lore of Nessie, so to speak.

Awaiting riders get a glimpse of the captain’s quarters, complete with a vessel launch bulletin, a map with marked Nessie sightings, and an old-fashioned radio. Nessie gear and mock posters–advertising a cash prize for photographic evidence of the infamous sea beast–decorate the walls. Oars and ropes are wrapped around the rafters. Over the speakers, Scotty–Dylan’s brother, according to the man himself–advises prospective sea-goers to watch out for themselves. He also apprises them of what’s new in the realm of Nessie-seekers. 

In addition to the 900 feet of replaced track, the cave-like section of the ride was revamped with more lights, sounds, and paneling that mirrors a ship’s interior. Premier Rides was hired for the track replacement. Cheely joked that people could tell when construction was going on by spotting “pieces [of track] coming down the highway.” The pièce de résistance is the added Nessie sculpture that sits at the bottom of the post-cave loop, coming out of the water with a wide-open jaw. From the revamped track to theming to new music, Loch Ness Monster came back bigger and better than ever. As Cheely said, “When you think Busch Gardens, you think Loch Ness.”