TAMPA for Spring Break

ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA PATRICELLI

ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA PATRICELLI

Busch Gardens is a popular tourist destination in Tampa Bay, featuring in-park dining, tours, animal exhibits and a variety of rides. Among the rides offered are Gwazi, the southeast’s largest and fastest double wooden roller coaster, and SheiKra, Florida’s tallest roller coaster. Animal attractions range from the Bird Gardens and Rhino Rally to a walking tour featuring hippos, hyenas, meerkats, vultures and a Nile crocodile. A Latin festival, Viva La Musica, takes place every Sunday in March with Grammy and Latin Grammy-award winning acts performing salsa and merengue; admission is included in park admission.

For students who want to spend spring break traveling to different theme parks, a multi-park pass may be the best decision. Multi-park passes include unlimited admission to the desired parks for up to 14 days, with the least expensive option at $89.95, combining Sea World in Orlando and Busch Gardens. Single day admission to Busch Gardens can be purchased online for $59.95, and includes a second visit for free.

Busch Gardens will be open from 9 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. for the weekends of March 14-15 and March 21-22, and hours for March 16-20 are from 9:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.