Pantheon (roller coaster)
Pantheon is a steel roller coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia. Manufactured by Intamin, the roller coaster opened to park members on March 4, 2022 and features four launches, five airtime hills, and a 95-degree beyond vertical drop.[2] The 178-foot-tall ride (54 m) inverts riders twice and reaches a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h). Its theme is set to ancient Rome with a focus on the ancient culture's deities Jupiter, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune and Pluto. It is also being marketed as the fastest multi-launch roller coaster in the world, breaking a record previously held by Taron at Phantasialand.[3]
| Pantheon | |
|---|---|
| Busch Gardens Williamsburg | |
| Location | Busch Gardens Williamsburg |
| Park section | Festa Italia |
| Coordinates | 37.2339°N 76.6426°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | March 4, 2022 |
| Opening date | March 25, 2022 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Launched |
| Manufacturer | Intamin |
| Model | Blitz Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | LSM |
| Height | 178 ft (54 m) |
| Length | 3,328 ft (1,014 m) |
| Speed | 73 mph (117 km/h) |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Max vertical angle | 95° |
| Height restriction | 52–76[1] in (132–193 cm) |
| Trains | 2 trains with 5 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 20 riders per train. |
| Pantheon at RCDB Pictures of Pantheon at RCDB | |
History
This ride was referred to as Project MMXX during the early construction stages and replaced an earlier project named Project Madrid, where Busch Gardens filed a 315 feet height waiver for a cancelled attraction.[4]
The initial planning application for the ride was filed in February 2019, and it was eventually announced to be Pantheon on July 30, 2019. The announcement was held in the globe theater at the park and streamed live on the park's Facebook page. Leading up to the announcements there was a series of teasers posted on social media.[5] By October 2019, photos indicated that construction of the track had begun.[6]
References
- "Pantheon - Opening March 2022 | Busch Gardens Williamsburg". www.buschgardens.com. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- "Pantheon Member Preview Dates". Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
- "Pantheon, Fastest Multi-launch Coaster in The World Coming Soon". Retrieved September 6, 2020.
- Zachary. "Born From the Ashes". BGW Fans. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- "Busch Gardens teases new ride". WVEC. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- Fearing, Sarah (October 3, 2019). "Busch Gardens releases photos of latest Pantheon construction update". Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. Retrieved October 13, 2019.