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Stanley Falls Flume, which opened in 1973 as one of the first rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is to permanently close

Shane Walton
4 minutes ago
2 min read

Stanley Falls Flume, a popular log flume ride is set to be ripped apart, making way for a new attraction at the West Coast Theme Park.

Stanley Falls Flume, which opened in 1973 as one of the first rides at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is to permanently close

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced the permanent closure of one of the parks original thrill rides.

After more than 50 years of splashes, smiles, and summer memories, Stanley Falls Flume is taking its final plunge on September 7, 2025. As one of the original rides from the park’s opening in 1973, this classic has been a fan favorite for generations.

You only have days to enjoy one last ride before the theme park says goodbye and make way for an exciting new future attraction!

Busch Gardens Tampa bay is inviting everyone who can to come relive the fun and help celebrate what is a true Busch Gardens legend.

Check out the latest theme park news and updates from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, LEGOLAND Florida, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

Log flume rides are disappearing from theme park throughout the world. Once a staple of theme parks and amusement parks, the once popular attractions are proving costly to operate as they age, with parks opting to remove them rather than keep them going with costly maintenance costs.

Stanley Falls Flume at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was built by the now defunct US manufacturer Arrow Development, who developed the modern log flume ride, with El Aserradero at Six Flags Over Texas the first ever log flume ride, which opened in 1963. From this first ride, Arrow Development went on to sell over forty more log flumes throughout the next twenty years, including Stanley Falls Flume.

Stanley Falls Flume has been in regular operation since opening as part of a massive expansion at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay in 1973. The log flume was the first ever thrill ride built at Busch Gardens, and would help transform the popular Budweiser brewery tour and gardens into what we know today as a theme park.

Interestingly, Stanley Falls Flume originally had a spillwater drop, with the element later removed.

So what will replace Stanley Falls Flume? Another water ride?? From what we are hearing... Yes, this is exactlly what is being planned for the prime piece of land that Stanley Falls Flume currently stands on, and the manufacturer could indeed be Mack, who could very well also be involved in the next yet to be announced attraction coming to SeaWorld Orlando, but more on all this "coming soon."

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