Scorpion was a steel looping roller coaster that opened on May 16, 1980, at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Built by German manufacturer Anton Schwarzkopf with engineering from Werner Stengel’s design firm, it arrived as part of the park’s Timbuktu section during a second-phase expansion, joining the Congo and Nairobi areas.
The coaster was one of only three Schwarzkopf Silver Arrow models ever produced, and the sole example permanently anchored to a fixed structure rather than a portable one. For decades it delivered a compact but intense out-and-back layout with a single vertical loop, and after Python closed in 2006, Scorpion became Busch Gardens Tampa’s oldest operating coaster until its own retirement on September 8, 2024, after more than 44 years of operation.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida
- Manufacturer: Anton Schwarzkopf (Silver Arrow model)
- Opened: May 16, 1980
- Closed: September 8, 2024
- Height: About 61 feet (18.5 m)
- Top speed: About 41 mph (66 km/h)
- Length: About 1,818 feet (554 m)
- Inversions: 1 (vertical loop)
The Ride Experience
Riders boarded one of two five-car trains carrying 20 guests at a time, secured only by lap bars, and were launched through a tight, high-speed circuit that packed a single 39-foot vertical loop and several sharp turns into a relatively short footprint. The ride’s compact intensity generated forces up to about 3.5 G, a hallmark of Schwarzkopf’s engineering style from that era.
In 2004, Scorpion received a paint refresh that swapped its original orange-and-black color scheme for red track with blue supports, a look it kept for the remainder of its operating life.
End of an Era
As one of the last surviving Schwarzkopf Silver Arrow coasters in the world, Scorpion held historical significance for enthusiasts even as it aged. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay retired the ride on September 8, 2024, closing out 44 years of continuous operation, and the structure was demolished in spring 2025 to make way for future development.
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Scorpion FAQs
Is Scorpion still operating at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay?
No. Scorpion closed permanently on September 8, 2024, after more than 44 years of operation, and the ride structure was demolished in spring 2025.
Who built the Scorpion roller coaster?
Scorpion was manufactured by German coaster builder Anton Schwarzkopf as a Silver Arrow model, with design work from Werner Stengel’s engineering firm.
How many inversions did Scorpion have?
Scorpion had one inversion, a roughly 39-foot vertical loop, along with a fast, tightly laid-out circuit.
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Photo: Wolle8ball / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.