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Busch Gardens Tampa vs Six Flags Great America

Which is better? Side-by-side wait times, ride counts, opening hours and a clear recommendation based on what you're after.

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Busch Gardens Tampa
United States
Rides Open / Total
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Average Wait Right Now
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Opening Hours Today
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Longest Queue
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Shortest Live Queue
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Six Flags Great America
United States
Rides Open / Total
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Average Wait Right Now
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Opening Hours Today
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Longest Queue
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Shortest Live Queue
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See live queue times

Busch Gardens Tampa vs Six Flags Great America: at a glance

Choose Busch Gardens Tampa if...

  • You want the experience described above - Busch Gardens Tampa's character, rides and atmosphere
  • Live queue times show shorter waits at Busch Gardens Tampa today (check the stats above)
  • You want to ride Busch Gardens Tampa's headline coasters and themed areas without crossing them off a big list at Six Flags Great America
  • You're planning a single-park day and want to focus your energy on one place

Choose Six Flags Great America if...

  • You want the experience described above - Six Flags Great America's character, rides and atmosphere
  • Live queue times show shorter waits at Six Flags Great America today (check the stats above)
  • You want to ride Six Flags Great America's headline coasters and themed areas without crossing them off a big list at Busch Gardens Tampa
  • You're planning a single-park day and want to focus your energy on one place

About each park

Busch Gardens Tampa

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay combines a full theme park with a 300-acre zoo, making it one of the largest combined attractions in the US. The coaster line-up is exceptional: Iron Gwazi (one of the world's top-rated roller coasters), SheiKra (a 200-foot dive coaster), Kumba, Montu (an inverted coaster), Cobra's Curse spinning coaster, and the classic Python. African animal exhibits include rhinos, giraffes and tigers.

Florida summer heat drives queue times into early mornings, while Howl-O-Scream, Christmas Town and US school holidays are the busiest periods. Weekdays in September, October and January stay dramatically calmer. Check live wait times for Iron Gwazi and SheiKra the moment you arrive, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek date for marathon coaster days.

Six Flags Great America

Six Flags Great America sits in Gurnee, Illinois, between Chicago and Milwaukee. The coaster line-up includes Maxx Force (with one of the world's fastest inversions), X Flight wing coaster, Goliath (a Rocky Mountain Construction wooden coaster), Raging Bull, American Eagle duelling wooden coaster, and Batman: The Ride. A Hurricane Harbor water park is included during summer.

Illinois and Wisconsin school holidays, Chicago-area weekend visits, and the popular Fright Fest event drive Six Flags Great America's busiest periods. Weekdays in May, June, September and October are dramatically quieter. Check live wait times for Maxx Force and Goliath on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd midweek date for shorter queues.

Common questions

Which is better, Busch Gardens Tampa or Six Flags Great America?

It depends on what you're after. Busch Gardens Tampa and Six Flags Great America both appeal to different crowds - this page shows live queue times, ride counts and opening hours side by side so you can judge against your own priorities. Generally: go for the park with shorter average waits today if you want to maximise rides, and pick on theme/nostalgia if you're splitting a longer trip across both.

Which has shorter queues, Busch Gardens Tampa or Six Flags Great America?

Queues change hour by hour. Right now the live data above shows the average wait at both parks and the longest/shortest live queues. Mid-week visits outside school holidays give the shortest queues at either park. Use the Busch Gardens Tampa best time to visit and Six Flags Great America best time to visit tools to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Busch Gardens Tampa and Six Flags Great America in the same trip?

Yes - both parks are in United States, so a two-park trip is realistic over a long weekend. Split the days so you start at whichever opens earliest and drive to the other in the evening.

How many rides does each park have?

See the live data above for today's ride counts - or jump to Busch Gardens Tampa and Six Flags Great America for the full ride lists.

Is Busch Gardens Tampa bigger than Six Flags Great America?

Park size is less useful than how many rides you can actually get on in a day - that comes down to queue times and opening hours. The comparison above shows ride counts and live wait times for both.

Want a different comparison?

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