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. The inverts riders twice and reaches a maximum speed of. Its theme is set to ancient Rome with a focus on the ancient culture's deities Jupiter, Mercury, Minerva, Neptune and Pluto. Despite marketing for the ride, it has never held the fastest multi-launch coaster record. Soaring With Dragon held this record from September 2016 until May 2024 with Cedar Point opening Top Thrill 2.

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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.
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. By October 2019, photos indicated that construction of the track had begun. Pantheon's opening was ultimately delayed by two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia. Busch Gardens announced in September 2021 that the ride would open the following March. The ride opened to the public on March 25, 2022, following a soft opening on March 4.

Characteristics

Pantheon is tall, long, and reaches a maximum speed of throughout the ride. The ride's layout includes four launches – three of which take place on a swing launch between the vertical spike and top hat. This swing launch feature can also be found on Toutatis at Parc Astérix in France. Pantheon also has two inversions, which are a zero-g winder and a zero-g stall. It runs two trains of five cars, each of which seat two rows of two riders for a total of 20 passengers per train.

Theme

Pantheon's theming around the Roman gods is subtle. Plaques throughout the ride's queue explain how different sections of the coaster relate to specific gods from the Roman pantheon. According to the plaques, the first launch of coaster is related to Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom, because the rider requires her to keep them safe on the coming journey. In the second section, Mercury, God of Speed relates to the swiftness of the ride's beginning. Next, a high peak relates to the God of the Sea, Neptune, as a representation of his sharp trident. Then another peak relates to Jupiter, King of the Gods and God of Weather, because it ascends to the sky. Finally, the end of the ride relates to Pluto, God of the Underworld, because the rider's journey is at a close.