Escape from Pompeii
| Company type | Amusement ride |
|---|---|
| Industry | Amusement parks |
| Founded | April 29, 1995 |
| Headquarters | Williamsburg, Virginia , United States |
| Parent | Busch Gardens Williamsburg |
Escape from Pompeii is a shoot-the-chutes water ride developed by Intamin located at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia.
This attraction transports visitors to the ancient city of Pompeii at the moment of Mount Vesuvius's devastating eruption in 79 AD. Riders embark on flat-bottomed boats that travel along a water channel enhanced with immersive special effects such as flickering illumination, splintering wood, blazing walls, and toppling statues. The adventure concludes with a dramatic five-story plunge into a splash pool. The fire effects featured on the ride were produced by the same company responsible for the 1991 movie Backdraft.
History
The project commenced in January 1993, beginning with concept illustrations intended to create a storytelling experience. On August 23, 1994, Busch Gardens revealed plans for Escape from Pompeii as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, selecting Intamin to construct a Shoot the Chute ride incorporating dark ride components and elaborate fire effects. The attraction utilizes over 27 million British thermal units of natural gas each hour, with computer-controlled bursts and ventilation systems regulating heat inside the temple-themed structure.
Construction began in May 1994 within the park’s Italian section, occupying approximately with a building footprint exceeding . Testing phases started in February 1995. Although the formal grand opening was delayed due to the Oklahoma City bombing, the ride officially welcomed guests on April 29, 1995.
Early operations experienced lengthy queues and frequent interruptions not caused by mechanical faults but due to the building’s fire alarm system reacting to heat generated by the fire effects. Sprinkler systems activated in rear corridors triggered safety shutdowns requiring cleanup and system resets before reopening.
The primary ride building also serves as a haunted attraction during Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Howl-O-Scream event. In 2011, Escape from Pompeii was temporarily transformed into Polar Pathway for the park’s Christmas Town festivities.
On July 21, 2018, a minor rooftop fire briefly halted operations; it was swiftly contained without injuries and the ride resumed service within days.
Queue
Visitors enter the queue near the rear of the attraction, passing by a dilapidated structure marked "Pompeii" with "Escape From" styled as graffiti overhead. The path leads underneath the final chute and winds past remnants of the Pompeii disaster alongside signs depicting archaeological excavations. The queue continues through a sheltered section where boats glide nearby amid partially submerged broken statues and columns.
Layout
Riders board flat-bottom boats arranged in rows that simulate a journey through Pompeii’s ruins. The boat climbs a 50-foot lift hill before descending slightly into the main ride building, where guests encounter deserted archaeological sites surrounded by crumbling architecture accompanied by suspenseful music. The vessel passes beneath collapsing walls with falling wooden beams and drifts through rooms filled with statues and ruins standing in water. Authentic flames blaze overhead, on statues, and across water surfaces to heighten the dramatic effect.
Progressing through this fiery chamber past burning pillars and sculptures, the boat passes a large statue of Jupiter which also ignites. It then moves beneath a deteriorating wooden framework with flickering fire on the ceiling into a darkened space containing additional ruins and statues. A statue appears to topple toward the boat but is halted by a hidden support column. As music intensifies, the boat advances through fog and debris toward a door that opens to an exterior view before plunging down an 80-foot-long chute dropping 48.5 feet into water below.
An on-ride camera captures photos during this descent. Upon splashing down, riders may be sprayed by water jets as the boat navigates around a garden featuring a Roman sundial—now replacing prior archaeological props—before returning to the unloading platform for disembarkation.