Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Taking the family to Busch Gardens for the Christmas Town event. Does anyone know their firearms policy? Notice any signs posted when entering the park? Their website doesn't state anything.
Even if I can, I'm still deciding whether I will carry in the park. We'll eat at the Festhaus, and I'm concerned about the reaction when I have to switch to OC in there. It's a loooonnnnggg walk back to the car if I have to carry my gun out.


Parry

Good question.
I would imagine they don't let it.
You'd have to open carry, if you could, due to the alcohol serving.

They search handbags when entering, but I do not recall anything about guns.

The alcohol is only allowed in limited areas, so as long as you stayed out the restaurants you would be OK, but my assumption is that they ban weapons.

I would CC and pass right on by the gate unless they have a sign...

zephyp wrote:I would CC and pass right on by the gate unless they have a sign...

Sign, you say?. Not sure if this is real or not, but maybe it is.

My guess is that is a bogus sign...

Let your finger's do the walking and give them a call. Better safe then sorry.
Bill

Well, we did Busch Gardens and the family had a lot of fun.
I called ahead to ask about their firearms policy, specfically, carrying open or concealed within the park, and got a bit of a run-around. The gal who answered the phone didn't really know the answer, but that didn't stop her from telling me what she thinks the answer should be. Final answer I got (3rd person I talked to) was that they did not allow weapons or knives in the park. I asked if it was posted somewhere at the entrance, and was told "yes" but they couldn't, for certain, tell me where.
I looked as diligently as I could, but I could not find a sign on the way in. As wally mentioned, they do search bags on the way in. As I saw no sign, I really wondered what they were looking for. They did not have any kind of metal detectors or wands, so I suppose that one could easily get through while carrying on his person.
On the way out, I looked again for signs, and I did finally find it. It was a big (8'x3' or so) sign that you passed as you walked from the parking lot into the park. The sign was pretty busy, lots of stuff on it. And I suppose that there were people between me and the sign as we passed it. Although it was a good sized sign, it was easy to miss/ignore. At the very bottom it said something like "The following are prohibited: weapons, knives, etc., etc..." It rounded up stating that they'll ask you to leave if you break the rules.
So there you have it.


Parry

... that (as well as a lot of other "no-weapons") policy is straight out of "Looney-Tunes" (insert music here...).

... they check bags but have no metal detector/wands, etc. So my question is.. are they attempting to keep weapons out, or the pack of hot-dogs someone wants to bring in so that they don't have to spend $20 on an OscarMayer..?

While I'd never carry on a ride (unless you are using a tactical-rig, strapped-down); I should not be required to give up my right to protect myself - and surrender it to some HS or College-aged kid with a white shirt, flash-light and lack of a clue.

If you're going to CC at Busch Gardens, make sure it's in a good rig. You don't you don't want to loose it as you're riding the Glocktapus

OakRidgeStars wrote:If you're going to CC at Busch Gardens, make sure it's in a good rig. You don't you don't want to loose it as you're riding the Glocktapus

LOL! The Rugercoaster could be problematic, as well. Not to mention the KimberWolf.