One of Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s most fondly remembered attractions is preparing to welcome guests back to Corkscrew Hill.

The Virginia theme park has officially announced Return to Corkscrew Hill, an all-new attraction scheduled to open in 2027.

Busch Gardens says the experience will continue the story of its former Corkscrew Hill attraction while introducing new technology, special effects and immersive storytelling.

Although the announcement remains deliberately light on technical details, the return of Corkscrew Hill gives Busch Gardens Williamsburg another opportunity to revive a familiar part of the park’s history for a new generation.

A magical adventure returns

Return to Corkscrew Hill will take guests back into an enchanted version of the Irish countryside, where an apparently innocent tour of an old castle quickly becomes something far more dangerous.

According to the attraction’s newly launched official page, visitors will be miniaturised to the size of the “wee people” after becoming trapped by a witch.

The resulting adventure will send guests racing across the countryside, soaring through the Dark Forest and encountering a collection of legendary creatures.

Busch Gardens also promises the return of some familiar friends and enemies, suggesting the new experience will draw heavily from the characters and mythology of the original attraction.

“Filled with magical surprises and breathtaking action,” the park describes the project as an all-new chapter that will continue the Corkscrew Hill legend.

What was the original Corkscrew Hill?

The original Corkscrew Hill opened in Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Ireland area in 2001.

Rather than being a roller coaster despite its name, the attraction was a large-format 3D motion simulator built around an animated fantasy adventure.

Guests entered an old Irish castle before being drawn into a chaotic journey involving fairies, witches, magical creatures and the unusual residents of Corkscrew Hill.

The simulator used motion, stereoscopic imagery and an original cast of characters to create the sensation of travelling through a fantastical version of Ireland.

Corkscrew Hill operated until 2009, when it was replaced by Europe in the Air. The same attraction building later became home to the virtual reality experience Battle for Eire.

Despite disappearing from the park more than 15 years ago, Corkscrew Hill retained a particularly devoted following among regular Busch Gardens visitors.

The attraction’s characters and story were also referenced inside Battle for Eire, preserving a small connection to the former simulator even after the original experience had closed.

What has Busch Gardens confirmed?

Busch Gardens Williamsburg has so far confirmed three key features for the returning attraction:

  • All-new immersive storytelling
  • New technology
  • New special effects

The park has not yet revealed the precise ride system, attraction duration, capacity, accessibility requirements or opening date beyond the planned 2027 season.

It has also not explicitly confirmed whether Return to Corkscrew Hill will reuse the original simulator format or introduce a completely different system inside the existing attraction building.

The wording used by Busch Gardens suggests this will not simply be a restored version of the original film. Instead, it appears to be a new attraction that continues the same story while using modern technology to reinterpret the experience.

Further information, including concept artwork and technical details, is expected as the project progresses.

Busch Gardens continues reviving its history

Return to Corkscrew Hill follows a growing pattern of Busch Gardens Williamsburg drawing from its own history when developing new attractions.

Big Bad Wolf: The Wolf’s Revenge opened in 2025 at the neighbouring Water Country USA, reviving the name and mythology of Busch Gardens’ much-loved Big Bad Wolf roller coaster.

For 2026, the park also refreshed Verbolten with a darker storyline, new effects and the updated name Verbolten: Forbidden Turn.

The return of Corkscrew Hill continues that strategy by taking something already familiar to long-term visitors and rebuilding it as a modern experience rather than attempting to recreate the past exactly as it was.

That approach gives Busch Gardens access to decades of established characters, stories and emotional connections while still allowing the park to create attractions capable of meeting modern expectations.

A nostalgic return with plenty still to reveal

There is still a great deal that Busch Gardens has not told us about Return to Corkscrew Hill.

Without confirmation of the ride system, it is difficult to know whether the attraction will be a conventional motion simulator, a modern media-based experience or something more ambitious.

What is clear is that Busch Gardens Williamsburg understands how fondly the original attraction is remembered.

By returning to its enchanted Irish world rather than simply introducing an unrelated simulator film, the park has created a 2027 project that can appeal to both nostalgic fans and visitors who never experienced the original.

Return to Corkscrew Hill is scheduled to open at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in 2027. More details are expected to be revealed ahead of its debut.