This year marks the 60th anniversary of Busch Gardens Tampa, which is an incredible milestone for a park that started off as a brewery with a few birds. These historic photos from the Florida State Archives, date back to 1960 and give us a rare glimpse into what would eventually become a world-class theme park.

All photos via Florida Memory 

Aerial view overlooking the Busch Gardens amusement park and the Anheuser-Busch, inc. brewery in Tampa, Florida. 1960.
Norma Lado feeds birds at Busch Gardens during the Tri-city Suncoast Fiesta. 1960.
Garden walk at Busch Gardens. 1959.
Entrance to Busch Gardens. 1979.
Tourists taking pictures at the entrance to Busch Gardens. 1976.
Children on an elephant ride at Busch Gardens. 1973.
People on an elephant ride at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
Tigers at Busch Gardens. 1970.
Child hugging costumed character at Busch Gardens. 1975.
Tourists viewing aquarium at Busch Gardens. 1975.
Miniature railroad attraction at Busch Gardens. 1975.
Zebras with giraffe at Busch Gardens. 1970.
Zagora cafe at Busch Gardens. 1975.
View of Busch Gardens hospitality house. 1959.
View of flamingos at Busch Gardens. 1960.
Old Swiss style house at Busch Gardens. 1965.
Animals from Africa behind the old swiss style house at Busch Gardens. 1965.
Woman with parrots at Busch Gardens. 1965.
Parrot “kissing” Debbie Jefferson at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
View of the monorail at Busch Gardens. 1967.
View of the monorail at Busch Gardens. 1967.
Seals at Busch Gardens. 1970.
View of the factory at Busch Gardens. 1970.
View of an interior at Busch Gardens. 1970.
Animal trainer with bird riding a bicycle at Busch Gardens. 1970.
Florida panthers at Busch Gardens. 1970.
Miniature railroad attraction at Busch Gardens. 1971.
Family on a flume ride at Busch Gardens. 1973.
Family on a flume ride at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
Boat ride attraction with tourists at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
Tourists at Busch Gardens. 1975.
Boat ride attraction with tourists at Busch Gardens. 1980.
Bird posing with the Anheuser-Busch logo at Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Children riding elephant at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Date unknown.
Bird’s eye view of an amusement ride at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
Roller coaster at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
View of roller coaster at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
View of an amusement ride at Busch Gardens – Tampa. Date unknown.
Visitor with a cockatoo at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
View of various bowls on display at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
View showing visitors at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
View of an amusement ride at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Date unknown.
View showing visitors by the entrance to the Nairobi themed area of the Busch Gardens amusement park – Tampa. Date unknown.
View overlooking the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
View showing visitors on an amusement ride at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
View showing “gondola skyride” at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Visitor receiving balloon at the Busch Gardens amusement park. 1977.
View showing visitors by train at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Hippopotamus at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
View overlooking tigers at Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Tigers at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
View looking toward llamas at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
Monorail at the Busch Gardens amusement park – Tampa. 1975.
View of monorail at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. 1977.
Postcard CollectionClose-up view of display at the Busch Gardens attraction in Tampa. Date unknown.
Park visitors looking over plant hangers at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Date unknown.
Bellm’s car by swiss style house at Busch Gardens – Tampa. 1974.
Python roller coaster at Busch Gardens. 1976.
Postcard CollectFloral path and escalator to the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. 1963.
Aerial view looking over the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. 1977.
Tourists feeding goats at Busch Gardens. 1970.
Entrance to Boma attraction at Busch Gardens. 1971.
Entrance to Nairobi attraction at Busch Gardens – Tampa. 1976.
Interior view of the Crown Colony House Restaurant at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
View showing musical ensemble performing at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
Musicians performing at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
Busch Gardens amusement park employee with llama. Date unknown.
Visitors watching craftsman working at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Visitors at petting zoo in the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Plane crash set up for an attraction at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
View of building at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
Child on the log flume ride at Busch Gardens amusement park. 1991.
View of visitors feeding ducks near campers at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Stanleyville Theater at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
Child giving food to a monkey at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. Date unknown.
Visitor pavilion at the Busch Gardens attraction in Tampa. 1960.
Visitor playing pinball at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa. 1975.
Park visitor at the Busch Gardens gift shop. 1975.
Singers performing at Busch Gardens. 1975.
View showing child on an amusement ride at Busch Gardens in Tampa. Date unknown.
Clown dancing with women during performance at Busch Gardens in Tampa. 1976.
Chimpanzee performing skateboard act at the Busch Gardens amusement park in Tampa.
The Russian Winter scene from the ice show at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
Giraffe eating food off a man’s hat at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Visitors posing with employee in costume at the Busch Gardens amusement park. 1976.
View showing an amusement ride and building at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
View showing visitors on the Congo River Rapids ride at Busch Gardens. Date unknown.
Family with a Super-8 home movie camera at the Busch Gardens amusement park. 1975.
Interior view of dining hall at the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Children watching woman perform belly dance at Busch Gardens in Tampa. 1977.
View showing a member of the “Mystic Sheiks of Morocco” musical ensemble performing at Busch Gardens – Tampa. Date unknown.
View showing visitors at an attraction in the Busch Gardens amusement park. Date unknown.
Young guests maneuver the “Rope crawl” at Busch Gardens’ Adventure Island in Tampa. 1991.