POWELL, OH – For this year only, adventure seekers at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will soon have a unique bird’s eye view of the park. At 110 feet tall, the Columbus Zoo’s new Ferris Wheel addition—Adventure Wheel—will open on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
Featuring 24 gondolas, a rotation velocity of 2.6 revolutions per minute, a wheel diameter of 96 feet, and multicolored LED lights that will be visible during evening events, Adventure Wheel will offer the first opportunity for guests to ride a Ferris wheel near the Zoo since the former waterpark, Wyandot Lake, was purchased in 2006. It is also one of only three giant Ferris wheels in Ohio.
Lamberink B.V. manufactured this Ferris wheel in the Netherlands, and it will be brought to the Zoo by the Kissel Entertainment Company of Okeana, Ohio. Guests will find Adventure Wheel in the Zoo’s Adventure Cove region next to the Tidal Twist roller coaster, where it will be available for rides through the last day of the Boo at the Zoo on October 29.
“Each year, we look for new ways to engage our guests to help ensure that every experience is exciting, memorable and meaningful. Adventure Wheel provides a fun opportunity to help create a family experience that brings people together while offering an incredible view of our Zoo and animal habitats. One of the best parts of all is that revenue from the rides and attractions helps to support the Zoo’s operating budget, which also benefits the Zoo’s animal care and conservation efforts as we carry out of our mission of empowering people and saving wildlife,” said Anthony Sabo, Vice President of Zoombezi Bay & Guest Services.
"Our company is thrilled to book this spectacular ride at the Columbus Zoo," said R.A. Kissel, president of Kissel Entertainment. “When we bought the Lamberink 33M Ferris Wheel, our goal was to locate it in a popular family attraction. The Columbus Zoo provides a superior location for the Ferris wheel and Zoo management shares our values on ride safety, quality, and maintenance.”
Each ride on Adventure Wheel is $5 for non-members and $4 for Columbus Zoo members. Rides are free for Columbus Zoo Gold members and are included in the price of a ZooMore ride wristband. These wristbands also include other rides and attractions such as Tidal Twist, the Sea Dragon roller coaster, Grand Carousel, North America Train, 4-D Theater, and more. The minimum height requirements for Adventure Sky Wheel are 36 inches accompanied by supervising companions, and 42 inches without a supervising companion. Each gondola holds a maximum of six riders, and no single riders are permitted.
For additional updates about the Columbus Zoo, rides and attractions, events, and more, be sure to follow the Zoo’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and visit us at ColumbusZoo.org.
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About the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Home to more than 10,000 animals representing over 600 species worldwide, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium leads by making a positive impact on people, wildlife, and wild places. The Zoo complex is a recreational and education destination that includes the 22-acre Zoombezi Bay water park and 18-hole Safari Golf Club. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also manages The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center and safari park located in southeastern Ohio. The Zoo is a wildlife conservation organization with regional, national and global impact, annually supporting conservation and research projects locally and worldwide to continue the mission of Empowering People. Saving Wildlife. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Columbus Zoo has earned Charity Navigator’s prestigious 4-star rating.
