At first, it’s just about the fun: the whoosh of water, the drop in your stomach, the unstoppable laughter. But if you pay close attention, each ride down the slides of Conservation Tower at Zoombezi Bay moves like an animal with a purpose. This world-first attraction offers a new way to pay tribute to the incredible ways wildlife moves through the world.
- Three unique slides.
- Three local conservation stories.
- One unforgettable way to connect your summer adventure to something bigger.
The Hive: Buzz Through Every Turn Like a Pollinator on a Mission
You’ll launch through quick twists and dizzying loops just like a bee weaving through a blooming field. The path isn’t straight — and that’s the point. Pollinators like bees and butterflies take the scenic route, zig-zagging between flowers to help plants grow, reproduce, and feed entire ecosystems.
When you ride The Hive, you’re not just spinning for fun — you’re moving like nature’s busiest heroes.
See it in action: Our on-site pollinator gardens show how native bees, butterflies, and even beetles navigate the same wild paths you're mimicking on the slide.
Read About Our Pollinator Gardens
Captina Falls: Race Like a Hellbender on the Hunt
Hold on tight—Captina Falls isn’t your average slide. This world-first adrenaline-pumping experience launches you and a friend headfirst down dueling tubes with high-speed turns, rally points, and heart-pounding drops. It's a rush from start to finish, with a timer to prove who came out on top.
So what does this have to do with wildlife conservation? More than you’d think.
The Eastern hellbender might look like a slow-moving salamander, but when it comes to catching prey or escaping threats, it moves with power and precision, weaving through narrow spaces and surging through current-swept streams. Captina Falls captures that same wild energy—the quick reactions, the racing pace, the unpredictability of an aquatic creature built for movement.
At the Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation at the Columbus Zoo, as well as at The Wilds, experts are helping hellbenders thrive again in Ohio waterways where they once disappeared. These secretive swimmers are ambassadors for clean water—and when you ride Captina Falls, you’re channeling their stealth and power.
What the Heck is a Hellbender? Read More about OCWC
Mussel Mayhem: Spin and Splash Like a River Survivor
Grab your crew and get ready for chaos! Mussel Mayhem throws your raft into unpredictable turns, dips, and side-to-side spins — much like freshwater mussels get tumbled by rushing rivers and shifting currents. These humble creatures may not look flashy, but they anchor entire ecosystems, purifying water and providing shelter for other aquatic life.
Movement with meaning: Mussels move in slow, steady bursts, rooting into riverbeds while filtering gallons of water a day. It’s not mayhem—it’s maintenance. And the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, located right next door, is one of the few places in Central Ohio helping bring endangered mussel species back to Ohio’s rivers.
See How the Columbus Zoo Supports Freshwater Mussels
It All Comes Full Circle
At Conservation Tower, your body experiences what animals live every day — the movement, the momentum, and the purpose behind it. Whether you’re zipping through the sky like a bee or winding underwater like a salamander, these rides give you a tiny taste of how animals adapt, survive, and thrive.
Your family will leave the Zoombezi Bay thinking not just about the splash, but about the species these new slides represent.
Plan Your Visit
Zoombezi Bay admission includes access to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where the stories behind these slides come to life. Get eye-to-eye with an Eastern hellbender, drive by gardens built for native pollinators near the park entrances, and learn how freshwater mussels are saving rivers from the inside out.
Because here, fun and conservation go hand in hand — or claw, or fin, or wing.
