Get a Bird’s-Eye View of the Philadelphia Zoo From Its New Zip Line and Ropes Course

The Philadelphia Zoo zip line is hardly the only attraction at this new obstacle course. Photograph courtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo.

My oh my, what a wonderful day: The Philadelphia Zoo is getting a zip line.

Yes, on Tuesday, May 7th, the zoo’s debuting a new obstacle course called WildWorks, in which you’ll be able to take to the skies — in a safety harness, of course — and get a bird’s eye view of some land-based zoo creatures. Who knows, maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of birds in flight, too. (Although not of the emus, which despite being located near the course, are flightless. Alas.)

Maybe in the past, a trip to the zoo has left you feeling inadequate. Sure, we humans have big, advanced brains, but we aren’t all that impressive physically compared to most other animals out there. With this course — 34 feet in the air, including bridge-crossings and rope obstacles — you’ll have a chance to turn back the evolutionary clock and feel, if only for 2o to 25 minutes, what it might be like to be a monkey, or even a bird.

Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo.

Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Zoo.

Tickets to WildWorks, which has two different courses depending on skill level, will run between $4 and $10 and are separate from zoo entry. But given that Zoo Keys have returned and the zoo has a new Urban Green beer garden, you probably won’t want to pass on zoo admission, either.

When your 25 minutes of climbing are up at WildWorks, it’s zip line time. You’ll strap in and glide down a 40-foot track, back to the ground, where you’ll return, once more, to being a regular old land-bound human. It will be a short-lived taste of animalistic superiority, but at least with that big brain of yours, you’ll have the capacity to remember everything.

The WildWorks course opens to the public on Tuesday, May 7th.