Roar and Explore Getaway highlights trio of revered family attractions

COLUMBUS, Ohio - June 2, 2015 - PRLog -- The nation’s No. 1 zoo, the No. 1 science center and the only waterpark located inside a zoo combine to introduce families to unforgettable adventures this summer. The three have teamed up with Experience Columbus to offer the affordable Roar and Explore Adventure Getaway, featuring four tickets each to Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Zoombezi Bay and COSI science center. Available May 20-Sept. 6, families can book their Roar and Explore Adventure Getaway online now at www.ColumbusFamilyFun.com or by calling (888) 795-3709. Packages are designed for four, but additional guests may be added when booking.

Starting at just $411 plus tax for a family of four, the Roar and Explore Adventure Getaway features:

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, ranked the No. 1 zoo in America, unveiled its 143-acre Heart of Africa exhibit in 2014. Visitors can stand face-to-face with giraffes and feed them a snack; get up-close with lions; and take a camel ride in the Zoo’s newest and largest region. This stunning new exhibit is home to 150 animals and adds even more reason for travelers to visit the place famed zoo director Jungle Jack Hanna calls home.  Just born April 22, a trio of new Amur tiger cubs join the 10,000 animals at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. New this year, Pirate Island invites travelers on an eco-adventure aboard a pirate ship. Adventurers will sail past 150 moving, singing and swinging animatronic characters, as they learn ways to help save endangered animals and the planet.

·          Zoombezi Bay, the world's only waterpark inside of a major zoo, features areas idea for children of all ages. Baboon Lagoon boasts eight water slides, fountains and a 1,000-gallon bucket dump. Guests can splash and scream through 17 twisting waterslides, extreme raft rides, headfirst racers and the hair-raising 209-foot Cyclone, the world's largest reducing-radius slide. Zoombezi also offers the more laid-back, adults-only Crocktail Creek, a lazy river where moms and dads can relax.

·          COSI, the nation's top science center, hosts Top Secret: License to Spy, a limited-time only exhibition fun for the whole family. Brand new this year, guests are challenged to a top secret mission where they’ll receive a spy file and list of suspects. Using high tech equipment spread throughout the exhibit, visitors will have to crack the case presented to them. Also new this year is COSI’s Planetarium, the largest in Ohio, featuring a variety of entertaining and educational shows. In addition, COSI visitors can ride a high-wire unicycle, use sonar technology and get wild with loads of other hands-on activities that make science fun.

·          As the preferred hotel of the Roar and Explore Adventure Getaway, the Drury Inn & Suites offers special amenities, including: free, hot breakfast and evening snacks; indoor pool; and complimentary wireless Internet.  Other hotels are available, but prices may vary by location.

·          This year, the Roar and Explore package offers several add-on stops. The Wilds features 10,000 acres of adventure, including guided safari tours, zipline, fishing safari, horseback rides and more. Ohio History Center is another option for visitors looking to further explore Columbus. The museum’s 1950’s: Building the American Dream exhibit gives guests a peek inside the closets of a fully-furnished Lustron pre-fab steel house. Travelers can head even further back in time with a visit to Ohio Village, a recreated 1860’s town featuring period games and activities.

Columbus is a city unlike any other. Vibrant and alive, Ohio’s capital is known for its open attitude, smart style and entrepreneurial spirit. Columbus' blend of neighborhoods; dynamic nightlife; noteworthy music scene; arts and culinary experiences; events; attractions; and accommodations are all made unforgettable by the diversity of its outgoing locals who warmly welcome visitors. Free travel guides, maps, online booking and detailed information are available at www.ExperienceColumbus.com or 866.397.2657 (866.EXP.COLS). Visitor information is also available on Facebook: facebook.com/ExperienceColumbus, facebook.com/ColumbusFoodScene, Twitter: @ExpCols and Pinterest.

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Additional information, fact checking, color images, and press trips available.

Contact Amy Weirick, (614) 848-8380 or amy@weirickcommunications.com.

Weirick Communications is the public relations agency representing Experience Columbus.