VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — If ziplining is a little too much of an adventure, standby.
Nautilus will soon take you up, up and away.
A new outdoor attraction — the first of its kind in the U.S — is expected to come to Virginia Beach sometime this summer. Ground will be broken next week to begin the delicate construction of the 125-foot Nautilus Observation Tower in the Adventure Park’s newest attraction, Owl Creek Landing, behind the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.
“It’s really exciting to be building the first observation tower in the U.S.,” said Baham Azarm, CEO of Outdoor Venture Group, which built the Adventure park in 2014.
Owl Creek Landing is planned to get up near the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, according to developer Outdoor Venture Group. The developer says the Nautilus structure, to be set on 38 wooded acres just across the creek from the aquarium and the Adventure Park, was designed after similar structures in Europe and promises a 360-degree view of Virginia Beach.
The spiral upward is set to include education stations with information of native trees and wildlife.
“You know, it doesn’t seem like much of an activity, but you’re outdoors and you go up to spot 125 feet in the air where you can see just incredible views of the ocean of the jets flying in and out, essentially, all of Virginia Beach is visible to you below you,” Azarm said. “And at night, it just becomes magical with all the lights twinkling all over.”
On foot, stroller or wheelchair, visitors will ascend on an 80-foot wide circular path that will offer intimate views of wildlife and habitat. The site could end up hosting such things as weddings and reunions.
An observation deck, more than a dozen stories high, can provide a scenic view of Virginia Beach’s coastline, the developer said. After taking in the views, visitors can choose to take the stairs or path back down, or take the stainless steel slide, which Outdoor Venture says will be the longest in the country.
“We’re excited to be the first to bring this new outdoor adventure concept to America,” Azarm said. “The selection of Virginia Beach for the first Nautilus Tower project to anchor the new Owl Creek Landing not only complements the area’s natural amenities and our neighboring attraction, The Adventure Park, but its position in the flight path of U.S. Navy jets also celebrates the city’s proud military aviation heritage.”
How will the observation tower be built in the middle of an environmentally-sensitive area?
“We’ll be using a trailer that will be pulled, and everything has to be designed so they are no longer than 20 feet or weigh more than one ton,” Azarm said, “because the bridge obviously has certain structural characteristics that we had to abide by. So it’s really unique in the way the whole tower was designed and the whole way that is going to be built.”
The attraction is expected to open in mid-August.