Free Photo: Swan Boats at the Philadelphia Zoo in Pennsylvania

[Previous Page | Index | Next Page]


18philadelphiazoo.jpg

Enjoying the swan boats at the Philadelphia Zoo in Pennsylvania.

f you're looking for the perfect activity for active children, look no farther than the Swan Boats on Bird Valley. Youngsters can paddle their way around Bird Lake in the Zoo's Victorian swan boats, each one built for two to three people. This activity will provide boatloads of summer fun for everyone. Boat rides are open from late spring through early fall.

Did you know that Victorian swan boats were inspired by an opera? Boston resident Robert Paget was searching for a way to conceal the machinery and human driver of a new, foot-powered paddleboat he invented in 1877. When he recalled seeing Wagner's opera "Lohengrin," the idea of covering his boats with giant, carved swans came to him. In the opera, the hero searches for the love of his life in a boat drawn by a swan. (source: http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/zoo/Rides-and-more/Swan-Boats.htm)

[Previous Page | Index | Next Page]

See All Free Photos Including others of zoos and aquariums