#Columbus zoo water park full

īy the time the park re-opened as Zoombezi Bay on May 26, 2008, only two attractions from the former Wyandot Lake remained within the water park. More than 3,000 people voted, and the name Zoombezi Bay was selected from a list that also included Kisawa Waves, Katoomba Lagoon, Kahuna Island, and Tahiti Waves. ĭuring the summer of 2007, an online contest was held to name the new water park. $20 million was invested to construct three new water slide complexes, along with a new 554,500 gallon wave pool and a 1,500 feet (460 m), 1.5 million gallon 'Action River'. Construction continued through the summer of 2007, with nearly all of the park's 22.7 acres (9.2 ha) undergoing a complete transformation. Wyandot Lake's popular 'Jet Stream' and 'Zuma Falls' water slides were purchased for $500 by The Beach Water Park, located in Mason, Ohio. Many older attractions and equipment were auctioned off. In October 2006, work began to remove the former picnic area and clear trees and other out-dated rides. An expanded parking lot and new entry plaza were also constructed, and a 22.7-acre (9.2 ha) parcel on the corner of Powell Road and Riverside Drive was set aside for a new water park. Substantial portions of the former amusement park were incorporated into the Zoo, becoming Jungle Jack's Landing, Animal Encounters Village, and Colo's Cove Picnic Grove areas. Wyandot Lake's Wild Tides Wave Pool had a maximum depth of 9 feet. In 1999, the carousel was removed from Wyandot Lake and underwent a one million dollar restoration before being moved to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Mangels Company with wooden horses carved by M.C. The carousel was one of only a few manufactured by the William F. Among the highlights of the amusement park was the Mangels-Illions Grand Carousel.

#Columbus zoo water park full

Wyandot Lake included both a dry amusement park area, as well as a full waterpark. Officials projected that by expanding Wyandot Lake and operating it in tandem with the zoo, both facilities would become substantially more attractive, with the potential to produce more than $1.3 million in annual profit. Shortly thereafter, the Zoo announced plans to invest nearly $45 million to substantially re-develop the former Wyandot Lake property. Six Flags – struggling with annual losses since 1999 – was eager to negotiate with the nearby zoo amid city plans to realign Powell Road, which would cut through a portion of Wyandot Lake. In June 2006, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced that it had entered an agreement with Six Flags to purchase Wyandot Lake for $2 million, which would be finalized later in the year. However, by 2003, Six Flags began experiencing financial difficulties, and began the process to sell multiple properties. Under new ownership, the amusement park continued to operate under the name Wyandot Lake. It later acquired Six Flags in 1999, and changed its name to Six Flags Inc. Premier Parks, originally an Oklahoma-based real estate company named TierCo, ventured into the entertainment industry when it purchased the Frontier City theme park in 1983. was then acquired by Premier Parks in 1995. Construction soon began on Wyandot Lake Adventure Park, which officially opened on May 24, 1984.

Following the park owner's death in the 1970s, ownership was transferred to the City of Columbus, which leased the property to Ohio-based Funtime, Inc. In 1956, the Jet Flyer was added as the park's first roller coaster (later known as the Sea Dragon). The area soon developed into an amusement park. In the 1940s, the area was purchased by a carnival operator to be used as winter storage for the carnival's rides. Wyandot Lake originally began as a picnic and recreational park in 1896. Zoombezi Bay opened to the public on May 26, 2008, and currently ranks as one of the Midwest's most popular water parks, attracting more than 400,000 visitors annually. The park sits on the site of the former Wyandot Lake Adventure Park, which was purchased by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2006. Zoombezi Bay ( / z uː m ˌ b iː z i ˈ b eɪ/) is a 22.7-acre (9.2 ha) water park owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium near Powell, Ohio just north of Columbus. May 26, 2008 14 years ago ( ) (as water park)