Zoombezi Bay facts for kids
| Previously known as Wyandot Lake - 1984 to 2006 Gooding Zoo Park - 1946 to 1984 |
|
 |
|
| Location | Powell, Ohio, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°09′18″N 83°07′12″W / 40.154896°N 83.119866°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 1946 (as zoo park) 26 May 2008 (as water park) |
| Owner | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium |
| Operating season | May to September |
| Area | 22.7 acres (92,000 m2) |
| Attractions | |
| Water rides | 17 |
| Website | www.zoombezibay.com |
Zoombezi Bay is a fun water park covering about 22.7 acres. It's owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and is located near Powell, Ohio, just north of Columbus. This park was built on the land where an older park, Wyandot Lake Adventure Park, used to be. The Columbus Zoo bought Wyandot Lake in 2006.
Zoombezi Bay first opened its doors on May 26, 2008. Today, it's one of the most popular water parks in the Midwest. Over 400,000 people visit Zoombezi Bay every year!
Contents
Park History
From Wyandot Lake to Zoombezi Bay
Wyandot Lake started way back in 1896 as a place for picnics and recreation. In the 1940s, a carnival owner bought the land to store his rides during winter. Soon, it grew into a full amusement park. In 1956, the park added its first roller coaster, called the Jet Flyer. This ride later became known as the Sea Dragon.
In 1983, a company called Funtime Inc. took over the park. They built the Wyandot Lake Adventure Park, which opened on May 24, 1984. Later, in 1995, another company called Premier Parks bought Funtime Inc. Premier Parks eventually bought Six Flags in 1999 and changed its name to Six Flags Inc.
By 2003, Six Flags was having money problems and decided to sell some of its parks. In June 2006, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium announced they would buy Wyandot Lake for $2 million. The zoo saw a great chance to make the park even better. They planned to spend about $45 million to completely rebuild the area. They believed that having the water park next to the zoo would make both places much more exciting for visitors.
Wyandot Lake used to have both dry rides and a water park. One special ride was the Mangels-Illions Grand Carousel. This carousel was very unique. In 1999, it was moved to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium after a big restoration.
Wyandot Lake also had a wave pool called Wild Tides Wave Pool. It was quite deep, reaching up to 9 feet.
Many parts of the old amusement park became new areas for the Zoo. These include Jungle Jack's Landing, Animal Encounters Village, and Colo's Cove Picnic Grove. The zoo also built a bigger parking lot and a new entrance. A 22.7-acre area was set aside for the brand-new water park.
Building Zoombezi Bay
In October 2006, workers began clearing out the old picnic area and removing outdated rides. Many old attractions were sold off. For example, Wyandot Lake's popular "Jet Stream" and "Zuma Falls" water slides were bought by another water park in Ohio.
Construction continued through 2007. Almost all of the 22.7-acre park was completely changed. About $20 million was spent to build three new water slide areas. They also built a huge 554,500-gallon wave pool and a 1,500-foot-long "Action River" that holds 1.5 million gallons of water.
In the summer of 2007, people could vote online to name the new water park. Over 3,000 people voted, and "Zoombezi Bay" was chosen! Other names considered were Kisawa Waves, Katoomba Lagoon, Kahuna Island, and Tahiti Waves.
When Zoombezi Bay opened on May 26, 2008, only two attractions from the old Wyandot Lake remained in the water park. Christopher's Island was updated and renamed Barracuda Bay (from 2008-2013). Canoochee Creek was renamed Croctail Creek and is now a lazy river just for adults. The old Sea Dragon roller coaster is still there, but it's now part of the zoo's Rides At Adventure Cove area.
New Rides and Fun Additions
On December 5, 2010, the Columbus Zoo announced Zoombezi Bay's first big expansion. This included two new water slides. Python Plunge was the first 45-foot-tall uphill water coaster of its kind. Big Boa Falls was a new half-pipe tube slide. Both of these exciting rides opened on May 21, 2011.
For the 2014 season, Zoombezi Bay said goodbye to Barracuda Bay (formerly Christopher's Island). This attraction had been around for 17 years. It was taken down to make room for a brand-new children's area called Baboon Lagoon.
Baboon Lagoon is a huge water play area with 16 lifelike baboons climbing on it. It has nine new children's water slides and over 90 interactive water features. The water is heated, and there's a giant orange octopus whose arms reach almost 40 feet high! This octopus dumps a huge 1,000-gallon bucket of water every 10 minutes. This new addition cost $4.5 million and was one of the biggest projects in the park's history. Baboon Lagoon opened on May 17, 2014, and even won an award for its design!
Zoombezi Bay had its highest number of visitors in 2016, with 426,376 guests. June 2016 was the busiest month ever, with 161,534 visitors.
In 2016, Zoombezi Bay also updated its Tahitian Twister slide (which opened in 2008). It became the Soundsurfer, also known as "King of the beats." This new slide has colorful LED lights and plays music that guests can choose before they ride! The slide was also repainted orange and white. These new features made it the first slide of its kind in America.
Current Attractions
| Name | Description | Height Requirement | Manufacturer | Operated | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Tides Wave Pool | A 532,000-gallon wave pool where waves can reach up to four feet high. | Children 36" and smaller must wear a life vest unless with a parent. | Aquatic Development Group | 2008–present | |
| Roaring Rapids | A 1,500-foot-long river ride with 570,000 gallons of water. | Children 36" and smaller must wear a life vest unless with a parent. | Aquatic Development Group | 2008–present | |
| Baboon Lagoon | A themed water play area with 9 slides, 90 water features, heated pools, and a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket. | Slides: 36" or 42" depending on slide | WhiteWater West | 2014–present | Replaced Barracuda Bay (1997-2013). |
| Tiny Tides | A 4,000-square-foot shallow water playground for small children. | Under 36" | 2008–present | Formerly known as Katoomba Lagoon (2008-2013). | |
| Slippery Seals | Three unique body "speed slides" in the "Sea Splash" Complex. | 48" | ProSlide Technology | 2008–present | |
| Sea Snakes | One- or two-person raft slides from a 51-foot tower. Features a bowl-shaped section. Part of the "Sea Splash" Complex. | 48" | ProSlide Technology | 2008–present | |
| Sea Tubes | One or two person curvy raft slides from 51 feet high. Part of the "Sea Splash" Complex. | 48" | ProSlide Technology | 2008–present | |
| Cyclone | An enclosed slide for two to four people with a steep drop into a giant funnel. | 48"-700 lb combined | ProSlide Technology | 2008–present | |
| Soundsurfer | A partially enclosed raft slide for five people with colorful lights and music. | 48" or 42" and accompanied by an adult, 800 lb combined | ProSlide Technology | 2016–present | First outdoor slide of its kind in the United States. (Was Tahitian Twister from 2008-2015). |
| Dolphin Dash | A six-lane mat racer slide. | 42" | ProSlide Technology | 2008–present | |
| Big Boa Falls | A two-person raft slide with a 30-foot half-pipe. | 48" | WhiteWater West | 2011–present | First Boomerango Express in the United States. |
| Python Plunge | A two-person uphill water coaster. | 48" | WhiteWater West | 2011–present | First Master Blaster Express in the United States. |
| Croctail Island | A private, adults-only sun deck and bar. | Age: 21+ only | 1984–2019 | ||
| Sandbar at Croctail Creek | An adults-only area with a sun deck, lounge space, and swim-up bar. | Age: 21+ only | Aquatic Development Group | 2020 - present | Replaced Croctail Island for the 2020 season. |
| Croctail Creek | An adults-only lazy river that goes around an island. It has a tunnel under the Sea Dragon roller coaster. | Age: 21+ only | 1984–present | Formerly known as Canoochee Creek (1984-2006). Refurbished in 2020. | |
| Sand Piper Splash | Two body slides that end with a drop. Part of the "Otter Banks" Complex. | 48" | 2018-present | ||
| Sea Challenge | A Wibit water obstacle course. Part of the "Otter Banks" Complex. | 44" | 2018 - present | ||
| Sand Dollar Shores | A shallow entry pool with a basketball area. | Children 42" and smaller must wear a life vest unless with a parent. | 2018 - present |
Theme Song
The Zoombezi Bay theme song, "Zoombezi Bay," was created by musician Kelly Warner from Columbus, Ohio. The singers were Nachilus Kezuck and Brian O'Dell.
Images for kids
-
A very old picture showing the original carousel and the Sea Dragon, which was then called the Jet Flyer.
