Zoombezi Bay
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| Location | Powell, Ohio, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°09′18″N 83°07′12″W / 40.154896°N 83.119866°WCoordinates: 40°09′18″N 83°07′12″W / 40.154896°N 83.119866°W |
| Owner | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium |
| Opened | May 26, 2008 |
| Previous names |
Wyandot Lake - 1984 to 2006 Gooding Zoo Park - 1946 to 1984 |
| Operating season | May to September |
| Area | 22.7 acres (92,000 m2) |
| Website | www.zoombezibay.com |
Zoombezi Bay is a 22.7 acre water park owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium near Powell, Ohio just north of Columbus. The park sits on the site of the former Wyandot Lake Amusement Park, which was purchased by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2006. 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.
Wyandot Lake originally began as a picnic and recreational park in 1896. In the 1940s, the area was purchased by a carnival operator to be used as winter storage for the carnival's rides. The area soon developed into an amusement park and added its first roller coaster, Jet Flyer, in 1956. Following the owner's death in the 1970s, ownership was transferred to the city of Columbus, who began leasing the park to Ohio-based Funtime Inc., in 1983. Funtime was later acquired by Premier Parks in 1995. Premier Parks, originally an Oklahoma-based real estate company named TierCo, ventured into the entertainment industry when it purchased Frontier City in 1983. It later acquired Six Flags in 1999 changing its name to Six Flags Inc., in reference to its flagship property.
Under new ownership, the amusement park continued to operate under the name 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. 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. Shortly thereafter, the Zoo announced plans to invest nearly $45 million to substantially re-develop the former Wyandot Lake property.
Substantial portions of the former amusement park were incorporated into the Zoo, becoming the new Jungle Jack's Landing, Animal Encounters Village, and Colo's Cove Picnic Grove areas. An expanded parking lot and new entry plaza were also constructed, and a 22.7 acre parcel on the corner of Powell Road and Riverside Drive was set aside for a new water park.
In October 2006, work began to remove the former picnic area and clear trees and other out-dated rides. Many older attractions and equipment were auctioned off. Wyandot Lake's popular "Jet Stream" and "Zuma Falls" water slides were purchased for $500 by The Beach Water Park, located in Mason, Ohio. Construction continued through the summer of 2007, with nearly all of the park's 22.7 acres undergoing a complete transformation. $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".
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Wikipedia