Before Zoombezi Bay, There Was Wyandot Lake. And It Was Pure Summer Magic

Updated: July 15, 2026

Long before Zoombezi Bay brought wave pools and wristbands to the edge of Powell, Central Ohio had Wyandot Lake. And if you grew up here, you probably still think about it every time the temperature cracks 80.

It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t sleek. And if we’re being honest, it wasn’t always the cleanest place in the world. But Wyandot Lake had a kind of scrappy magic that made it feel like the most exciting place on earth when you were a kid.

The creaky paddle boats. The water slides that felt a little too fast. The wandering peacocks. The insane wave pool that was both delightful and vaguely terrifying.

You’d go with your church group or your cousins or on that one big school field trip in June. Your skin would smell like chlorine and ketchup. You’d stand in line for the big blue slide and feel like you were waiting for a rollercoaster. You might win a plush banana with sunglasses. You might throw up after the Black Squid ride. It was all part of the deal.

What Happened To Wyandot Lake?

Wyandot Lake opened in 1984 and spent its last stretch as a Six Flags park before the Columbus Zoo bought it in 2006. It had a split personality: a mini amusement park in the front, and a humble-but-beloved water park in the back. The Zoo closed it after that 2006 season, and two years later the site reopened as Zoombezi Bay: more polished, more modern, more “destination.”

When Did Wyandot Lake Become Zoombezi Bay?

And that’s not a bad thing. Zoombezi Bay has become a local institution in its own right, especially for families looking for a summer day that runs on Dippin’ Dots and lazy rivers.

But for a lot of us, there’s still a soft spot for the clunky charm of Wyandot Lake. It was simple, chaotic, and absolutely unforgettable. The kind of place where memories got made whether you meant to or not.

So here’s to the water park that walked so Zoombezi Bay could run, and to the childhood summers that never quite rinse off.

Wyandot Lake FAQ

What was Zoombezi Bay called before?

Zoombezi Bay was built on the site of Wyandot Lake, the amusement and water park that ran next to the Columbus Zoo from 1984 to 2006. The Zoo bought Wyandot Lake in 2006 and reopened the redeveloped site as Zoombezi Bay in 2008.

When did Wyandot Lake close?

Wyandot Lake’s last season was 2006. The Columbus Zoo, which had just bought the park, closed it after that summer and spent the next two years rebuilding the site.

When did Wyandot Lake become Zoombezi Bay?

Zoombezi Bay opened on May 26, 2008, two years after Wyandot Lake ran its final season. Only a couple of the old attractions carried over.

Who owned Wyandot Lake?

Funtime Inc. opened Wyandot Lake in 1984 on land leased from the City of Columbus. Premier Parks bought Funtime in 1995, and that company became Six Flags in 2000. The Columbus Zoo bought the park in 2006.