Coolin’ off this summer
By Andy Hahn
Drop your beers and get your feet out of the kiddie pool! Hit up the Columbus Zoo’s new 22.7 acre water park, Zoombezi Bay, and slip down their 15 newly built waterslides. It could be a good way to keep cool this summer, or to get away from the crowded public pools.
Zoombezi Bay features 15 state of the art water slides, a wave pool and a lazy river. The Cyclone is a wild four person raft ride that drops you 55 feet and sends you flying at speeds of up to 20 mph, then dumps you into the world’s largest reducing radius tunnel, spinning out of control, then spitting you out into the pool below. Then it’s off to the races with the Slippery Seals body slide, which starts from a 63 ft tower, and sends you down the slide in portions of darkness. The 544,500 gallon Wild Tides wave pool is a maximum six feet deep with waves up to four feet high. For the 21 and over crowd, they have Croctail Creek, which is a lazy river that snakes around the outdoor bar.
After all that fun in the water, you might be ready for something to eat, or for a drink. Zoombezi Bay has burgers, burritos, chicken tenders, and pizza. There is also an ice cream shop, and a couple of places where you can get a beer or a wine cooler. If you happen to lose your shorts in the wave pool, you can check out the gift shop for a new pair.
While you’re there, you can dry off at Jungle Jack’s Landing, which features dry roller coaster rides, like the Sea Dragon. Each ride at Jungle Jack’s Landing is an extra $1 or $2. Wednesday nights throughout the summer are family nights at the zoo, as ABC-6 will have special programming and events. Zoobmezi Bay is a part of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, formerly known as Wyandot Lake. Zoombezi Bay opened up shop on Memorial Day, and will be open every day until August 27. They will close for the summer after Labor Day weekend. Zoombezi Bay is located off of Route 750 in Powell. Summer hours are: Sunday through Monday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The rates for Zoombezi Bay are: $29.99 for ages 10-59, and $24.99 for ages 2-9 and 60+. Parking is five dollars. Discounts are available at participating Kroger stores.
Originally Published: Issue 657 - July 2, 2008
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