Rides At Adventure Cove Explained

Rides at Adventure Cove
Location:Powell, Ohio
Coordinates:40.1558°N -83.1197°W
Owner:Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Opening Date:May 26, 2008
Previous Names:Gooding Zoo Park (1946-1984)
Wyandot Lake (1984-2006)
Jungle Jack's Landing (2008-2019)
Season:May to September
Area:11acres
Rides:14
Coasters:2

Rides at Adventure Cove is a small amusement park area that is part of and owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio.[1] [2] The park was originally part of Wyandot Lake before the zoo purchased the property in 2006, splitting it into two separate sections after the 2006 season.[3] The water park became known as Zoombezi Bay while the dry ride area became Jungle Jack's Landing. The amusement park was named after zoo director emeritus Jack Hanna and opened on May 26, 2008. It debuted with 14 rides and attractions, several of which were retained from the former Wyandot Lake. In 2020, the Jungle Jack's Landing name was dropped with the amusement park area being renamed to tie into the neighboring Adventure Cove area of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium which opened for the first time on the same year.[4]

Current rides and attractions

Rides at Adventure Cove currently features a collection of classic flat rides, a vintage wooden roller coaster, and a miniature railroad.

NameManufacturer (Model)DetailsOpenedRef
Dust DevilEli Bridge Company (Scrambler)Classic Scrambler ride, originally manufactured in 1966. Part of original Wyandot Lake as "Neptune's Revenge".<2006
Falcon Fall(Freefall)50feet free-fall ride that sends riders up and down repeatably.2019[5] [6]
Flying ClipperZamperla (Galleon Ship)Swinging ship ride that swings approximately 50feet into the air. Holds up to 42 passengers at a time.2008
Golden Frog HopperChance Rides (Frog Hopper)25feet tower ride.2008
Havoc HarborRDC (Bumper cars)Bumper car attraction with unique circular, spinning bumper cars. Part of original Wyandot Lake.<2006[7]
Jack's Tea PartyZamperla (Kiddie Tea Cups)Miniature tea cup ride with six cups, accommodating a maximum of 24 passengers at a time.2008
Mission MacawLarson International (Flying Scooters)Classic flying scooters attraction.2008
Safari StampedeBertazzon (Matterhorn)"Matterhorn-style" ride with 16 vehicles, each holding one to two passengers..2008
Sea DragonPhiladelphia Toboggan Coasters (Wood Coaster)Double out-and-back, figure-eight layout with a 37feet hill, 1320feet of track, and speeds up to 25mph. The ride is recognized as an "ACE Coaster Classic" by American Coaster Enthusiasts and was designed by John Allen. Part of original Wyandot Lake and originally named "Jet Flyer".1956/1957[8]
Swingin' GibbonsZamperla (Family Swinger)A classic wave swinger style ride with 16 adult-sized swings and 26 child-sized swings.2008
Tidal TwistZamperla (Compact Twister Coaster)A wild mouse-style spinning coaster that replaced the former Redwood Falls.2021[9] [10] [11]
Tiny Town TrainZamperla (Electric Kiddie Train)Electric train with a locomotive, two tender cars, and a caboose. Capacity for up to 24 passengers at a time.2008
Tiny TusksZamperla (Kiddie Flying Elephants)"Dumbo" style flat ride with eight elephants, holding a maximum of 16 passengers.2008

Former rides and attractions

Some rides have been removed from the park including when the area was called Jungle Jack's Landing. Many other rides that were part of Wyandot Lake closed before Jungle Jack's Landing opened and thus are not included in the following list.

!Name!Manufacturer (Model)!Details!Opened!Closed!Ref
Adventure WheelLamberink B.V. (Ferris Wheel)110feet ferris wheel with 24 gondolas. The ride was rented under a lease from May 27, 2023 through October 29, 2023.20232023[12] [13]
Jungle TrekChance Rides1200adj=onNaNadj=on car ride. Removed for Zoombezi Bay expansion. Cars are now used as props around the zoo.20082010
Redwood FallsHafemaA 1250feet log flume with a 28feet and a 36feet drop. A quarter of the ride's course was elevated 38feet in the air. It was demolished during the winter/spring of 2021.20082020[14] [15]
Sugar GliderHrubetz (Paratrooper)Former traveling Paratrooper ride built on former location of Whirligigs. It was removed following the 2023 season.20192023
WhirligigsSellner Manufacturing (Tilt-a-Whirl)Classic tilt-a-whirl. Relocated from Geauga Lake and relocated to Funtimes Fun Park (previously Caddie Shack) in Alliance, Ohio. Previously part of original Wyandot Lake.20082017[16] [17]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - Rides and Attractions.
  2. Web site: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - Park Map.
  3. News: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Tullis. Matt. May 30, 2008. Dayton Daily News. December 2, 2019. Weiker. Jim.
  4. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Web site: Columbus Zoo Adventure Cove . YouTube.
  5. Web site: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. facebook.com. en. 2019-12-03.
  6. Web site: Five New Things You'll See at the Columbus Zoo in 2019. 2019-05-06. Coaster101. en-US. 2019-12-03.
  7. Web site: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - Rides and Attractions. columbuszoo.org. 2019-12-03.
  8. Sea Dragon. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. 324. 2019-12-03.
  9. Web site: Columbus Zoo Announces Tidal Twist Roller Coaster. Stilwell. Andrew. 2021-04-15. Coaster101. 2021-04-15.
  10. Tidal Twist. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. 19230. 2021-04-16.
  11. Web site: Columbus Zoo Unveils New Roller Coaster at Central Ohio Location. Newman. Jeremy. 2021-06-26. The Scioto Post. 2021-08-09.
  12. https://www.columbuszoo.org/adventure-wheel-debut-memorial-day-weekend-columbus-zoo
  13. https://www.reuzenrad.nl/en/
  14. Web site: References: HAFEMA. hafema.de. 2019-12-03.
  15. Web site: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. March 23, 2021. facebook.com. en. March 23, 2021.
  16. Web site: A piece of Geauga Lake coming back to Northeast Ohio and you can ride it. DeRoos. Dan. www.cleveland19.com. en-US. 2019-12-03.
  17. Web site: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. facebook.com. en. 2019-12-03.