Columbus Zoo expands Zoombezi Bay with record-breaking attraction

POWELL, Ohio (WCMH)-- The Columbus Zoo is building a record-breaking new attraction at Zoombezi Bay called Conservation Tower, and it's unlike anything the world has seen before.

Guests will soon be able to enjoy three new water slides: "Captina Falls", "The Hive", and "Mussel Mayhem." Mussel Mayhem is the first of its kind in the Midwest, while the other two are the first of their kind in the world.

"We really feel honored that we can bring cutting edge, world class attractions to Central Ohio," said Anthony Sabo, Vice President of Zoombezi Bay.

Sabo said the construction of "Conservation Tower" and Coral Kitchen, Zoombezi Bay's newest dining destination, is an over $10 million project. That makes it the largest capital investment ever made in the park.

"We are expecting an attendance bump whenever you add something as major as this," Sabo said. "We've also seen pretty strong sales for our season passes so far year to date."

According to Sabo, Zoombezi Bay is a water park with a purpose, with conservation at the heart of everything they do. He said the themes and names behind the new attractions highlight this.

"We wanted to honor all those local conservation efforts as Ohio-based conservation efforts with Conservation Tower," Sabo said. "And this is going to be increasingly a theme that you're going to see come out of Zoombezi Bay in the coming years. We're going to do a much better job helping the zoo to tell its story."

The Hive is a brand-new concept from the slide manufacturer. Sabo said it serves to highlight the pollinator garden work they've done at the zoo. 

"The really unique thing about those hives is that the interior is open, so instead of going through an enclosed tube the entire way, you're going to basically go into a beehive," Sabo said.

Captina Falls was named after Captina Creek in eastern Ohio, where Sabo said a lot of hellbender release is done.

"That has elements on it called flying saucers that have never been done before on a headfirst slide," Sabo said.

Mussel Mayhem is a tube slide where people sit face-to-face.

"When you go through those half pipe elements, because of that weight distribution, you're actually going to go up the half pipe and then turn 180 degrees when you're in the half pipe," Sabo said. "So, it's going to be an experience unlike anything else we have at Zoombezi Bay."

Sabo emphasized that guest feedback played an important role in planning. He said one thing they've heard consistently over the years is guests want more for their kids to do that are between 42 and 48 inches.

The minimum height requirement for all three slides is 42 inches. Over at Coral Kitchen, guest input also influenced their planning.

"This will be a roof structure for seating, so not only will there be shade, but there also will be rain cover," Sabo said. "One thing we consistently hear from our guests over the years, and we certainly take that feedback to heart, is more shade options when it's middle of summer, it's hot."

Sabo said there will be around 70 seats at Coral Kitchen, which will more than triple the amount of shaded seating in the park. 

The Columbus Zoo has not yet set an opening date for Conservation Tower, but it's aiming for early summer. In the meantime, Coral Kitchen is expected to open at the beginning of June.