Sabrina's Brochure Spotlight: Wyandot Lake 2006

I have a confession to make. When I acquired this brochure, I didn't have the foggiest idea that this park even existed. For all the industry-related reading I've done in my lifetime, I thought I was well beyond such "a-HA!" moments, at least as far as U.S. parks are concerned. I guess not! Of course, the irony here is that by the time I found out Wyandot Lake existed, it sorta didn't anymore.

Wyandot Lake spent the better half of 2006 as a Six Flags property. It had become part of the Premier Parks family a number of years beforehand, and thus transitioned right into the new management team's hands once that era came to an end in late 2005. But by mid-2006, Six Flags' debt-induced "property shedding" movement had begun, and it was announced that Wyandot Lake would be sold to the nearby Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

If there's one good thing to be said about the closing of Wyandot Lake as we--er, you--knew it, it's the fact that the Columbus Zoo made the wise decision to retain the Sea Dragon, a classic John Allen woodie which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006.

Oblivious to the management shake-up that was about to alter the course of Wyandot Lake's history, this happy-go-lucky brochure writer proudly boasted of how much "more" the park had to offer in 2006. They even had a brand new go-kart track, Sunshine Speedway. Sadly, very few of Wyandot Lake's assets were retained by its next owners.

Caution: Dry brochure material above. Read at your own risk of boredom!

Wyandot Lake had built up a nice selection of both wet and dry rides by the time it closed. Nearly all of them were auctioned off later that year, with the Grand Carousel fetching the biggest return. But don't be too sad, because the Columbus Zoo has replaced them all in kind! Check out Mike's Aerial Antics feature on the newly rechristened "Jungle Jack's Landing and Zoombezi Bay" for a recap.

Last but not least, here's a look at Wyandot Lake's final operating calendar, along with a list of the many special events mentioned at the beginning of this brochure.

Now that the park has essentially merged with the zoo, families have even more options for fun. If you're curious to see exactly what has become of the former Wyandot Lake site, check out Jungle Jack's Landing and Zoombezi Bay on the web. Or better yet, stop by and see for yourself!