In a somewhat surprising development, Lake Winnie has announced it is getting a new roller coaster in 2026! The roller coaster will be called Lookout Safari and is actually the coaster formerly known as Kombo that was removed from the Indianapolis Zoo. Lookout Safari gets its name from the unique train cars that look like safari “jeep’ vehicles complete with seat backs that look like gas cans. This is a great family coaster that should fit in perfectly at Lake Winnie and will look great along the water across from Cannonball.

I had a chance to ride and review Kombo last year in Indianapolis and walked away impressed. Kombo (now Lookout Safari) is a family coaster by Zierer that opened at the Indianapolis Zoo in 2001 and was removed after 25 years of operation to make room for new animal exhibits. At 24 feet in height and 21 mph on 656 feet of track its stats won’t wow anyone, but as a package it really is the perfect family coaster. Lookout Safari has a wheel drive lift hill and goes through some twists and turns over two laps. No crazy forces here, just fun.  It also has an “odd” train literally in that there are 13 rows for 26 riders total with cool jeep themed cars that are very comfortable for adults. This train is noticeably long and massive with a reported hourly capacity of 1400 riders/hour (crazy high for a kiddie coaster).

I couldn’t be happier for Lake Winnie. This gives the park a 3rd coaster credit and fits nicely between their Wacky Worm and Cannonball in intensity. I’m also happy that a great coaster in Kombo has new life at a new park rather than being scrapped (I’m not spilling any secrets of the relocation as the park has fully embraced this in their social media). This is a true win-win that will let more people experience this gem of a family coaster and give people another reason to visit Lake Winnie (or Lake Winnepesaukah if you’re formal) . It appears from pictures on the Instagram announcement that it is already at the park and assembled meaning it could be open for the start of the 2026 season. I personally can’t wait for opening day to ride Lookout Safari (again)!