Fun Things to Do with Kids in Wisconsin Dells-Thoughts from a Local Family

A photo collage of a family visiting Wisconsin Dells over the years doing a variety of things including indoor and outdoor waterparks, sneaky pete dinner show, witches gulch, boat rides, wizard quest, go-karts, timbavati giraffe feeding, noah's ark, wisconsin deer park, and more.

Wisconsin Dells is a tourist hub filled to the brim with all sorts of things for families and kids to do. Where are the best places to go with kids? We live nearby and have checked out A LOT of the local attractions, many times over. Here are the best things to do with kids.

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1. Waterparks-So Many Options!

A view of the splash and play at the Wild West Indoor Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells at the Wilderness Resort. There are four red and range slides with a surrounding shallow pool

Of course, when you are looking for things to do with kids in Wisconsin Dells, you have to go to a waterpark; this is the Waterpark Capital of the World! There are 5 indoor/outdoor waterpark resorts. This includes Wilderness, Kalahari, Great Wolf, Chula Vista, and Mount Olympus. All five of these resorts have a variety of water parks; get more details in my comparison article here.

Additionally, in the summer, you have two outdoor water parks. Noah’s Ark is a long-standing waterpark advertised as “America’s Largest Waterpark.” It has something for everyone! Finally, Land of Natura is in a man-made freshwater lake with inflatable obstacles.

WizardQuest-Fantasy Fun

Wizard Quest is a one-of-a-kind local attraction that sends families on a scavenger hunt through an elaborately decorated fantasy land. Can you find the missing baby salamander? Will you help the mushroom man awaken the sleeping fairy? Each quest sends you searching and gives the group an option to work for good or evil, but which is which?

Wisconsin Ducks Boat Tour to See the Natural Beauty

These World War II-era amphibious boats roll from land, straight into water, and right back out again. The Ducks Tours have been around for decades, and are one of the attractions that brought me back to explore Wisconsin Dells when I had kids. Your guide uses a well-rehearsed, punny narrative that combines information on the local geology with lots of dad jokes. This is a great way to see the sandstone dells that originally made Wisconsin Dells a tourist attraction, and it is appealing to people of all ages, from kids to grandparents.

There are plenty more boat tours to enjoy the beauty of the Dells. Our favorite is the Upper Dells Boat Tour because you can get off the boat and explore both the famous Witch’s Gulch and Standing Rock.

If you want more speed, try a Jet Boat Tour. Hang on and get ready to get wet!

Get Food Delivered by a Model Train at Buffalo Phils

My kids’ favorite restaurant, by a landslide, is Buffalo Phils. This large lodge-themed restaurant has plenty of tables where your food is delivered by a model train! If that wasn’t enough to draw the kids in, there are huge Lego Cities to check out while awaiting your food.

A Birds Eye view of the Grateful Shed, a restaurant in Wisconsin dells. The walls are covered in big bright murales. There are neon c painted picnic tables and a VW van painted bright orange and converted to a table — Monks

Another favorite for my kids is the Grateful Shed. They have eclectic, over-the-top decor and a full-size Greyhound bus hanging no CK from the ceiling that you can eat in.

Moose Jaw has great pizza, and it includes a paper moose antler headband. Monk’s Burgers serves its kid meals on cheap frisbees that you can take home. For quicker meals, try mac and cheese at MACs, customized personal pizzas at the Dels Pizza Lab, or burgers and fries at Hot Dog Avenue.

Timbavati Zoo

Timbavati is a small zoo that is better than average for its size. If your kids love animals, it’s worth a stop. My favorite time to go is in the winter. It’s a bit pricey, but it includes a private tour with the giraffe house and a pail of carrots for yourself! You also go into the Budgie Encounter with only your family, have a zoologist with you to answer all the kids’ animal questions, and get to see what new animals they have at the nursery. Once we got to hold a baby kangaroo!

For a more Wisconsin-themed experience, go across the street to the Wisconsin Deer Park. Don’t forget to bring some extra cash so you can buy food and hand-feed the deer. The Wisconsin Deer Park closes for the winter.

Cheese Ball Croquet

Cheese Ball Croquet? Yup, it’s similar to mini golf but with a hammer instead of a club. You have to guide your croquet ball through different cheese- and mouse-themed zones. Try to get your ball through the cheese wedge, but be sure to avoid the mouse traps!

If you prefer a more traditional experience, there are several mini golf locations. Try Timber Falls or Pirate Cove.

Hike Devil’s Lake

Devils door, a large rocky formation with a “doorway” overlooking a beautiful blue lake surrounded by trees. Blue sky in the background. Devils lake state park Wisconsin — Tumbled Rocks Trail

Devil’s Lake is one of my favorite state parks and the most popular in Wisconsin. Take the steep rocky climb to Balanced Rock and Devil’s Door or a more relaxing stroll along Tumbled Rocks Trail. Devil’s Lake also has a beach for swimming.

There are plenty of beautiful, shorter, and closer hikes as well. My favorite short trails are the Echo Rock Trail in Mirror Lake State Park, the Chapel Gorge Trail (it ends at a beach), or the one-mile loop trail at Rocky Arbor State Park. In the winter, I really like the Pulpit Rock Trail.

Dinner Theater Adventure

Two young boys walk across an empty parking lot towards the dinner show building in Wisconsin Dells. The large sign says Sneaky Pete's Wild West Dinner Adventure. — Sneaky Pete’s Dinner Show

A boy in the foreground is wearing a cheap cowboy hat, a red bandana around his neck, and a button up denim shirt and is looking into the distance in awe. Another young young sits next to him at the table with his full attention looking in the same direction, towards the stage at the Dells Dinner theater. The second boy is wearing a cheap cowboy hat, black bad guy mask, a blue bandana around his neck and covering his face, and a button up shirt. — Sneaky Pete’s Dinner Show

Exhausted from waterparks but still not ready to just sit in your hotel room for the night? Try Dells Dinner Adventures. They offer a seasonal rotation of dinner theater shows designed for families. My kids loved Sneaky Pete’s Wild West Show.

Another option is the Rick Wilcox Magic Show. We haven’t been yet, but it’s on our list.

Take Flight at Wilderness

Take Flight in Wisconsin Dells is a 4D experience that includes a huge curved screen that makes the show feel immersive. Your seats move, and you may feel the mist of a waterfall or the smell of fresh oranges while “driving” through an orange farm. Kids must be 36″. This was my four-year-old’s favorite activity of the week.

Aquavia Lavina Evening Light Show

A child walks away from the camera following a path gently lit along the sides of the path. There are streaks of blue lights shooting across the path above him. Aquavia lavina in Wisconsin dells — Aquavia lumina

Two boys in pajamas and sweatshirts face away from the camera. They are leaning in a fence and overlooking a sandstone cliff watching a light show of a brilliant deer after dark — Aquavia lumina

Aquavia Lavina features an after-dark stroll through the natural beauty of Wisconsin Dells, accompanied by an intricate and immersive light show. The walk isn’t long, and the slower you walk and the more you stop, the more fun you have. There is a beautiful waiting area with campfires and a food and drink stand, so don’t hesitate to come early or plan to stay after.

Ripley’s Believe it or Not in Wisconsin Dells

I hesitated to visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not because I thought it would be overpriced and not enough fun, but my kids and I ended up having a great time. This is especially nice on a rainy day when you want to explore and play but are sick of getting wet. It includes a ball pit with a secret tunnel, multiple slides, interactive games, and plenty of wacky art and odd taxidermied animals. I think my favorite part might have been the unique stuffed animals at the gift shop!

Huckleberry’s Ice Cream

A woman smiles at the camera holding a half eaten ice cream cone. She wears a yellow vest and has sunglasses on her head. Huckleberry's in Wisconsin Dells

I absolutely love the ice cream at Huckleberrys. It is creamy and delicious, with many wonderful flavors. They are connected to MACs and located right on Broadway.

Another top option for ice cream is Scoopys, which sells Chocolate Shop Ice Cream. That is my favorite larger-scale ice cream, made right here in Wisconsin. For a fancier ice cream treat, we LOVED the bubble waffle sundaes at Dells Bistro on Broadway. They also serve Dippin’ Dots, which my kids can’t resist.

Tommy Bartlett’s Exploratory

Tommy Bartlett’s Exploratory is old school cool. It has been around forever, and while some of the exhibits appear dated, they are interactive and fun for all ages. Not only are they engaging, but many are also science-themed, forcing kids to learn a few things along the way. We spent way more time here than expected. If you are staying at Kalahari, you can get complimentary tickets.

Lost Canyon Tours

We haven’t tried the Lost Canyon Tours yet! But that almost feels like a crime based on people’s reviews. Believe me, it is on my to-do list. This is a horse-drawn wagon that squeezes between narrow canyons, giving everyone a close-up view of the beauty that put Wisconsin Dells on the map before waterparks.

Get some Fun Photos-FREE

A huge bumblee tansformer made of cobbled together metal parts stands tall in Wisconsin Dells

Four old cars painted bright blue, bright orange, neon green, and neon pink are stood up on their rear ends pointing into the sky. A man and boy stand infront of them eating ice crea.

Wisconsin Dells is filled with awesome photo opportunities for the kids. One of our favorites is the huge, cobbled-together transformers. We also recently realized that the crazy looking neon cars near downtown are available to see up close for free!

If you have kids who love photos, you could consider Totally 80’s. Your entrance fee buys you access to all sorts of 80’s clothes and backdrops. This may actually be more popular among older millennial parents…

Explore the Circus Museum in Baraboo

A young boy wearing a tiger hat runs across a circus stage to jump through the ring master's hoop at the Children's Circus in baraboo Wisconsin near wisconsin dells

A boy walks past several clown cars with a rope around them. The moon buggie is the closest. There are displays about different clowns in the background.

Did you know Baraboo used to be the winter home to the Ringling Bros circus!? They picked the frozen tundra because that is where they grew up. The grounds are now a circus museum called Circus World. It houses tons of circus memorabilia about side show “freaks”, main tent events, and a whole building dedicated to clowns, as well as multiple daily circus shows. Don’t skip the kid-focused one; all the kids are invited to perform on stage while family and friends look on.

The circus used to house elephants, and their old barn is part of the museum, but there are no elephants still residing at Circus World. They do have horses, camels, llamas, and dogs in their shows, though.

Tom Foolery’s Adventure Park

Tom Foolery’s Adventure Park is connected to Kalahari, but it is open to the public. I am not a huge fan of arcades, but this arcade is a notch above the rest. The games are more unique than you usually find. Tom Foolery’s also has carnival rides, including some that go upside down, roller coasters, laser tag, and a ropes course. This was our favorite ropes course when the kids were young because there is a beginner course for kids too young to go on the big one, which our littlest loved.

Another similar option is Knuckleheads, which is connected to Buffalo Phils. They have similar options but are smaller overall. They offer a trampoline park, which is not available at Tom Foolery’s.

In Conclusion

There are so many things to do for kids in Wisconsin Dells. Ther is no way to do it all in one trip! I like to mix and match budget things like hiking with more splurge type activities. It helps the wlalet and lets kids chill a bit in between. If your kids prefer to go, go, go, there will still be plenty of things to do here!

Still not sure what to do? Show your kids my list and see what grabs their attention. half the fun of a trip is planning an anticiapting and letting them take part in this part increases their enjoyment. Sometimes I am shocked by what sounds most exciting to them.