Indoor Dry Things to Do in Wisconsin Dells: A Family Review

Are you looking for unique indoor things to do Wisconsin Dells that will keep you dry but aren’t sure what the differences are? Which is best for my family? What ages are these places targeting? We’ve been to all of them. Here are my thoughts and a review of indoor attractions to bring your family to in Wisconsin Dells.

Check out my review of all the best things in Wisconsin Dells. Here is a list of great restaurants in the Dells. This review compares the top 5 indoor waterpark resorts in Wisconsin Dells.

Wizard Quest

WizardQuest is located in downtown Wisconsin Dells. It is a 2-hour indoor scavenger hunt through a large, multiple-story, intricately decorated fantasy land. You and your group carry a tablet, which allows you to interact with various creatures, such as unicorns, ferries, or woodland creatures, and accept quests. This attraction is “designed for adults and teens with kids in mind.” There are four realms, and you travel through multiple ones with every quest. You can expect hidden doorways, narrow halls, and winding corridors. At ages 5 and 7, my kids had fun but didn’t quite understand the quests and got tired by the end of our 2-hour slot. This attraction was one of my husband’s and my favorites, and we can’t wait to bring the kids back in a few years. For more info, here is my review of WizardQuest.

MagiQuest

MagiQuest is connected to Great Wolf Lodge. The Wisconsin Dells location is a wing of the main building and is open to the public. The building is filled with a large play structure. There is an adjacent store where you can buy a wand. They have different designs and light up. You can use the wands to activate various features in the play structure and hotel. In addition to buying a wand, you can buy a quest. Each quest is a bit different, but basically, you gather resources and friends to defeat the enemy.

When they were 3 and 5, the kids LOVED running around and getting energy out. We bought them wands but didn’t get them quests at that age. It was nice to be connected to Great Wolf, and when we are staying there, it is great to head over when we have free time to run around and get some energy out. Overall, it is less fun for the adults in the group than other options, but people do not have to pay to tag along.

Ripley’s Believe it or Not

It’s hard to know what to expect from Ripley’s as they are all different. Like most, there are some examples of odd people, such as a replica of the world’s tallest man. This one focuses on art and keeps everything interactive and fun. They are housed in the building that used to hold WizardQuest, and they kept much of the maze-like features. There are hidden doors, slides, and odd decor features. I was afraid I’d have to repeatedly say, “Don’t touch that,” to the kids, but that wasn’t the case. There are lots of exhibits where people are encouraged to interact with the art. Plus, there is a ropeland climbing area, a ball pit with a tunnel, and a room with interactive games.

Tommy Bartlett Exploratory

Tommy Bartlett Exploratory is described as an interactive science center. It is a long-running favorite in the Dells and hasn’t been updated much, but we had way more fun than expected. The center has four different sections, each packed with interactive exhibits for kids and the young at heart to explore. They use basic science principles to wow kids, such as using a pulley to lift a car, using static electricity to get your hair to stand on end, and showing you how to build replicas of famous structures such as the Roman Arch. There is a section on space exploration and another area chalked full of long-standing logic puzzles that will offer a challenge for all.

Price (as of 2025)

Wizard Quest is $30 for 10 and up and $22 for 3-9 years. It is for two hours, but you can take a snack or bathroom break whenever you want and pause the time. Ripley’s is $28 for 10 and up and $21 for 3-9 years. There is no limit to the time you can spend there. We easily spent a couple of hours there, but that could vary greatly. If you get Wizard Quest and Ripley’s tickets for the same day, you can save 25% of the total cost. This is a good deal, but I wish you could visit them on different days.

MagiQuest has a few price considerations. The cost of a wand is $20-25. You can pay $18-$20 for wand mods. The nice thing about the wands is that you can save them and bring them back to any Great Wolf Lodge in the future. They light up when you wave them, even at home, which can be fun. If you want a specific quest the next time you go, you must pay another $17 per quest. Visitors can go in without paying if they don’t want a wand or a quest.

The Tommy Bartlett Exploratory is the most affordable at $16.50 for adults and $13.50 for people 11 and younger or 65 and older. There is one additional option for a vintage flight stimulator-type ride, but it’s only a few bucks, and many people will skip it. If you are staying at Kalahari, tickets are included if you ask the reception desk at Kalahari.

Activity Level

Ripley’s has the most flexibility. Adults and mature guests can browse the museum while kids and the young at heart will find plenty of places to crawl and slide. Wizard Quest only has a single slide and no toys, but you will cover a lot of steps, and some features require ducking, crawling, or climbing. MagiQuest is inside a play feature with slides and climbing nets. There are stairs for those who prefer them. Many parents will find themselves waiting outside for the kids to tire themselves out. Tommy Bartlett has a lot to tire out the mind. It has a few features to allow physical effort such as simulated wheel chair races and driving a mini toy excavator, but there aren’t opportunities for running, crawling, or sliding.

Huge Indoor Amusement Centers

Two major indoor amusement centers open to the public offer tons of things to do in Wisconsin Dells. One is Tom Follery, part of Kalahari; the other is Kunckleheads attached to Buffalo Phils. Finally, Wilderness has one that is open to resort guests only.

Tom Foolery

Tom Foolery is the large indoor amusement center attached to Kalahari that is open to the public. It is a full day of fun and includes rides such as a Ferris wheel, carousel, drop rides, and even those that flip you upside down. They have go-karts, a ropes course that includes a special one for young kids, a small laser tag course, rock climbing, bowling, and more. Day passes are generally $45, but expect to spend more on the plentiful amount of arcade games and things not included in the pass, such as the mirror maze, laser frenzy, or golf stimulator. Passes are discounted if you are a guest at the resort.

Knuckleheads

Knuckeheads, attached to the model train restaurant Buffalo Phil’s, is another large indoor amusement center. Similar to Tom Foolery, they have go-karts, a ropes course (with a higher minimum height), bowling, carnival rides (none that go upside down), and plenty of arcade games (but they are more standard than Tom Foolery’s selection). They also offer an entire trampoline park and a jumping pillow. Pricing is a bit complicated as there are tons of options. Most features can be bought individually. The most extensive “package” they offer is $40, which includes most of their activities except the trampoline and bowling, which are always sold separately. Arcade games are also separate.

Wilderness

Wilderness also has a full indoor amusement center, but it is open to resort guests only. It includes go-karts, an excellent laser tag field, a ropes course, mini golf, arcade games, rock climbing, and a play structure. Only resort guests can use these amenities, and you will still have to buy tickets. I recommend a fun pass. Here is my full review.

Concluding Thoughts