First timer? Long-time visitors looking for unique experiences? As a local, here is a collection of my recommendations. Please comment below on any great things I’ve missed!
Indoor Waterpark Resorts Review
If you are looking for the biggest resort where you never have to leave, check out the Wilderness. It’s massive, featuring a huge wave pool, four indoor water parks, and a huge indoor activity center. One of the best indoor playgrounds in the Dells is at Wilderness.
Kalahari has a single indoor waterpark, but it includes the best adrenaline-pumping rides, a special kids’ area with a kids-only lazy river, and everything in between. Kalahari offers the best options for those who can splurge. They have a wide range of cabanas for an additional price, which include those with private whirlpools! The Tom Foolery Amusement Park is attached to the resort with plenty of indoor activities.
The Great Wolf Lodge focuses on kids ten and under, with three indoor water parks that are all closely connected. They feature storytimes and character appearances at night and have MagiQuest attached to the resort as well as a Build-a-Bear and Gemstone sluicing.
Mount Olympus is the most affordable option, but some of its rooms are outdated. If you don’t book Hotel Rome, you will likely be at a detached motel rather than the resort. It has a single indoor waterpark that is smaller than the others. Mount Olympus has the ultra-unique Medusa waterslide featured in many of the Wisconsin Dells’ advertising materials.
Finally, Chula Vista is middle of the road. It has a single fun indoor water park that is larger than Mount Olympus but more affordable than Kalahari or Wilderness. Although there aren’t many dryland activities offered, the waterpark features a wide range of fun rides, including a lazy river with waves, a water coaster, mat slides, and a splash and play area.
Here is my comparison article, which includes more pros/cons of each place. If you aren’t sure what to pack, here are my recommendations.
Best Boat Rides to Book
There are two main companies for motorized boat rides. Both of them offer Duck boat rides. These awesome amphibious WWII-era vehicles drive from the road straight into the water and back. These are great for a wide age range and include a well-rehearsed and pun-filled narrative. Consider the Dells Army Ducks if you also plan to try the ropes course or zipline. Stick with the Original Wisconsin Ducks if you want to do other boat tours or get the best views of the scenic Dells sandstone cliffs.
Both companies offer Jet Boat Rides. Jet Boat Adventures is associated with the Original Ducks, and Wild Thing Jet Boats is associated with Dells Army Ducks. Prepare to get wet and have fun on this high-speed group boat tour! If you want to get scared but prefer to stay dry, try a Ghost Boat Tour, which docks at a spooky spot so you can walk around in the dark.
If you prefer something calmer, three additional boat tour options are associated with the Original Ducks. We love the Upper Dells Boat tours because you can get off and explore two places. The first stop is the famous Witches Gulch, and the second is Standing Rock, where you can watch a dog leap across the chasm. The Lower Dells Boat tour and the sunset cruise are good choices for a calm and beautiful ride.
Awesome Animal Experiences
Timbavati in Wisconsin Dells does a great job for a small-town zoo, including a train ride and plenty of awesome animals. There is a petting zoo and parakeet exhibit where you can feed the birds and have the chance for them to land on you. If you are ready to spend a few extra bucks for a great personalized experience, check out the VIP tour, sloth encounter, and/or red panda encounter.
Across from Timbavati is the Wisconsin Deer Park. This seasonal zoo has mostly native species. You can buy animal food at the entrance and hand-feed the deer meandering around you, or put it through special ports in the fence to feed more animals.
Lost Canyon Tours is a horse-drawn wagon tour through a very narrow section of the natural dells. Let these beautiful, gentle giants pull you through the beauty of the Dells.
Big Cat Rescue and the International Crane Foundation can be found just a bit farther south near Baraboo. The Baraboo Circus Museum offers camel rides for all and pony rides for the kids. Some circus acts include dogs and horses. The elephants have retired, but there is still plenty of fun circus history to explore.
Best Coffee or Breakfast
I love Bella Goose Coffee. They have two locations, one is right on the river with a beautiful sitting area. The food is amazing, and it’s also less traditional than most places you’ll find in Wisconsin Dells. Some of the big resorts also sell Bella Goose coffee, such as Camp Social at the Wilderness.
Another favorite breakfast place is Denny’s Diner (not the chain!). It has eclectic decor, great cinnamon rolls, and quality all-American traditional breakfast options. They take cash or checks and have an ATM in the restaurant. Mr Pancake offers a huge variety of quality pancakes and a large dining area.
For a unique experience and a huge breakfast, check out the all-you-can-eat family-style service at Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty. It is a bit pricey, but no one will leave hungry. Both Mr. Pancake’s and Paul Bunyan’s are closed over the winter.
Top Dining Recommendations
For a comprehensive list of my recommendations, click here or read ahead for a quick summary.
With kids, we love Buffalo Phils. Food is delivered on a model train, and a big Lego Town is perfect for playing I-Spy while waiting for your order. The food is mediocre, but we find ourselves returning time and again for the atmosphere.
Moose Jaw offers a Northwoods vibe and a variety of pizza choices. The Brat House is a converted church-turned-bar with amazing brats and burgers. They also appear to be affiliated with Mr. Beast. MACs sells all sorts of variations of the classic macaroni and cheese.
For eclectic decor, check out the Grateful Shed. It’s a large warehouse with multiple smaller food trucks and a large bar. There is a full-size bus hanging from the ceiling for additional seating. The food is not bad, but the decor is really the selling point. The Keg and Patio offers good food and a large outdoor area, which they share with the Kilbourne Cork, if you’d like some wine.
Ishnala is an experience in itself. This beautiful supper club overlooks Mirror Lake State Park. Grab a drink and prepare to enjoy the wait. There will definitely be one, and they don’t accept reservations.
Try heading to Baraboo for more food options. It is a bit less touristy and only a few minutes south. We love the Broadway Diner. Try the Baraboo Burger Company, or Jen’s Alpine Cafe and Soup Kitchen. For a vegan option, check out the Cheeze Factory. To grab an adult beverage, try Al Ringling Brewing Company or the Driftless Glen Distillery.
Delicious Desserts
Huckleberry’s downtown has such amazing ice cream that I can’t help but go back again and again. For a huge candy selection and more ice cream, check out Goody Goody Gumdrops. I like to visit their location next to Timbavati because sometimes you can see the lemurs and llamas from the store. Multiple stores sell fudge on the strip downtown. Take a walk and they are easy to find. Popsicle lovers should check out WIchoacana, which is also on the strip. Scoopy’s is a small, family-owned business that sells our favorite Wisconsin ice cream, The Chocolate Shoppe.
Hiking to see the Natural Beauty of the Dells
The Wisconsin Dells was first established as a tourist destination due to its natural beauty, featuring sandstone dells and unique rock formations. Rocky Arbor State Park is just minutes from downtown and features a one-mile hike that passes by some of the dells. Mirror Lake State Park is also just a few minutes from downtown and has miles of great hiking trails. For a shorter hike at Mirror Lake with great views of the Dells and water, try Echo Rock or Pulpit Rock trails.
Devils Lake State Park is a bit farther south and is one of the most popular parks in the state. It does not have the classic Dells sandstone, but it does feature a large lake, a swimming beach, and an amazing, challenging rocky hike to a spectacular view.
Pewit’s Nest is a bit south of Wisconsin Dells and features a short hike to see a beautiful canyon. You used to be able to walk through the canyon, but it is now fenced off. Parfrey’s Glen is another short and beautiful trail near Wisconsin Dells.
Experiencing Wisconsin Dells from the Water
Getting on the water and seeing these formations up close is the best way to see the beauty of the Dells. Rent a kayak from Vertical Illusions or Dells Kayak Rental. Check out the boat tour listed above for a lower-energy way to see the rocky formations. Ready to take the wheel and go your own pace? Rent a boat from Dells Water Sport Rentals.
To try tubing, check out Point Bluff Tubing or Sand Shores Tubing.
Great Outdoor Waterparks
Named by Newsweek Magazine Reader’s Choice as “America’s Best Waterpark,” Noah’s Ark is a huge, long-standing outdoor water park. This place has stood the test of time for a reason! It truly has something for everyone. Here is my review of the top tips and details. It is not associated with a resort, but complimentary tickets are offered at many local hotels/motels. A couple of these will also offer complimentary tickets to Chula Vista.
Land of Natura is a relatively recent addition to the Wisconsin Dells, offering an inflatable obstacle course-type attraction on a man-made lake. There are sandy beaches, small fish, plenty of places to swim, and lots of fun to be had.
All of the indoor Water Resorts, including Chula Vista, Great Wolf, Wilderness, and Kalahari, have their own dedicated outdoor water parks. Usually, it’s a better deal to stay at the facilities than pay for a day pass.
The exception to that rule is Mount Olympus. For Mount Olympus, I would recommend purchasing day passes, as the lodging is very budget-focused, and many people are dissatisfied with the quality of their accommodations. The outdoor waterpark boasts several marketable claims, including the world’s highest waterslide, the largest wave in a wave pool in the Dells, the largest pool, and the fastest lazy river.
Large Indoor Amusement Centers
Knuckleheads is the largest independent indoor amusement center in the Wisconsin Dells. It is attached to the popular kids’ restaurant Buffalo Phils. It includes a large arcade, indoor rides, mini golf, trampolines, a jumping pillow, and a ropes course.
Tom Foolery’s is of a similar flavor with most of the same features as Knuckleheads and has some larger adventure rides. The arcade at Tom Foolery’s has unique and unusual arcade games. There is no trampoline park, but it features go-karts, rope courses, and laser tag. It is attached to the Kalahari and open to the public.
More Unique Dry and Indoor Attractions
WizardQuest is a large area with extravagant decorations designed for adults but open to kids. It’s described as a “fantasy-themed labyrinth” where you embark on quests searching for clues and answering riddles.
MagiQuest is attached to Great Wolf. It is a climbing structure with slides, but not decorated nearly as intricately as WizardQuest. You buy a wand to interact with parts of the play area. You can also purchase a quest where you need to search out clues and finally beat the dragon.
Wilderness Resort has many indoor activities, but most are not open to the public. They do have Take Flight open to the Public. It’s a 10-minute 4-D experience with a massive screen that we loved.
The Tommy Bartlett Exploratory has been around for decades and has fun science-based exhibits. These old-fashioned displays include plenty of hands-on fun, from lifting a full-sized car by pulling on a rope to witnessing how some magic tricks work.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not is downtown and offers discounted tickets if you visit the same day as WizardQuest. It is a quirky “art” museum, but don’t worry, you won’t spend all day telling the kids “don’t touch that” because almost everything is interactive.
Axe-throwing places are popping up all over, and Wisconsin Dells is no exception. They have Asgard Axe and Tap, which offers a decent selection of beers. They are part of Asgard Underwater Arcade Bar, which offers unlimited hourly or daily passes to the arcade.
I wrote a comparison article about indoor dry activities in the Dells; check it out here for more information.
Adrenaline Lovers in the Dells
Vertical Illusions is a local outdoor adventure business that offers guided rock climbing tours, zip line tours, and kayak trips. You get a discount if you package more than one activity together, and they operate in the winter as well for snowy fun.
Bigfoot has a sweet Ropes Course. They also offer Zip Lines. Chula Vista offers both a ropes course and zip lines. Finally, the Wilderness has zip lines. Both resort-associated zip lines are open to the public.
You can find indoor ropes courses at Knuckleheads and Tom Foolery. The latter includes some rides that flip you upside down. Wilderness has an indoor ropes course for Wilderness guests only.
On nights and weekends, you can also ride the Skyscraper. This ride is “4Gs, 60 mph, and 160 feet high.” Get ready for fun!
The steepest hike around that offers great views is at Devils Lake State Park. This hike is not recommended for those who are afraid of heights. It is about 30 minutes south of Wisconsin Dells. Park on the southern side of the lake and hike up to see Devil’s Door and Balanced Rock.
As mentioned previously, there are jet boat tours and a ghost boat tour that can give you a bit of a scare.
Mount Olympus boasts the world’s highest waterslide and has a wave pool with a HUGE wave every 2 minutes. It also has the world’s first upside-down wooden roller coaster.
The best indoor waterpark for adrenaline junkies is Kalahari. They have the biggest and scariest rides. Land of Natura has a huge inflatable waterpark, which includes some high cliffs that you can jump or flip off.
Wisconsin Dells for Dogs
Are you bringing your furry four-legged friend? Wisconsin Dells has plenty of places that welcome dogs. One of our favorite dog-friendly activities is the Upper and Lower Boat tours. On the Upper tour, there are two beautiful places to disembark and walk. Lost Canyon Tours offers a horse-drawn carriage that allows dogs as long as they don’t bark at the horses. If you want to get on the water, rent a boat from Dells Watersports.
The Keg and Patio is a restaurant downtown where dogs are welcome. Ravina Bay is a delicious restaurant with a dog-friendly patio overlooking the water. If you prefer to head indoors, check out the Grateful Shed. My favorite coffee shop in the Dells is Bella Goose, and their patio is dog-friendly.
Check out the Wisconsin Dells tourist website for more ideas on pet-friendly lodging and other activities that welcome dogs. Also, look at BringFido.com for dog lodging recommendations in the Dells and all over the country.
The Best Free Things in the Dells
Chapel hike is under 2 miles round trip and ends at a beautiful beach. You can find more hiking at Pewitt’s Nest or Rocky Arbor. You must have a state park pass to park in Rocky Arbor, but parking outside the gate and walking inside is free. If you purchase a state park pass, consider visiting Mirror Lake State Park, which has a small beach and plenty of hiking and biking opportunities. A state park pass will also get you into Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin’s most popular state park. It boasts a huge beach and fantastic hiking.
Newport Beach is near downtown and has a free public beach with a few kids’ playground items. Bowman Park has a nice playground and some picnic tables. It’s located near Kwik Trip in downtown Wisconsin Dells, which is a great place to buy snacks or a meal on a budget.
If you have your own kayaks or tubes, there are plenty of places to launch and explore the beauty of the water.
There is a small free zoo with a neighboring playground in Baraboo. Bring quarters to buy food to hand-feed to the donkeys, llamas, prairie dogs, goats, and pigs.
For fun photos, check out the Transformers in front of the Top Secret Attraction. Take a walk on the scenic river walk downtown.
Things to Watch
The Legacy Dinner Theater is across from Wilderness and has a rotating schedule of family-friendly shows. Instead, you could go old school and check out a Drive-in movie theater. Finally, consider checking out the highly rated Rick Wilcox Magic Theater.
In Conclusion
What do you think is the best in Wisconsin Dells? There are so many adventures to be had! If you are looking for even more things to do in Wisconsin Dells, check out this Book of 100 things to do in the Dells by local resident Melanie Radzicki McManus. I receive a small commission for purchases made on Amazon. When you use this link, it supports my blog. Thanks!
There is so much in the Dells! We are still exploring. Does anyone have a favorite escape room in the Dells? Which Mini-golf course is your favorite? Who has the best local wine or beer? Did you enjoy the Totally ’80s photo studio? I’d love to hear your opinions.
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