My family and I had a great time playing at the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory in Wisconsin Dells. The giant robot at the edge of the parking lot has always caught our eye. I was so excited to finally have time to check it out and give the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory a review. While you can tell some of the exhibits are dated, all three generations, from kids to grandparents, had plenty of fun investigating the different exhibits. It is worth a stop, especially if you want an indoor activity or want the kids to learn something while on vacation. You get free tickets to Tommy Bartlett if you stay at Kalahari.
Tommy Barlett is perhaps most famous for its long-running water ski show. Unfortunately, it never returned after the COVID shutdown. However, the Exploratory is still open and entertaining. It has various exhibits focusing on interesting science mixed with art.
If you want more recommendations, check out my post on Wisconsin Dells favorites. It includes the best restaurants, resorts, and activities.
Exhibits
The first exhibit shows how an appropriately placed fulcrum can let a person lift a car. Everyone gets to show their strength. Then, you weave through some mirrors and enter the first room. Step up and see how static electricity can quite literally get your hair to stand on end. Or try your hand at illusions with “head on a platter.” Play with rubber band art, try out a few logic puzzles, or challenge your friend to a wheelchair race.
The next section included a 2-person puzzle where you must work together as a team to pull/push a bouy through a maze. Test your balance, play old-school VR video games, or let the kids try driving a digger in the ball pit.
The third room is more of an air and space museum and includes artifacts from prior space missions. My dad really enjoyed this section while the kids were focused on driving the miniature rover, trying to find the “aliens.” There is an old-school simulator ride available for $4 a person that was copyrighted in 1997! My young kids had fun riding it. I would skip it for the older ones or those on a tight budget.
The final section was perhaps my favorite. They were all small exhibits that let you test your mind on long-standing puzzles. This included things like Da Vinci’s famous bridge, a replica of the Roman arch including a keystone, and a 3-D tic tac toe board. There were also dice games, floating balls, and a wood cylinder that rolled uphill!
Gift Shop
There is a small gift shop that sells a few small snacks, science trinkets, and punny science shirts. My favorite featured a couple of beakers, with one saying to the other, “I think you are overreacting.”
Conclusions
You can tell this place has been around for decades. During our review, some of the technology at the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory seemed pretty dated, but it is still in business for a reason: there is a lot of fun to be had here. Our family stopped here with the free tickets provided for Kalahari while we waited for our room to be ready. We had tons of fun ahead of us, and I still had to encourage the kids to keep moving as every room seemed to hold some new wonder. We were already there for 3 hours when I finally rustled everyone out to move on to our next adventure.
If you don’t have time, it’s ok to cut this one out. If you are looking for an indoor activity, something that would appeal to a wide variety of ages, and something that will provide some learning, be sure to check them out!