Location: Wisconsin Dells
Top Things to do in Wisconsin Dells
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10 Things to do in Wisconsin Dells That You Shouldn't Miss
Shaped by the currents and curves of the Wisconsin River, Wisconsin Dells has been a favorite family vacation destination for more than 150 years. An explosion of indoor water parks has turned the Dells from a summer hot spot to a year-round destination. Kids will enjoy the seemingly endless supply of fun and games, from go-karts to miniature golf, sideshows to thrill rides. If the weather's right, you can take a Duck tour of land and water, and top it all off with a heaping helping of the local fudge.
Restaurants in Wisconsin Dells
1. Rick Wilcox Magic Theater
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,356 reviews
Open Year Round. A fabulous show for families and anyone looking for a fun, funny and amazing evening! Rick Wilcox Theater features the Wisconsin Dells illusion show that's on everyone's "things to do in Wisconsin Dells" list of must-see entertainment. Flawlessly executed by Master Illusionists Rick & Suzan Wilcox. Entertainment at the highest level that "will completely enthrall you", says Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel theater critic Damien Jaques. "The Rick Wilcox Show is the ultimate family show. As good as anything you will see in Las Vegas." This show features original fast-paced illusions that keep this awe-inspiring show fresh and fun. After getting to know Rick & Suzan on stage with their easy charm, quick wit and amazing illusions, you'll have a chance to actually meet the stars after the show. It's simply the best of Wisconsin Dells live entertainment! Open year-round. Family-approved!
Reviewed By LynnM20
Once again the Rick Wilcox Magic Show bamboozled me. But first, a few comments about the “Business” side of “Show Business.” Besides being skilled artists, most magicians are small business owners. The Small Business Administration says 50% of all new small businesses fold within the first year. Further, 90% fold within five years. Rick Wilcox is now in his 21st year at his Wisconsin Dells theatre. His enduring power alone is great testimony to the high caliber of his family magic show. He couldn’t sustain year after year without top-flite programming. Second, some comments about the “Show” side of “Show Business.” Plan to arrive early because 15 minutes or so before showtime, on-screen instructions lead the audience through a playful routine of “warm-up” experiences that culminate with everyone joyfully singing “Sweet Caroline.” The built-up anticipation is climaxed with the instant production of a fire engine red Lamborghini; Rick climbs out of the car and enters to start the show. Three types of magic exist: big stage illusions, stand-up magic performed in front of the curtains, and intimate close-up magic. Working closer together than husband and wife deeply in love after decades of marriage (oh, wait, they are), Rick and Susan Wilcox present a strategic mix of all three magic categories. Their stage illusions include the mind-blowing, stage-filling production of a helicopter and the classic levitation of Susan who not only floats to the stage but Rick also floats up to join her. In front of the curtains, Rick acknowledges Susan’s birthday. Since he can’t take her to Arizona for a vacation, he decides to bring Arizona to her and defies the laws of physics by presenting her with a saguaro cactus that he amazingly places inside a huge balloon that doesn’t break. For close-up magic, a TV camera projects an on-screen view as four coins move to various locations on a table top before exploding to 16 coins in a magic effect his father taught Rick years ago. You may see a few eyes dripping tears as the full story is told. Bottom line: the Rick and Susan Wilcox (including her 15 costume changes) Magic Show is absolutely terrific and it is easy to see why it is rated the number one family show in the Dells.
2. Wisconsin Deer Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,393 reviews
Reviewed By KarenD563 - Johnsburg, United States
It's a park like setting where you walk along the designated path and are able to feed the deer with wasa crackers that you can purchase. They will come right up to you and are very friendly. We did notice one deer that seemed to not want anything to eat even when offered - it looked tired and maybe ill - we mentioned this to the staff as we were concerned for its welfare. There are other animals too, like moose, elk and others that you can observe in their enclosures.
3. Witches Gulch
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 539 reviews
Reviewed By HpnotiqCrunk - Wisconsin Dells, United States
Witches Gulch was an included stop on both the Upper Dells tour and Jet boat tour we participated in. The path and walkway are great and only narrowed a bit towards the end of the trail towards a small concession stand (which was great to breakup the tours) and included a bathroom area. Pictures in the gulch were awesome and our family loved how windy the paths got at times, it made you feel like you were almost by yourself in the gulch.
4. Wilderness Territory
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 541 reviews
Reviewed By kimd840 - Sebeka, United States
I took my 13 year old son and his buddy to this resort for a quick week-end trip. We had a fantastic time!! Our hotel room was very close to one of the water parks - room was spacious and had just what we needed (fridge, microwave, coffee maker, TV). We brought a lot of snacks so didn't eat in the restaurants but at first glance prices looked above average ($12 for a salad, $8 for chicken strips at the snack bar). I highly recommend the Unlimited Fun Passes - the boys were able to ride go-karts, ropes course, climbing wall, mini golf and bumper boats as much as they wanted ($8 per ride on go-karts alone, I know they went at least 10x each). Drinks were delicious - although the $26.99 for a souvenir cup felt expensive it was a 42 ounce drink so definitely worth the price (and only $16.99 for a refill). The bartender was very sweet - she made the boys non-alcoholic margaritas in a souvenir cup and they felt so important. Staff was quite nice, we didn't ask for much so were easy guests. Check in process was so easy - we checked in on Saturday at noon and were pleasantly surprised that our room was ready right away! Within minutes the boys were at the water park. We took breaks from the water, relaxed in the room or checked out the arcades (spendy, prizes were expensive and broke right away) and non-water rides. Overall I was so happy with the entire week-end, it was exactly what we were hoping for - we will definitely be back!!!!!!
5. Riverwalk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 389 reviews
Reviewed By showwatcher - Johnston City, United States
This walkway has a smooth surface and there are plenty of benches to take a break and enjoy the view. There are also several informational markers with a lot of the local history.
6. Palace Theater in the Dells
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 364 reviews
Welcome To The Palace Theater In The Wisconsin Dells Welcome to the Dells' newest and most fabulous attraction! The Palace Theater is a state-of-the-art, theater destination, producing classic Broadway musicals, as well as bringing to life many of your favorite Disney classics. The Palace Theater will produce an annual subscription series of three to four family-friendly shows, while serving a sumptuous meal or snack included in every ticket price. Additionally, The Palace will host nationally well-known bands and comedians for concert engagements. Group packages & discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. The Palace Theater is a wonderful value for the entire family, and will build extraordinary memories to be cherished forever!
Reviewed By kathleensJ4450NO
The was the Best performance I have seen at the Palace. Been coming here since it opened - at least one or two venues per year. The high energy, the stage props, the costumes, the singing, the performers all top notch! Not to mention the music! George, our waiter, was attentive, efficient, and provided excellent service. This was the first time an alternate menu dinner was offered since we have been coming here. The prices seemed reasonable. We stayed with the general dinner. Very well done. Found it interesting the tables on the floor were served cake for their dessert while the tiers had sorbet. We ordered the strawberry cheese cake too. Creamy and delicious with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream. Definitely worth the ticket price. I should mention the first time we sat at the tables on the floor. Since then we have purchased tables on the tiers. I suggest the tiers. You get a better view. Glad to see this dinner theater is doing so well...
7. Noah's Ark Water Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2,815 reviews
Located on 70 sprawling acres in the heart of Wisconsin Dells, the Waterpark Capital of the World, Noah's Ark is recognized as both the Largest Water Park in America, and one of the best places to visit in Wisconsin Dells with kids. Noah's Ark isn't just big on thrills, we're also committed to providing the safest, cleanest, and most unforgettable waterpark experience for the entire family. In fact, we've received the Top Award for Aquatic Safety every year since 1995! From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, we are open for an entire summer of fun under the sun. Make your plans to visit us soon, buy your tickets, and reserve your cabana.
Reviewed By MLLove2000
We visited Noah’s Ark on Monday, July 16, 2018. We had a great day. Bear in mind as you read this review that we are four senior citizens from SC. Unlike many of you, whose biggest concerns are the biggest slides or best children’s area – our biggest concern is shade and we were worried about finding four seats in the shade. So, before we arrived we went online and reserved a cabana in the Kahuna Wave Pool area. We were just guessing about location, but as it turned out, we had chosen a great spot. While we were at it, we bought a parking pass as well. (Cabana = $119.00 + $8 tax and Parking = $15 + $1 tax + $3 processing fee). We were glad we had bought the Cabana in advance as they sold out quickly after the park opened. By the way, when we reserved it online it was for a cabana in that location – not for a specific cabana. The park opens at 10 and we arrived at 9:15. We drove in through the “Express Entrance” through the Flamingo Motel parking lot and parked very close to the entrance, under a nice shade tree, in the Hippo parking area – the farthest from the express entrance. Having the parking pass was nice but would not have been necessary at that time of day as there was no line to get in to the lot. There were about 5 cars in the lot when we arrived, so we had our pick of places. They opened the ticket counter a few minutes before the park opened, so we were able to buy our tickets. We had bought the 2 for 1 Splash pass and Noah’s Ark offer was for one adult admission ($39.00 – which would have been $19.50 each) but when we told them we were seniors we got the senior admission price of $24.99. They gave us the deal on that, which meant we only paid $12.50 each for a full day at the waterpark – amazing! By the time the park opened, there were maybe 50-75 people in line and when it did open, the youngsters ran for the big rides while the parents headed for cabana rentals. We were there in time to take our pick and we chose Cabana #1, which turned out to be the perfect one. We were given a nice reusable Noah’s Ark bag with two striped towels in it, and we paid $5 each deposit on two locker keys. The cabana lockers are separate from the others and were close to our cabana. (Other lockers use a code, not a key.) While we were settling in, our attendant, Sasha, came by. Sadly, that’s the only time we saw her, except for when we tracked her down later in the day and requested our complimentary bottles of water (6 of them). Had she been attentive, we would have ordered more food and drink and left her a nice tip. But we did fine on our own. The cabana had a table with 4 chairs and 2 chaise lounges. We dragged over two more chaises and put those in the shade in front of the cabana. Sasha had said “It’s yours for the day, you can arrange it as you like.” So we did. It also had great canvas sides that were closed to block out sun but could be opened as the sun shifted. Later in the day we had all three sides open for a great breeze and a great view of the lazy river. Having made our nest in the cabana, one of us was set for the day. Two of us went exploring…. First, let me say, there are a lot of very cool looking water slides and rides. Second, I agree with other posters – the park is huge with hills and you can walk yourself to death. At one point I walked fairly briskly (not running but not ambling) from our cabana at one end of the park to the 4D movie at the other and I think it took about 20 minutes. Speaking of 4D movie, we loved it! It was so cute! However, it is very poorly located, up a hill too steep for many people and so out of the way that others don’t think to look for it. The two of us were the only ones in the theater during our showing. Other rides and attractions we enjoyed were Congo Bongo (if the lines look equal, take the left one – it loads before the right one), Kowabunga, and Flash Flood. We rode the Stingray, but “enjoyed” is not exactly the verb I’d use – more like “survived”. One of us stood in line for 15 min for Raja before deciding it would take too long. Wise choice. Later in the day we saw the guys who had been in line ahead of him and they had waited an hour and a half. Ouch! Of course, our favorites were the lazy rivers and wave pools. We preferred Kahuna and Adventure River to the Wave and Endless River. The Adventure River is lovely with lots of trees. It took a few minutes to get a tube, but we enjoyed much of the day floating along. Let’s talk food. We were thrilled to find a Dole Whip hut, but a little bummed that they didn’t have orange. “Settled” for a pineapple float – a very nice way to settle. For lunch we got food from Kahuna Café which was okay and reasonably priced. However, had we known we’d be parking in the shade and so close to the entrance, we would have packed a picnic and gone to the car to eat it. Can’t bring in food but you can bring in a bottle of water per person. We stayed until almost closing time (7pm). There are showers, restrooms, and changing rooms close by. We hated to say goodbye to Cabana #1 and the beautiful Noah’s Ark Water Park!
8. Kalahari Indoor Waterpark
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,087 reviews
Join us for 125,000 square feet filled with Wet. Wild. Fun. At Wisconsin’s Largest Indoor Waterpark. Water you waiting for? Come splash! Included with your stay or Day Passes available.
Reviewed By KentT894 - Milwaukee, United States
I was supposed to take the grandkids camping, but because it rained all weekend, we went to the Wisconsin Dells instead. We spent all day Saturday at the Kalahari, first in their indoor theme park and then in their indoor water park. The indoor water park is an impressive feat of engineering. It is huge, with 5 different large hot tub areas, a swim up bar, and great water rides. It has cabanas you can reserve (alhough we didn't) and a snack bar inside the park. Many water rides from mild to wild, plus a "lazy river" where you can float along on a tube. Highly recommended.
9. Timbavati Wildlife Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,033 reviews
Reviewed By A557GTsarahl - West Des Moines, United States
We arrived right when the park opened. The parking was ample and easy, as was our entrance. I would highly suggest buying the lunch box with treats such as carrots, biscuits, bird seed and grain for the animals. The front of the park is a bit empty and underwhelming, but keep going to encounter all sorts of animals up close. My kids got to see lions and tigers eating meat, and feed a giraffe, camels, kudus and more. The nursery with babies was neat to see. My five-year-old's favorite part was feeding the parakeets (there were so many in so many colors). We spent just under two hours at the park and enjoyed our time.
10. Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 3,051 reviews
Mt. Olympus Resort provides our guests with both Indoor and Outdoor Water & Theme Park fun! All 1,600 Mt. Olympus Resort rooms are spread over the famous Wisconsin Dells Strip, surrounding Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park. Free skiing, tubing, snowboarding and Golf passes (depending on season) are included with stay, Free wi-fi access available, 44 Indoor and Outdoor Water Slides, 4 Interactive Children's water play areas, 7 Outdoor Go-Kart Tracks, 5 Outdoor Roller Coasters, 1 Surf pool, creating 9ft waves! 1 Wave pool and a giant water fortress.
Reviewed By N3068BLjohnh
My family and I stayed here while on vacation at the Dells. We rented a cabin. The cabins are nice little huts the only bad thing about the cabins is the dirt road they are on so you drag in dirt a lot. We got free pass to the park with the cabin and free lumber jack show. The parks was a blast go karts a lot of water slides anything you want is there even rides for the kiddos
