City of Wisconsin Dells

Hands-​down, the water slide capital of the western world. On the other hand, it is the gateway to some Northeast-​style geography that is very atypical of the Midwest, with high bluffs and mini-​gorges peering over an ancient river.
Don’t recall much else about it, except I did rent a canoe on a lake and tried to paddle my way into the narrow dells area. Or was I on the Wisconsin River?
Memory not serving well, but if it’s of any value, I do believe there are outfitters providing you the ability to reach the Dells aquatically and under your own power.

How can you not like this place, there is so much to do. This is little Vegas in Wi with out the gambling. There is gambling machines and a casino buy the way.
You could get lost with the kids while keeping them entertained taking it all in and that is just not possible?
This is a total family destiny with lots to do and eat while having a great time. It’s nothing like when I was a kid and has come a long way to something spectacular and I don’t know of any thing else is like anywhere.

don’t waste your time coming up here.
it is nothing but a party town disguised with a «theme park».

Wisconsin Dells used to be a decent, fun and fairly inexpensive way to take a nice little vacation. It is now just the opposite. It‘s a horrible Tourist trap, the employees up there have forgotten about customer service and everything is the same now. I guess if you like and go for water parks it‘s ok but MOST everything there used to be themed or Part of the River, Woods etc and it was a True get away for People in Cities that need a little break once in awhile. Now you come back Broke and frustrated. Oh i should tell you that although born and raised in Chicago and Having lived here almost all of my life, I DID live up there for 6 years for a JOB Running a Business for a friend. So i kind of know what goes on behind the scenes as well as what people end up seeing which is now, Water parks, Fudge shops, horrible souvenir and T-​shirt stores and who can forget Mini Golf.
Take away the «Ducks» and Boat rides and there is almost nothing Good there anymore or atleast nothing that you cant find almost anywhere. The ONLY reason i gave this 2 stars was because of the Ducks/​Boats and the River.

If you live in the midwest and have never visited the Dells, it’s now more affordable than ever. My folks took me here a couple times about 25 years ago and I’ll bet the cost of my recent trip was close to what they paid. It’s good to see some things remained the same for the next generation to enjoy, though I’m happy they added quite a few new attractions to offset the stale relics.
Using today’s technology, getting around and finding deals is much easier than my parents had it. We used to get suckered into all sorts of shenanigans by picking up colorful brochures back in the day. Thankfully, Unilocal gets me past all of the egregious tourist traps and onto real gems. However, with so many water parks, the kids will gladly drop their iPhones and pick up an iTube instead.

Now entering cheese country, home of the crap-​packers!
It never failed, since I was 7 (till I moved out) my family and I would take two certain trips every year in Wisconsin… camping and the Dells. Looking back on them as an adult now I have more memories from those three day weekends then I do on some of our larger family trips. What’s perfect about the Dells is that it seriously has something for everyone. Petting zoos, roller-​coaster and other rides, go-​karts, miniature golf, and some of the biggest and best water parks in the world; but what really sets the Dells apart from all others is that there are multiple areas of these things. If one petting zoo is too packed go across town to the other one. Don’t like one water park, go to another one, they are all over.
Of course there are a few things the Dells are really known for, like their half car half boat rides called ducks (highly recommend taking a tour), a petting zoo/​deer park that is like no other, and their downtown strip of shops, eateries, and entertainment. The downtown area is great fro people watching and the people who visit are friendly for the most part. It seems like my memories of the town is like something out of an 80’s movie… oh wait, it was the 80’s! Also I’ve been here many times since with just friends or a female «friend» and we’ve all had a lot of fun.
Check it out for yourself.
Go Bears!!!

When I’m old and rich I’ll buy this city. I’ll get rid of some of the expensive touristy crap that’s not worth it, bring back the giant go kart place but make it SAFE, add a few new attractions and make sure the Bartlett Show and Exploratory are always updated. IE I’ll be fixing all the little kinks in the Dells experience. And keep the good parts alive. I love this city man. Always will.

My boyfriend and I took our first trip to the Dells a few weeks ago. We likened it to «Vegas for kids.» There is literally a strip with hotels and motels (some painted in bright pinks or teals), with activities and shops woven throughout.
There is a lot to do, but it seemed most of the immediate attractions right on «the strip» were geared more towards kids and families, so as adults in our 20’s and 30’s, not everything seemed appealing. In town we went to Mt. Olympus one day, and another day went on an Upper Dells boat tour, sampled some restaurants, went mini-​golfing, checked out the Indian Trading Post, the Amphibian Museum/​shop, and walked around some shops. There are coupon books galore with deals, so we saved a few bucks here and there. We ventured out of town to go to a winery and go to the casino. We went in the middle of the week (Tuesday through Thursday), so I think we avoided a lot of the crowds of families I’m sure are there on the weekends.
All in all, it still was a relaxing vacation for the two of us and was close enough to drive; however, I don’ t think we’ll be wanting to go back until we have kids who can partake in all of the exciting kiddie experiences.

I’ll admit it, I’m one of those people who just loves the Dells.
There is just TONS of stuff to do! Yeah, they have waterparks, but they also have canoeing, horseback riding, helicopter tours, carnivals, unique shopping, great restaurants, amusement parks, mini golf, Duck tours, dinner cruises, rollercoasters, water shows, dinner theater, magic shows, and tons more.
My recommendations:
— Plan your trip in advance. Get an idea of what you can do and for how much before you get there. There is a ton to choose from, so not only will this help keep you from being sucked into the more expensive touristy things and save you money, but it will leave you time to enjoy yourself between activities instead of trying to figure out what you’re going to do next.
— Go with a large group. There are a couple of places were you can get very large suites that end up costing per person less than a regular hotel room, and many of these are in resorts that give you free waterpark passes.
— If you’re only staying a few days and plan on visiting one of the indoor water parks, just stay at the hotel that has the water park; it’ll be cheaper. For example, say you’re a family of four. Kalahari Resort costs about $ 40 per person per day just to use the water park, or you can stay in a double-​queen for about $ 250 and get water park passes for all four of you for every day you stay. Even if you only use the water park once, you end up getting a hotel room at a nice resort for $ 90 after you take out the cost of the water park passes. The larger the room and the more people you get, the more you save. For example, my family got one of the five-​bedroom condos and once you took out the cost of the water park passes, the condo ended up being free :)
— Clip coupons. A quick look online and you’ll find tons of coupons for area attractions, including restaurants. There’s even an Entertainment book for the Dells.
— Get a room with a fridge and buy groceries at the Super Wal-​Mart. My husband and I saved a ton of money on food this way.
— Stagger your fun. Like I said, there’s a ton of things to do; some are exciting and thrilling, and some are relaxing and enjoyable. Set aside a whole day for the amusement park and/​or water park, but match up the sky diving with a leisurely stroll through the Deer Park. Don’t rush yourself! Nothing will be any fun if you’re exhausted.
— Find cheaper things to do (duh). Even the «boring» stuff is a lot of fun here. The Wisconsin Deer Park is a great example. My family and I spent the entire afternoon feeding and petting the deer. We got some great pictures out of it too. ‘Boo Canoe is also a good idea. The cost is per canoe, not per person, and it’s an inexpensive activity for the whole family that will take up most of the day.
— Stick with the main attractions, at least your first time there. A lot of the «side-​show attractions» in the Dells, like the haunted houses for example, are really boring and cost quite a bit of money. If it looks sketchy, don’t be afraid to skip it, because your instincts will probably prove correct. When in doubt, ask someone at the front desk if they’ve ever been to that attraction, and what they thought about it, or do a quick Google search for reviews.
— Go in the fall, around Halloween. Yes, the outdoor water parks will be closed, but there’s still the indoor water parks, and not many people are there so you’ll get great deals. Plus, the Dells will have free festivals with lots of kids activities (check out their website) and the tours and horseback riding will be that much more beautiful because the leaves are changing colors. The hotel we stayed at, Kalahari Resort, has tons of free and inexpensive fall activities, like pumpkin decorating, cookie decorating, storytime, etc., and they even set up a beautiful outdoor fire pit and provided us with sticks, marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers to make s’mores, and hot chocolate and cider, too, all for free!
So, the short of it is, research, research, research! The Dells website has a ton of information that can help you provide a low-​cost, high-​fun vacation!

i for one love the dells. Its nice to come up and just get away. they have great camping locations and lots of thigns to do. if you have never been kid or adult check it out sometime.

There are two types of people: those who love the Dells and those who hate the Dells. It has been a tradition in my family to take a little Dells trip every year. The Dells have a notorious reputation as being a tourist trap — paying outlandish prices for pretty much everything, average to sub par attractions and average food at best. There are ways to beat the tourist trap and I will share a few secrets here with you. Plan your trip in either of these two time slots if possible: The two weeks before Memorial Day or the two weeks after Labor Day especially if you don’t plan on staying at one of their resorts. If you stay at one of the resorts than this bit of advise doesn’t pertain that much to you. If you go in these two time slots then
1) The hotel rates drop by at least 25% per night.
2) All off the stores have summer clearance sales on their merchandise.
3) There are not swarming masses of people everywhere.
4) There is little or no wait anywhere.
5) Everything is still open
You really don’t have to fall into the tourist traps as there are many things to do that will not cost exuberant amounts of money. Stay tuned for reviews on some of these places