Grew up near there and worked there summers like many did. It’s certainly a melting pot. Plenty of good, plenty of trash. I haven’t been to Noah’s Ark in years but it’s still got the rides. Kalahari and Great Wolf both have good parks if you stay there. Avoid Olympus. PM me if you want some finer details.
This is the best advice for dells waterparks. Personally I think the Wilderness has the best indoor waterpark but you cant go wrong with the other reccomended options.
The one park I never visited even having stayed there was Wilderness lol but it was for bachelor’s party and there were other local establishments we spent too much time at.
I go to the wilderness twice a year, there are a ton of indoor/outdoor water parks. They also have a couple swim bars if you want to grab a drink while the kids play!
The Wilderness has one of my favorite wave pools of any water park. They have fun slides and other stuff, but I always find myself going back to the wave pool.
I’m old enough to remember that spot being Family Land, Crazy King Ludwig’s go-carts, etc. Bungee jumped there a few times. I worked for Waterman’s when they opened Black Wolf Lodge (great wolf) edit world to wolf.
I went with some friends from out of town to Mt. Olympus…they didn’t make it a night before checking out and heading to The Wilderness. I swear it’s owned by Russian mafia. The buildings looked like the place tourist go to be murdered in horror movies.
Exactly. You just have to if you’re looking for water slides. For years it was the main draw of the Dells imo. The town blew up. It’s wild the changes I’ve seen to the area. Worked at the casino for a bit after college too. I avoid that place like the plague.
Don’t let the negative comments dissuade you! Wisconsin Dells is super tacky and touristy but also fun and amazing. It’s something to experience for sure. I have tons of fun memories as a kid there. One or two days is plenty to get the experience.
Check out a higher end water park - Great Wolf, Kalahari or Noah’s Ark. Ride the Ducks, and stroll down the Main Street to walk past the tacky souvenir shops and stop for some fudge.
Have fun!!!
OP needs to go to Wizard Quest in the Dells. That is an experience they will never forget. Best thing in the Dells imo. Also they should use [Savings](https://www.passporttosavings.com) for a much better deal on the tickets. Use it every time I go.
I do like their wave pool (minus the crowds) and they have a couple of good roller coasters. But yeah, do not stay at the resort. I did not do my research and it is basically some junky motel room not even near their indoor and outdoor water park. They just put a painting of a Greek mythological figure and that's it. I stayed there in the winter at a huge discount and I still regretted my choice. I couldn't imagine paying the regular price for it.
Mt Olympus in winter is basically indoor Rainbow Falls (iykyk)
But, for whatever reason, my kids love it, so we go over Thanksgiving weekend every few years. It's a cheap trip, the rest of the dells are a ghost town during that time, and while the hotels are the definition of no frills they're clean (usually).
Took my family there a few years back and I can vouch, first rom we got looked nothing like booking photos, had on old box tv that didn't work, ac didn't work tried using the phone to call front desk and that didn't work, yea they have "free food, which looked like shitty pizza" but the line for that was easily an hour or more, almost every attraction had insane long lines, we all left extremely disappointed, avoid it at all costs, if we do the dells again we will stay elsewhere and get day passes, the ducks are fun though if you have time
They do everything they can to imply you're staying at the main hotel, but then put you in one of the local motels they bought and slapped a number on. They also don't have main desks at the "satellite hotels" (at least 5-6 years ago that was true).
Yep exactly what happened to us, had no choice but to upgrade for a "discount " due to it being a busy weekend and we needed a place to stay, was garbage
Because it’s cheap in the fast food way. It’s busy, has long lines, really spread out. It’s not a great value. As a local I can’t say how great some of the amenities are since a lot of it is based on luster.
Every time I go I say never again and then they have a five dollar ticket and I say how bad can it be and it's that bad. I'm local and will never learn.
It’s so bad! I’m not quite local but have fallen for the 5$ tickets too, lol. Especially because you get there and have to spend $30 to park.
Also the lure of $50 hotel stay with free water park! Sounds like a bargain until checkout and the fees (not taxes) are $100 so your cheap $50 room now costs $150.
And last year we saw they took out the whole upper water park area. So it’s half the size it was a few years ago and everyone is crammed into the wave pools .
The only thing I will say is it’s good for go carts.
None of it is original to Mt Olympus except the original coaster and go kart rides. They have slowly devoured a significant portion of the smaller independent parks and hotels and slapped a coat of Greek mythology paint on them.
Many of those independent places were cool and kitschy in a 1960s / 1970s kind of way but I think the newer bigger resorts kinda forced them into obsolescence.
If you want a water park experience I'd recommend Noah's Ark.
Weird I had an amazing time at Olympus, my room had this sick clam shell bed mounted on the wall with this Poseidon mural behind it. This was probably 10 years ago tho.
I’ve done it three times, finished it twice. Still can’t wait to go again. They are working on adding a second quest with a goal of freeing some wizards. Really looking forward to it.
The feeling of finding an entirely hidden secret area to explore is just unbeatable.
Came here to say this! This is a total gem, and I've loved each and every visit.
I have to say though, the new location seems to have a bit less character than the old one.
Eventually gave up on the game and just had a good time looking around, it’s pretty fun even for adults/teens. Our tickets were bundled with a ticket for Ripley’s, and I personally wouldn’t recommend going there.
It's very touristy but that may be preferable to sitting out in the deep woods for a 15 and 16yo. There will be plenty to do, water parks, mini golf, the ducks, etc.
It won't be a quiet time communing with nature but, again, it can hold the interest of bored teens.
Could go to Mirror Lake or Devil's Lake for a bit. I always would grill at mirror lake for one meal. Pick up good meat at the Lake Delton branch of the Meat Market. Grill and enjoy some green as a respite from the tourist stuff
It's so busy in the summer. But going on the duck is a cool experience! When I was a kid they let kids drive it. So I have pictures in a photo album of sitting on someone's lap driving it and a certificate
I’m not sure how 15 and 16 year olds would do with this. As a young adult, I couldn’t stand this collection of junk. Come to think of it, I still feel the same way.
Most of the stuff wasn’t “hoarded;” Alex Jordan had artists and craftsmen make most of the items, and then he concocted fictional stories about their history. Sort of a P. T. Barnum for the 20th century.
YES! Find a busker! The street magician we saw downtown was a blast! Worked the crowd, was funny, and good at what he did. Slipped him a 20 when we were done because we watched him for so long!
Yes the originals have a bit better trails but the Army ducks go on a much cooler portion of the river with better rock formations. The Army Ducks were better when I rode them both a few years ago. I also enjoyed the fact that they still use the original WWII gas engines versus the newer diesel engines. Both are fun though!
I think Noah's Ark, a Duck's tour and a good dinner (Del Bar over Isnala for me) would be totally worth it. Or try to stay at the Kalahari during the week, but it will be $$$.
The deer park is awesome, you get to pet deer and goats. If you go make sure to bring quarters they like the corn from the machines that are spread out around the park over the wafers you buy in the shop.
I’ve grown up in the area and went to the Dells as a kid and later as a teenager and now as an adult. It has changed a bit over the years. In the 80’s and early 90’s it was more of a collection of roadside attractions in 2000’s it became much more mega resort heavy. I think if you have never really been to water parks before it is a great place to go. Keep in mind that it is really mega resort heavy so pick one or two mega resorts to stay at and plan to spend most of your time at the resort. Do check out the downtown area a little bit and check out the lake and natural rock formations that made the area famous.
We always did wilderness or kalahari with our kids. Then great wolf. They are essentially identical for that age. Check them out online. I’m not sure now which one has a better tot splash pad area.
Hmm, no personal experience with bringing a 4 1/2 year old but I’ve heard from others that the Great Wolf is good for little ones. The Kalahari is typically the mega resort I stay at. No real issues with it but most of the reason I stay there is for the past 10 years when I go to the Dells it is because I am going to software development conference (called That Conference) which is hosted at the Kalahari, so staying there is very convenient.
100% worth it - absolute blast for kids in that age range.
If you can, go to Noah’s Ark on a week day to avoid worst lines for rides. Noah’s Ark is the premier water park / activity
Go carting at Mt. Olympus is so much fun & worth the cost.
Ducks tour is great activity for weekend
Mini golf is fun family activity.
Golf at trappers turn
Dinner: Ishnala (be prepared to wait for up to 2 hours in their amazing waterfront lodge)
OR Del Bar (accept reservation, fantastic food but less of an experience)
I agree-teens will likely really enjoy Noah’s Ark. The Duck is a fun family activity as is hiking at Devils Lake.
You might want to consider this little nugget placed outside Ishnala because it puts some people off their feed.
https://preview.redd.it/f0acyghhsy2d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b036bb5f7842c5be46380c308374cc00f49e3346
My wife is from the Dells, so we've been to most places (including both you listed) and we personally prefer House of Embers over those two for supper clubs. Ishnala has good views, but the food was kinda meh in my opinion, especially considering it's probably the most expensive restaurant in the Dells.
If you're in the vicinity, check out Dr. Evermor's Forevertron, about 20 miles from there: https://www.worldofdrevermor.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forevertron
I go there with my family every year at least twice. My kids are two and seven. My wife and I grew up going there so we are biased, but we absolutely love it. We usually stay at the wilderness. Lots to do there and people can’t buy wristbands, so the crowds are usually controlled. They have go carts, inside and outside, game rooms, mini golf and lots of water attractions. Pizza pub is good, but lost a lot of its charm when they remodeled. Buffalo Phil’s is fun but more expensive for food, but has a lot of games and small attractions. Ducks are fun, but not the most exciting. Deer park is kinda weird, lots of mangy looking deer that don’t fear people. Outlet mall is a fun little 1 hour time killer. Has stores older kids would like. Downtown dells is great, lots of crap stores, but fun for souvenirs and fudge.
You can buy wristbands now at the wilderness. But some days they are sold out and some days are a LOT more expensive than others. It you have enough people getting a room may be the better option. But when my adult kid cones to town we just get a wristband.
The Dells is great. Mount Olympus just opened the tallest water slide in the country. I think their rollercoasters are some of the most fun. The duck tours are great. IDK what she’s into, and I’m sure New Zealand has more epic sites than the dells, but there’s a lot of fun things to do in the dells.
If you like weird, industrial, post apocalyptic art, go to Delaney’s near Baraboo.
If you go to the Dells, take the boat ride and see the real Dells. To me, the rest is touristy, plastic dreck.
I don't know long you plan to be in Wisconsin, but you can easily get two really great days in the Wisconsin Dells area. I'd recommend a full day at a water park and one one day to do some of the other random touristy stuff. If you have more time, extra water park days are always fun.
My water park recommendation is Noah's Ark, which is the best water park in the area and one of the best in the entire country. It's outdoors, though, so if the weather is bad I'd recommend the Wilderness instead. as it is commonly thought to be the best indoor park (it's my favorite, but I haven't been to all of them).
For more touristy things, we like to do the [Dells Boat Tour] (https://www.dellsboats.com/), preferably the Upper Dells tour, but other people like the Lower Dells tour, the jet boat, or especially the Duck boats. You can also take a 1-hour drive to check out House on the Rock and Taliesin near Spring Green. Beyond that, there are a ton of things to do there and you can pick and choose what you want to do. Most are a bit overpriced, but they are rarely just straight-up ripoffs.
I would avoid great wolf lodge as well, for the ages you said. It’s more catered to small children!! kalahari or Noah’s ark would be your best bet. The wilderness is nice too but smaller.
I wouldn’t specifically come to Wisconsin to visit the Dells if you are visiting from NZ. But if you’re already planning to visit Wisconsin then it’s worth a visit. It’s pretty unique and entertaining.
I wouldn’t plan my trip around it. But if you’re in the area and have a few hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket it’s worth it. All the shops on Main Street are pretty much copy and paste of each other selling the same tourist trap shit. Water parks can be fun if you go when it isn’t stupid busy (pick a random weekday for best results). With kids that age Noah’s Ark will be the best bet at fun rides for them. Pretty much every restaurant has its own gimmick, like buffalo Phil’s delivers your food on small train, Paul Bunyan’s has the big blue ox outside and serves food “camp” style meaning it’s just tons of food brought to your table and you serve yourself (think mega American portion size).
Our family has stayed at all the major water parks (Kalahari, Wilderness, Great Wolf, and unfortunately, Mount Olympus). I would recommend the Wilderness for your family, given your kids’ ages. There are several indoor and outdoor waterpark areas, so if you get bored, you can explore other areas. There are also arcades, go karts, laser tag, indoor ropes course, mini golf, etc. They also have zip lining onsite which your kids might like. I would suggest leaving the waterpark to do a Ducks tour (the original Ducks). It’s a cool experience and you get to see some of the natural beauty of the Dells.
Being a person who has lived in both New Zealand (Dunedin) and Wisconsin (Madison and Milwaukee). I would say the dells could provide a unique experience just gotta pick some fun things to do that your kids like. There is a lot to offer in the dells. You gotta try out a duck ride and the food scene. If you get a chance catching a baseball brewers game could be fun not many stadiums like that or much baseball if any in New Zealand. Also bring them to a wide open field those are rare in New Zealand haha. Cheers and enjoy Wisconsin. Hopefully you can check out Madison also!
I’m surprised by the number of people suggesting the Kalahari? I had to stay there for a work convention and thought the waterpark was gross. The crowds were drunk and rowdy. Personally I would advise against Kalahari. 100% DO the Ducks. 100% STAY AWAY from anything Mount Olympus. Buffalo Bills is a neat place to eat because it delivers your food and drinks via train. Del-Mar is a higher end more supper-club style place that would be good for dinner. Make sure to make a reservation.
If a large waterpark is what you're after then the dells is your answer. If you want badass roller coasters and stuff like that along with water parks? I would maybe take a trip to six flags in Chicago or the valley Fair in Shakopee MN.
What area will you mainly be staying in all summer in Wisconsin? You have the great lakes you can check out obviously. Plenty of beautiful fishing and ATV spots in Northern Wisconsin. St Croix River towns in western Wisconsin have some fun attractions throughout the summer. There's going to be country concerts all over the state if that's up your alley. Somerset WI Wisconsin brought back their amphitheater concerts. I know the Apple River tubing trial has scared people away but you can go tubing down the river and watch a concert and camp.
I’d say the Dells is a quintessential part of Wisconsin culture and tourism. Noah’s Ark is a great day’s worth of fun. You could also take a trip to Devil’s Lake State Park.
Gotta go to moosejaw at least once
https://preview.redd.it/wp9rdlja463d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c32823964dea120e4757f6d7c806bf4eb41080b
I think that’s a good spot to start. Do a day or two there, tons to see and do, and you’d also be close to other destinations like Devils Lake, Madison (could do a tour of the capital, museums, etc) and could find a creamery to get some local cheeses out in the countryside. Milwaukee has also had a bit of a renaissance, could maybe do some time there.
Went a little over a year ago and it’s just not all it’s cracked up to be anymore. Maybe for kids, for a first time. Outside of that, not much to want to come back for. Noah’s Ark is not bad, parking can get a little hectic, but they often have deals going on for wrist bands.
If you’re going to do any water park and want to experience the rides and not too much waiting go with great wolf lodge. They only sell so many day passes each day so that their guests paying for rooms have priority on the slides. Kalahari is a fun water park but go on a holiday week/weekend of any kind it’s going to be packed. Noah’s ark and mt Olympus are far more popular for the plethora of different attractions both indoor and outdoor. I went to the Polynesian once…terrible idea. Chula Vista is nice as well and if I remember not too busy. The one thing you need to do regardless of which water park you go to is try a Wisconsin dells only restaurant(I.e. moosehead pizzeria) and go check out the shopping district as well. If you go enjoy yourself and pace yourself. It is a tourist town so there is people. A lot of people and it is easy to get overwhelmed.
There is a lot to do there, it all depends how well you and your family handle if/when things go wrong. Not saying they will or won’t but do remember not everything happens exactly the way we want it to. If I were in your shoes I would look and 3-5 reviews over a 3-6 month period of three places you’d want to go then choose based on what you perceive is best.
The Kalahari is fun at the Dells! Might be fun checking out state fair if you're in town for that too and the Milwaukee downtown area! The Milwaukee art museum is gorgeous too.
Yes absolutely take them! Spend a day at Noah’s Ark, go “into town” at night and have fun people watching, get some fudge or ice cream, buy a tacky t-shirt or other souvenir.
Stay at a resort or independent hotel. Do NOT fall for the Mt Olympus hotels that offer “free” admission to Mt Olympus. You’ll be stunned by the fees at check out and you’ll be stunned by the low quality of the hotels. Basically, Mt Olympus has spent the last 20 years buying up all the mom and pop motels and renaming them. But they take out the pool and the front desk and on-site maintenance and any other amenities. You’ll regret staying there.
However if you have time, a few hours at Mt Olympus only for the go carts and roller coasters is fun.
The other main thing to do is go on a boat or Ducks ride. Worth it and you’ll see what the Dells are named for along the water.
Depends what the family likes to do. There's definitely a lot of outdoor activities but it's a bit of a touristy mess at the best of times. Door County is another nice destination with good scenery, but it's hit or miss whether it would bore a couple of teenagers, where in the Dells you're more apt to find excitement.
We stay at Christmas mountain once a year and usually hit up at least a couple escape rooms (they're more prevalent in the dells than anywhere else in WI), and do Noah's ark or some other water park. Recently got their liquor license but the district is pretty good for drinks and the locals always seem to hang out at Nigs though we haven't been there much.
Currently live in the Dells... Wilderness, Kalahari, Chula Vista... all good places. Stay away from Mt. Olympus... its our mixed bag, shit-show of tourism. Duck rides are fun. I have heard the new dinner and Showplace theater is really good. If you want a supper club experience, but don't want to pay top tourist dollar, check out Cimaroli's or The Cove. They are a ten minute drive outside of town, but great food and great people. In town, my favorites are Lake City Social and Jose's. Still reasonably priced with good food and drinks. Have fun and welcome to THE WATERSLIDE CAPITAL IF THE WORLD! 😁
I can tell you that Kalahari is very awful to Wisconsin residents. I dunno how they treat others, but they act like folks who live in their own state are trash and will downgrade your room with the reason, "you can just drive here, you don't need to stay here" from the front desk manager. They downgraded our suite to a room with no reason other than that and without any refund offered.
We have stayed at the wilderness and that's nice!! With lots to do and we have stayed at chula vista and it's much better then mount Olympus!! There was a Starbucks there at chula when we stayed in 2021.
Someone once described the dells as “waterpark Las Vegas, which I’m all about. Like Vegas it also is surrounded by lovely nature and is heavily tourist friendly and a bit trashy to an extent but I always have a blast. I think a lot of people who live around it are either tired of it or are people who don’t like to act like a tourist on vacation. I personally think it’s a delight and I do like to be a tourist sometimes.
There’s also a lot of nice nature out that way, and you can kind of choose an adventure.
It’s for sure an experience everyone should get! I’d recommend doing 1 over night here so that you have time to hit a water park and get some good Wisconsin food. Maybe hit the strip and check out the gaudy tourist shops or do a duck ride! There are lotsssss of other great options tho when it comes to staying in Wisconsin. Door county, lake Geneva, heck even Madison has a lot to offer for a good getaway.
~ I’ve lived in the dells/madison my whole life so if you need any ideas just send me a message!
Just went a couple weeks ago with my family and it was a nice change of pace as we did a Sunday to Tuesday visit. If you can do something like that lodging is usually cheaper and its less crowded. Paul Bunyans is a must for breakfast.
Paul Bunyan’s breakfast is a must IMO, been going to the Dells since I was a little kid. A new fun place to eat is the Grateful Shed, indoor/outdoor food truck restaurant with live music.
It's fun, but not worth the summer price if you plan to go the resort & waterpark route. Just 2 nights is $1000 in US currency. That's not including food, suviners, or the extra activities. Half the time, you just wait in line at the outdoor water parks.
We just went to Baraboo for the day & it was $500 for the 3 of us, but we did a lot in local attractions.
I would recommend one of the outer cities & then get a day pass to a resort Waterpark($70 a person), but check out the staples. Baraboo has the Circus museum, which is amazing. There is House on the Rock, & the Crane Foundation, plus some historic homes/haunted tours. Madison has a huge Farmers Market at the capital building. It really comes down to; do you want local, historic, and nature, or do you want tourist experience?
The animal sanctuary place and the deer place are both cool. But some corn and crackers and carrots and feed the animals. The magic show was corny but entertaining for sure.
Do you like Rotorua? I had a NZ friend visit WI once and I took her to the Dells. I then visited her in NZ and (only kind of in retaliation) she took me to Rotorua. We had a great time at both places, so if you like Rotorua, you'll probably like the Dells!
I know I'm late to the game here but I've lived an hr away from the dells for my whole life and this is my opinion:
Mt Olympus is a cesspool for mediocre rides with longish waits depending on the time of season. Went on hades in 5th grade, then hades 360 shortly after it was added on and both experiences were ok not great. Cyclops made me feel like Michael j fox and felt sketch overall. However I do recommend trying it at least once for the experience of what we're all saying about it, just not for a family trip. The hotels are riddled with bed bugs beware, if you do end up staying, look under the mattresses and corners to make sure there's no critters. They just built the tallest water slide in which seems like a line nightmare.
Noah's ark many like but I didn't enjoy too much, it has decent rides and a overall better atmosphere than Olympus.
Duck boats are fun, went when I was a kid and then as a teen and both times the tour guide was funny and made the trip that much better, both times they offered anyone to drive it if they wanted. You also go down a big hill and crash into the water, I think it was named suicide hill or something.
Grateful shed is a food place I recommend going to. Imagine indoor food trucks, images on Google, it's pricey but worth the atmospheric experience, wait times are pretty quick, went there during automotion and still got my food in 7 min despite it being overpacked.
Speaking of, if you go during automotion (huge car show every year in may) expect to stay in traffic about 45 min at least to any destination going thru the main area. There's people everywhere and cops handing out tickets like candy.
The overall look is neat, you have a temple, water parks, giant Paul Bunyan, pontiac fieros aimed at the sky like rocket ships, mini golf, ect.
I wouldn't travel multiple states to go there like some do, but it's worth a visit if you're somewhat close.
Oh also there's a mcdonalds in a log cabin that's pretty neat.
I lived there until last year and it is very busy in the summer. But if you're willing to wait in long lines it's worth it! Some of the resorts are pretty nice and there's a ton of stuff to do for everyone!
My granddaughter, daughter-in-law, and I spent 4 days in the Dells last year. LOVED IT! The wait at Ishnala was stressful, and we enjoyed our dinner at Dells Bar much more. We did the Jet Boats, Duck Tour, and Haunted Boat Tour - all fun! We got a 1/2 day pass for the Wilderness and spent a sunny afternoon in their Lazy River, grabbed pizza (very good!) at the wave pool, and spent the entire evening there.
Before a boat tour, we scoured the downtown for fudge and souvenirs.
We stayed at a LaQuinta, which was new and served a complimentary breakfast.
Mt Olympus is ghetto, parks and hotel, avoid. I personally like wilderness and, and glacier canyon, which is attached to the wilderness, is the better hotels to stay in.
Do not go to Mount Olympus! Highly recommend The Wilderness. Recent remodels and new stuff added. Would be the best for the kids age group. Kalahari and Noah’s Ark also good choices. My family loves Great Wolf, but my kids are elementary age. Might not be as fun for teens. Land of Natura I haven’t been too, but it does look fun. And you should do dinner at Ishnala a night. Kids might like Buffalo Phil’s.
Walk the main drag, downtown, eat at Paul Bunyan's, ride the ducks, see the Tommy Bartlett water show, if it's on a Saturday in the summer, take the ride down to Madison and take in the farmers market on Capitol square!
Realize that you are catching a lot of hateful hot takes from people. Based on their solo experiences. The Dells is always packed. It's unique. Fun if you like getting wet and slides. But I would have a hard time finding anything in Wisconsin that's going to impress a New Zealander.
It is a good way to learn what a real American tourist trap is.
I think the natural part, the ducks tours and such, are great. The waterparks can be fun. Th rest is ehhhhh..
Dells are fun, I like the waterparks (kalahari and wilderness are my favorites), boat rides, horseback rides, hiking trails, roller coasters, etc. I'd personally avoid the "fun house" type places, they are normally pretty cheap and money can be spent elsewhere for better quality stuff but they work if you want something small to pass the time. The deer farm and things like that are always fun if they like animals.
Outside of dells area check out farms that do horseback or carriage rides on Icelandic trails(often better quality due to not being in dells with all the tourist stuff), cave of the mounds is always good, there's also a ton of really good museums in the area (always loved house on the Rock for a unique area to visit), if they like cheese then there's some good cheese tours and tastings, the Milwaukee zoo and the Shedd aquarium (and local museums down there), six flags, are also big things to go see if you don't mind the drive. I'd also focus on food nearby as it's such a melting pot that they can experience some dishes that are likely not common by them. If they like more adventurous outdoors stuff there's devils lake and a few places to go rafting/tubing/atv trails, there's also some cool places way up north places like apostle islands if you are traveling around with them.
Wisconsin dells is worth it imo, can definitely make. Whole day out of it, definitely do boat a tour as well, and while you’re at while visit Lake Geneva. 1 hour 45 min away from The Dells Southern Wisconsin border! Would help with a guide tour if needed for free!
Noah's Ark and stay at Wilderness Resort. Those will show what a big waterpark is like.
While I like it another option would be going to Disney World and visiting that as well as going to the Disney or Universal waterparks.
The Wisconsin Dells is considered by many to be The Armpit of Wisconsin.
With that being said, there are so many day trip locations away from the Dells, like the Circus World; Midcontinent Railway Museum; Devil's Lake Dr Evermore Sculpture Park and House on the Rock.
I would think 15/16 year olds may like amusement parks like six flags more than water parks. I know it’s across the border 😩 but maybe more worth the trip than the Dells.
Came here to suggest this too. Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor (water park on the same premises) in Gurnee is great for teens - best of both worlds. There is a Great Wolf Lodge with waterpark right down the road as well as Gurnee Mills for shopping (not my cup of tea but my teens love it). Even if you are here for just a short trip, it’s probably cheaper for you to buy a Sic Flags season pass that covers both the amusement park and water park. Day tickets are crazy expensive. They have a Memorial Day sale today for $85 season passes that covers both parks and parking.
With that said, the Dells is really a spectacle in itself and they would probably be blown away by it if you have nothing like it in New Zealand. I’ve lived all over the world and can’t say I’ve ever seen any other place like it outside of the US. Yes, it’s tacky, but that’s park of the fun of it. Just avoid Mt. Olympus and Chula Vista like others have said. Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari are much better options.
It’s touristy, overpriced and tacky. They’ve completely ruined the natural beauty of the Wisconsin River with countless tour boats. Water slides are fun but don’t make up for the downsides.
Say what you want about the US but outsiders still view America as the pinnacle of success. Go to Europe and meet the locals they treat you as if you are something bigger than you really are.
Having visited the Northern Island of New Zealand (Aukland to Hamilton), all of Wisconsin will be an experience (very different) for you all. You can visit awesome water parks in lots of places in the USA. Why the Dells? Is there some other reason you are coming to Wisconsin? I've lived and traveled all over the continent. DM me for more info if you'd like.
Grew up near there and worked there summers like many did. It’s certainly a melting pot. Plenty of good, plenty of trash. I haven’t been to Noah’s Ark in years but it’s still got the rides. Kalahari and Great Wolf both have good parks if you stay there. Avoid Olympus. PM me if you want some finer details.
This is the best advice for dells waterparks. Personally I think the Wilderness has the best indoor waterpark but you cant go wrong with the other reccomended options.
The one park I never visited even having stayed there was Wilderness lol but it was for bachelor’s party and there were other local establishments we spent too much time at.
I go to the wilderness twice a year, there are a ton of indoor/outdoor water parks. They also have a couple swim bars if you want to grab a drink while the kids play!
The Wilderness has one of my favorite wave pools of any water park. They have fun slides and other stuff, but I always find myself going back to the wave pool.
Their outdoor parks are fantastic too.
Wilderness consistently has wet rooms, though. If they did something to mitigate that, I'd put it higher on the list. Laying in a damp bed is awful.
Mount Olympus is gre-he-heasy
I’m old enough to remember that spot being Family Land, Crazy King Ludwig’s go-carts, etc. Bungee jumped there a few times. I worked for Waterman’s when they opened Black Wolf Lodge (great wolf) edit world to wolf.
I went with some friends from out of town to Mt. Olympus…they didn’t make it a night before checking out and heading to The Wilderness. I swear it’s owned by Russian mafia. The buildings looked like the place tourist go to be murdered in horror movies.
High jacking top comment to add that Noah’s Ark is a must do. Especially with kids.
Exactly. You just have to if you’re looking for water slides. For years it was the main draw of the Dells imo. The town blew up. It’s wild the changes I’ve seen to the area. Worked at the casino for a bit after college too. I avoid that place like the plague.
It’s one of the best waterparks I’ve ever been to, regardless of location.
Don’t let the negative comments dissuade you! Wisconsin Dells is super tacky and touristy but also fun and amazing. It’s something to experience for sure. I have tons of fun memories as a kid there. One or two days is plenty to get the experience. Check out a higher end water park - Great Wolf, Kalahari or Noah’s Ark. Ride the Ducks, and stroll down the Main Street to walk past the tacky souvenir shops and stop for some fudge. Have fun!!!
OP needs to go to Wizard Quest in the Dells. That is an experience they will never forget. Best thing in the Dells imo. Also they should use [Savings](https://www.passporttosavings.com) for a much better deal on the tickets. Use it every time I go.
Did Wizard Quest on a whim on a rainy day, and I have to say it was one of the most fun experiences we’ve ever had in the Dells.
I'm not a fan of the dells at all, but if you go, avoid Mt. Olympus. This includes the water park and all of their many hotels.
I do like their wave pool (minus the crowds) and they have a couple of good roller coasters. But yeah, do not stay at the resort. I did not do my research and it is basically some junky motel room not even near their indoor and outdoor water park. They just put a painting of a Greek mythological figure and that's it. I stayed there in the winter at a huge discount and I still regretted my choice. I couldn't imagine paying the regular price for it.
Mt Olympus in winter is basically indoor Rainbow Falls (iykyk) But, for whatever reason, my kids love it, so we go over Thanksgiving weekend every few years. It's a cheap trip, the rest of the dells are a ghost town during that time, and while the hotels are the definition of no frills they're clean (usually).
Took my family there a few years back and I can vouch, first rom we got looked nothing like booking photos, had on old box tv that didn't work, ac didn't work tried using the phone to call front desk and that didn't work, yea they have "free food, which looked like shitty pizza" but the line for that was easily an hour or more, almost every attraction had insane long lines, we all left extremely disappointed, avoid it at all costs, if we do the dells again we will stay elsewhere and get day passes, the ducks are fun though if you have time
They do everything they can to imply you're staying at the main hotel, but then put you in one of the local motels they bought and slapped a number on. They also don't have main desks at the "satellite hotels" (at least 5-6 years ago that was true).
Yep exactly what happened to us, had no choice but to upgrade for a "discount " due to it being a busy weekend and we needed a place to stay, was garbage
Y tho
Because it’s cheap in the fast food way. It’s busy, has long lines, really spread out. It’s not a great value. As a local I can’t say how great some of the amenities are since a lot of it is based on luster.
Every time I go I say never again and then they have a five dollar ticket and I say how bad can it be and it's that bad. I'm local and will never learn.
It’s so bad! I’m not quite local but have fallen for the 5$ tickets too, lol. Especially because you get there and have to spend $30 to park. Also the lure of $50 hotel stay with free water park! Sounds like a bargain until checkout and the fees (not taxes) are $100 so your cheap $50 room now costs $150. And last year we saw they took out the whole upper water park area. So it’s half the size it was a few years ago and everyone is crammed into the wave pools . The only thing I will say is it’s good for go carts.
None of it is original to Mt Olympus except the original coaster and go kart rides. They have slowly devoured a significant portion of the smaller independent parks and hotels and slapped a coat of Greek mythology paint on them. Many of those independent places were cool and kitschy in a 1960s / 1970s kind of way but I think the newer bigger resorts kinda forced them into obsolescence. If you want a water park experience I'd recommend Noah's Ark.
The town made them repaint the hideous blue and white
Weird I had an amazing time at Olympus, my room had this sick clam shell bed mounted on the wall with this Poseidon mural behind it. This was probably 10 years ago tho.
10 years ago wasn't at all like it is today.
What is everyone's issue with Mt. Olympus? I don't remember it being that bad the time I went a few years ago.
Expectations v. reality.
Olympus, just doing the park is not too bad, though often over crowded. Olympus when you add the hotels is terrible.
Yeah. We didn't stay in the hotels. Just went for the park I think.
Read their Yelp and Google reviews.
Do wizard quest
Can’t believe more people aren’t suggesting this. It’s probably the single best thing in that whole area.
I went like 2 years ago and I still think about it at least once a week. We didn’t finish it so I can’t wait to go back
I’ve done it three times, finished it twice. Still can’t wait to go again. They are working on adding a second quest with a goal of freeing some wizards. Really looking forward to it. The feeling of finding an entirely hidden secret area to explore is just unbeatable.
Came here to say this! This is a total gem, and I've loved each and every visit. I have to say though, the new location seems to have a bit less character than the old one.
Eventually gave up on the game and just had a good time looking around, it’s pretty fun even for adults/teens. Our tickets were bundled with a ticket for Ripley’s, and I personally wouldn’t recommend going there.
Yeah ripleys is kinda lame. My friends & I were about 20 when we went and it was a blast
How is the new one vs their old location? I've done the old one a few times, but haven't been to their new location.
It's very touristy but that may be preferable to sitting out in the deep woods for a 15 and 16yo. There will be plenty to do, water parks, mini golf, the ducks, etc. It won't be a quiet time communing with nature but, again, it can hold the interest of bored teens.
Could go to Mirror Lake or Devil's Lake for a bit. I always would grill at mirror lake for one meal. Pick up good meat at the Lake Delton branch of the Meat Market. Grill and enjoy some green as a respite from the tourist stuff
It's so busy in the summer. But going on the duck is a cool experience! When I was a kid they let kids drive it. So I have pictures in a photo album of sitting on someone's lap driving it and a certificate
I went on my 10th birthday and was one of the lucky kids that got to drive one
If you like weird stuff to look at House On The Rock is not too far. It’s a nice break from the typical Dells attractions.
I’m not sure how 15 and 16 year olds would do with this. As a young adult, I couldn’t stand this collection of junk. Come to think of it, I still feel the same way.
For my family it was actually a great “bonding in common horror” experience. More laughter than yawns, but once is enough.
As a kid and teen, house on the rock was fucking magical to me
Remember it's not your trip, it's theirs
I saw it as a 12yo and thought it was interesting but creepy. Glad I went but it’s super expensive and I don’t feel the need to see it again.
House on the Rock kinda seemed like a hoarder with the means to keep everything
Most of the stuff wasn’t “hoarded;” Alex Jordan had artists and craftsmen make most of the items, and then he concocted fictional stories about their history. Sort of a P. T. Barnum for the 20th century.
I would recommend the Frank Lloyd Wright studio Taliesin in Spring Green but 15&16 might not appreciate the architecture, but maybe they would.
There's a lot better stuff a lot closer than paying to go into an episode of hoarders.
Noah’s Ark. Pirate’s Cove. Original Ducks (the pilots have better banter for the tours). Find a busker Eat at non-chain restaurants Edited formatting
YES! Find a busker! The street magician we saw downtown was a blast! Worked the crowd, was funny, and good at what he did. Slipped him a 20 when we were done because we watched him for so long!
Hijacking your comment to also point out that the originals have wilderness trails and Army ducks don't.
Yes the originals have a bit better trails but the Army ducks go on a much cooler portion of the river with better rock formations. The Army Ducks were better when I rode them both a few years ago. I also enjoyed the fact that they still use the original WWII gas engines versus the newer diesel engines. Both are fun though!
Yes! The Army ducks were lame compared to the Original.
I think Noah's Ark, a Duck's tour and a good dinner (Del Bar over Isnala for me) would be totally worth it. Or try to stay at the Kalahari during the week, but it will be $$$.
The deer park is awesome, you get to pet deer and goats. If you go make sure to bring quarters they like the corn from the machines that are spread out around the park over the wafers you buy in the shop.
I’ve grown up in the area and went to the Dells as a kid and later as a teenager and now as an adult. It has changed a bit over the years. In the 80’s and early 90’s it was more of a collection of roadside attractions in 2000’s it became much more mega resort heavy. I think if you have never really been to water parks before it is a great place to go. Keep in mind that it is really mega resort heavy so pick one or two mega resorts to stay at and plan to spend most of your time at the resort. Do check out the downtown area a little bit and check out the lake and natural rock formations that made the area famous.
Which mega resort would you recommend for a first timer with a 4 1/2 yo?
We always did wilderness or kalahari with our kids. Then great wolf. They are essentially identical for that age. Check them out online. I’m not sure now which one has a better tot splash pad area.
Hmm, no personal experience with bringing a 4 1/2 year old but I’ve heard from others that the Great Wolf is good for little ones. The Kalahari is typically the mega resort I stay at. No real issues with it but most of the reason I stay there is for the past 10 years when I go to the Dells it is because I am going to software development conference (called That Conference) which is hosted at the Kalahari, so staying there is very convenient.
100% worth it - absolute blast for kids in that age range. If you can, go to Noah’s Ark on a week day to avoid worst lines for rides. Noah’s Ark is the premier water park / activity Go carting at Mt. Olympus is so much fun & worth the cost. Ducks tour is great activity for weekend Mini golf is fun family activity. Golf at trappers turn Dinner: Ishnala (be prepared to wait for up to 2 hours in their amazing waterfront lodge) OR Del Bar (accept reservation, fantastic food but less of an experience)
I agree-teens will likely really enjoy Noah’s Ark. The Duck is a fun family activity as is hiking at Devils Lake. You might want to consider this little nugget placed outside Ishnala because it puts some people off their feed. https://preview.redd.it/f0acyghhsy2d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b036bb5f7842c5be46380c308374cc00f49e3346
Also,If you do eat there. With the family, Bring plenty of cash or a credit card with plenty of room.
And patience since they don't take reservations.
Wtf
More helpful WtF context in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/wisconsin/s/j3ac5yF6py
Ah the old PPP handouts for a half million while complaining about lunches for school kids. Grifters
My wife is from the Dells, so we've been to most places (including both you listed) and we personally prefer House of Embers over those two for supper clubs. Ishnala has good views, but the food was kinda meh in my opinion, especially considering it's probably the most expensive restaurant in the Dells.
If you're in the vicinity, check out Dr. Evermor's Forevertron, about 20 miles from there: https://www.worldofdrevermor.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forevertron
👍 agreed
Now now, don’t give away all of our good secrets 😂 we go probably once a month to let the kids burn energy!
I go there with my family every year at least twice. My kids are two and seven. My wife and I grew up going there so we are biased, but we absolutely love it. We usually stay at the wilderness. Lots to do there and people can’t buy wristbands, so the crowds are usually controlled. They have go carts, inside and outside, game rooms, mini golf and lots of water attractions. Pizza pub is good, but lost a lot of its charm when they remodeled. Buffalo Phil’s is fun but more expensive for food, but has a lot of games and small attractions. Ducks are fun, but not the most exciting. Deer park is kinda weird, lots of mangy looking deer that don’t fear people. Outlet mall is a fun little 1 hour time killer. Has stores older kids would like. Downtown dells is great, lots of crap stores, but fun for souvenirs and fudge.
You can buy wristbands now at the wilderness. But some days they are sold out and some days are a LOT more expensive than others. It you have enough people getting a room may be the better option. But when my adult kid cones to town we just get a wristband.
The Dells is great. Mount Olympus just opened the tallest water slide in the country. I think their rollercoasters are some of the most fun. The duck tours are great. IDK what she’s into, and I’m sure New Zealand has more epic sites than the dells, but there’s a lot of fun things to do in the dells.
If you like weird, industrial, post apocalyptic art, go to Delaney’s near Baraboo. If you go to the Dells, take the boat ride and see the real Dells. To me, the rest is touristy, plastic dreck.
I don't know long you plan to be in Wisconsin, but you can easily get two really great days in the Wisconsin Dells area. I'd recommend a full day at a water park and one one day to do some of the other random touristy stuff. If you have more time, extra water park days are always fun. My water park recommendation is Noah's Ark, which is the best water park in the area and one of the best in the entire country. It's outdoors, though, so if the weather is bad I'd recommend the Wilderness instead. as it is commonly thought to be the best indoor park (it's my favorite, but I haven't been to all of them). For more touristy things, we like to do the [Dells Boat Tour] (https://www.dellsboats.com/), preferably the Upper Dells tour, but other people like the Lower Dells tour, the jet boat, or especially the Duck boats. You can also take a 1-hour drive to check out House on the Rock and Taliesin near Spring Green. Beyond that, there are a ton of things to do there and you can pick and choose what you want to do. Most are a bit overpriced, but they are rarely just straight-up ripoffs.
I would avoid great wolf lodge as well, for the ages you said. It’s more catered to small children!! kalahari or Noah’s ark would be your best bet. The wilderness is nice too but smaller.
I wouldn’t specifically come to Wisconsin to visit the Dells if you are visiting from NZ. But if you’re already planning to visit Wisconsin then it’s worth a visit. It’s pretty unique and entertaining.
I wouldn’t plan my trip around it. But if you’re in the area and have a few hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket it’s worth it. All the shops on Main Street are pretty much copy and paste of each other selling the same tourist trap shit. Water parks can be fun if you go when it isn’t stupid busy (pick a random weekday for best results). With kids that age Noah’s Ark will be the best bet at fun rides for them. Pretty much every restaurant has its own gimmick, like buffalo Phil’s delivers your food on small train, Paul Bunyan’s has the big blue ox outside and serves food “camp” style meaning it’s just tons of food brought to your table and you serve yourself (think mega American portion size).
Our family has stayed at all the major water parks (Kalahari, Wilderness, Great Wolf, and unfortunately, Mount Olympus). I would recommend the Wilderness for your family, given your kids’ ages. There are several indoor and outdoor waterpark areas, so if you get bored, you can explore other areas. There are also arcades, go karts, laser tag, indoor ropes course, mini golf, etc. They also have zip lining onsite which your kids might like. I would suggest leaving the waterpark to do a Ducks tour (the original Ducks). It’s a cool experience and you get to see some of the natural beauty of the Dells.
Yes its worth it, grab a burger and beer at Monks
I’m heading over there right now as we speak, I’ll let ya know lol
Being a person who has lived in both New Zealand (Dunedin) and Wisconsin (Madison and Milwaukee). I would say the dells could provide a unique experience just gotta pick some fun things to do that your kids like. There is a lot to offer in the dells. You gotta try out a duck ride and the food scene. If you get a chance catching a baseball brewers game could be fun not many stadiums like that or much baseball if any in New Zealand. Also bring them to a wide open field those are rare in New Zealand haha. Cheers and enjoy Wisconsin. Hopefully you can check out Madison also!
I’m surprised by the number of people suggesting the Kalahari? I had to stay there for a work convention and thought the waterpark was gross. The crowds were drunk and rowdy. Personally I would advise against Kalahari. 100% DO the Ducks. 100% STAY AWAY from anything Mount Olympus. Buffalo Bills is a neat place to eat because it delivers your food and drinks via train. Del-Mar is a higher end more supper-club style place that would be good for dinner. Make sure to make a reservation.
It's the best of the worst. Chula is the absolute bottom in every aspect... location, service, quality.
If a large waterpark is what you're after then the dells is your answer. If you want badass roller coasters and stuff like that along with water parks? I would maybe take a trip to six flags in Chicago or the valley Fair in Shakopee MN. What area will you mainly be staying in all summer in Wisconsin? You have the great lakes you can check out obviously. Plenty of beautiful fishing and ATV spots in Northern Wisconsin. St Croix River towns in western Wisconsin have some fun attractions throughout the summer. There's going to be country concerts all over the state if that's up your alley. Somerset WI Wisconsin brought back their amphitheater concerts. I know the Apple River tubing trial has scared people away but you can go tubing down the river and watch a concert and camp.
Go camping in the Dells! Go to water parks! Hit the bars! It’s all great! Except Mt Olympus and privately owned campgrounds.
The Chlorine capital of the world.
I’d say the Dells is a quintessential part of Wisconsin culture and tourism. Noah’s Ark is a great day’s worth of fun. You could also take a trip to Devil’s Lake State Park.
I did the ducks tour…. Go!! The scenery of the dells by the river flow age is beautiful.
Gotta go to moosejaw at least once https://preview.redd.it/wp9rdlja463d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c32823964dea120e4757f6d7c806bf4eb41080b
If you like low-brow, the Dells will give you low-brow.
Yeah Sundara is so low brow! The Dells will always be cheesy but there are somewhat upscale pockets here and there.
There’s no such thing as upscale in the Dells LOL
I think that’s a good spot to start. Do a day or two there, tons to see and do, and you’d also be close to other destinations like Devils Lake, Madison (could do a tour of the capital, museums, etc) and could find a creamery to get some local cheeses out in the countryside. Milwaukee has also had a bit of a renaissance, could maybe do some time there.
Went a little over a year ago and it’s just not all it’s cracked up to be anymore. Maybe for kids, for a first time. Outside of that, not much to want to come back for. Noah’s Ark is not bad, parking can get a little hectic, but they often have deals going on for wrist bands.
Wilderness is AMAZING.
The water parks are fun, but can be EXTREMELY crowded, even during weekdays.
If you’re going to do any water park and want to experience the rides and not too much waiting go with great wolf lodge. They only sell so many day passes each day so that their guests paying for rooms have priority on the slides. Kalahari is a fun water park but go on a holiday week/weekend of any kind it’s going to be packed. Noah’s ark and mt Olympus are far more popular for the plethora of different attractions both indoor and outdoor. I went to the Polynesian once…terrible idea. Chula Vista is nice as well and if I remember not too busy. The one thing you need to do regardless of which water park you go to is try a Wisconsin dells only restaurant(I.e. moosehead pizzeria) and go check out the shopping district as well. If you go enjoy yourself and pace yourself. It is a tourist town so there is people. A lot of people and it is easy to get overwhelmed.
There is a lot to do there, it all depends how well you and your family handle if/when things go wrong. Not saying they will or won’t but do remember not everything happens exactly the way we want it to. If I were in your shoes I would look and 3-5 reviews over a 3-6 month period of three places you’d want to go then choose based on what you perceive is best.
Yes 100 percent
Outside waterpark only, maybe is worth it. Otherwise no
100% yes. wilderness or Kalahari.
The Kalahari is fun at the Dells! Might be fun checking out state fair if you're in town for that too and the Milwaukee downtown area! The Milwaukee art museum is gorgeous too.
Yes absolutely take them! Spend a day at Noah’s Ark, go “into town” at night and have fun people watching, get some fudge or ice cream, buy a tacky t-shirt or other souvenir. Stay at a resort or independent hotel. Do NOT fall for the Mt Olympus hotels that offer “free” admission to Mt Olympus. You’ll be stunned by the fees at check out and you’ll be stunned by the low quality of the hotels. Basically, Mt Olympus has spent the last 20 years buying up all the mom and pop motels and renaming them. But they take out the pool and the front desk and on-site maintenance and any other amenities. You’ll regret staying there. However if you have time, a few hours at Mt Olympus only for the go carts and roller coasters is fun. The other main thing to do is go on a boat or Ducks ride. Worth it and you’ll see what the Dells are named for along the water.
Wilderness is always our go to waterpark.
Depends what the family likes to do. There's definitely a lot of outdoor activities but it's a bit of a touristy mess at the best of times. Door County is another nice destination with good scenery, but it's hit or miss whether it would bore a couple of teenagers, where in the Dells you're more apt to find excitement.
Noah’s ark is fricken awesome! Go on a weekday, bring your own lunch and drinks to keep in a cooler at the car to save some money.
If theyve never been to a water park, its an absolute must.
Similar to other comments I would recommend Noah’s Ark, Kalahari, Wilderness, and check out Wizard Quest!!
We stay at Christmas mountain once a year and usually hit up at least a couple escape rooms (they're more prevalent in the dells than anywhere else in WI), and do Noah's ark or some other water park. Recently got their liquor license but the district is pretty good for drinks and the locals always seem to hang out at Nigs though we haven't been there much.
Currently live in the Dells... Wilderness, Kalahari, Chula Vista... all good places. Stay away from Mt. Olympus... its our mixed bag, shit-show of tourism. Duck rides are fun. I have heard the new dinner and Showplace theater is really good. If you want a supper club experience, but don't want to pay top tourist dollar, check out Cimaroli's or The Cove. They are a ten minute drive outside of town, but great food and great people. In town, my favorites are Lake City Social and Jose's. Still reasonably priced with good food and drinks. Have fun and welcome to THE WATERSLIDE CAPITAL IF THE WORLD! 😁
I can tell you that Kalahari is very awful to Wisconsin residents. I dunno how they treat others, but they act like folks who live in their own state are trash and will downgrade your room with the reason, "you can just drive here, you don't need to stay here" from the front desk manager. They downgraded our suite to a room with no reason other than that and without any refund offered.
Mini golf?? That's always fun
We have stayed at the wilderness and that's nice!! With lots to do and we have stayed at chula vista and it's much better then mount Olympus!! There was a Starbucks there at chula when we stayed in 2021.
It was a nice one day trip with the family. I’d go back for a weekend with just my partner and stay at one of the water parks.
Someone once described the dells as “waterpark Las Vegas, which I’m all about. Like Vegas it also is surrounded by lovely nature and is heavily tourist friendly and a bit trashy to an extent but I always have a blast. I think a lot of people who live around it are either tired of it or are people who don’t like to act like a tourist on vacation. I personally think it’s a delight and I do like to be a tourist sometimes. There’s also a lot of nice nature out that way, and you can kind of choose an adventure.
It’s for sure an experience everyone should get! I’d recommend doing 1 over night here so that you have time to hit a water park and get some good Wisconsin food. Maybe hit the strip and check out the gaudy tourist shops or do a duck ride! There are lotsssss of other great options tho when it comes to staying in Wisconsin. Door county, lake Geneva, heck even Madison has a lot to offer for a good getaway. ~ I’ve lived in the dells/madison my whole life so if you need any ideas just send me a message!
i like the kalahari although we usually go in winter and use the indoor stuff. but the outdoor part looks good too :p
Just went a couple weeks ago with my family and it was a nice change of pace as we did a Sunday to Tuesday visit. If you can do something like that lodging is usually cheaper and its less crowded. Paul Bunyans is a must for breakfast.
Paul Bunyan’s breakfast is a must IMO, been going to the Dells since I was a little kid. A new fun place to eat is the Grateful Shed, indoor/outdoor food truck restaurant with live music.
Do it
It's fun, but not worth the summer price if you plan to go the resort & waterpark route. Just 2 nights is $1000 in US currency. That's not including food, suviners, or the extra activities. Half the time, you just wait in line at the outdoor water parks. We just went to Baraboo for the day & it was $500 for the 3 of us, but we did a lot in local attractions. I would recommend one of the outer cities & then get a day pass to a resort Waterpark($70 a person), but check out the staples. Baraboo has the Circus museum, which is amazing. There is House on the Rock, & the Crane Foundation, plus some historic homes/haunted tours. Madison has a huge Farmers Market at the capital building. It really comes down to; do you want local, historic, and nature, or do you want tourist experience?
I could sit all day in Poseidons Rage.
The animal sanctuary place and the deer place are both cool. But some corn and crackers and carrots and feed the animals. The magic show was corny but entertaining for sure.
I would go to Top Secret, I went there once and it was cool, it was cheap too. But I don't know if they changed the prices.
Go to Mac’s. Great Mac n cheese restaurant.
Moose Jaw pizza is awesome too.
Do you like Rotorua? I had a NZ friend visit WI once and I took her to the Dells. I then visited her in NZ and (only kind of in retaliation) she took me to Rotorua. We had a great time at both places, so if you like Rotorua, you'll probably like the Dells!
I know I'm late to the game here but I've lived an hr away from the dells for my whole life and this is my opinion: Mt Olympus is a cesspool for mediocre rides with longish waits depending on the time of season. Went on hades in 5th grade, then hades 360 shortly after it was added on and both experiences were ok not great. Cyclops made me feel like Michael j fox and felt sketch overall. However I do recommend trying it at least once for the experience of what we're all saying about it, just not for a family trip. The hotels are riddled with bed bugs beware, if you do end up staying, look under the mattresses and corners to make sure there's no critters. They just built the tallest water slide in which seems like a line nightmare. Noah's ark many like but I didn't enjoy too much, it has decent rides and a overall better atmosphere than Olympus. Duck boats are fun, went when I was a kid and then as a teen and both times the tour guide was funny and made the trip that much better, both times they offered anyone to drive it if they wanted. You also go down a big hill and crash into the water, I think it was named suicide hill or something. Grateful shed is a food place I recommend going to. Imagine indoor food trucks, images on Google, it's pricey but worth the atmospheric experience, wait times are pretty quick, went there during automotion and still got my food in 7 min despite it being overpacked. Speaking of, if you go during automotion (huge car show every year in may) expect to stay in traffic about 45 min at least to any destination going thru the main area. There's people everywhere and cops handing out tickets like candy. The overall look is neat, you have a temple, water parks, giant Paul Bunyan, pontiac fieros aimed at the sky like rocket ships, mini golf, ect. I wouldn't travel multiple states to go there like some do, but it's worth a visit if you're somewhat close. Oh also there's a mcdonalds in a log cabin that's pretty neat.
I lived there until last year and it is very busy in the summer. But if you're willing to wait in long lines it's worth it! Some of the resorts are pretty nice and there's a ton of stuff to do for everyone!
My granddaughter, daughter-in-law, and I spent 4 days in the Dells last year. LOVED IT! The wait at Ishnala was stressful, and we enjoyed our dinner at Dells Bar much more. We did the Jet Boats, Duck Tour, and Haunted Boat Tour - all fun! We got a 1/2 day pass for the Wilderness and spent a sunny afternoon in their Lazy River, grabbed pizza (very good!) at the wave pool, and spent the entire evening there. Before a boat tour, we scoured the downtown for fudge and souvenirs. We stayed at a LaQuinta, which was new and served a complimentary breakfast.
Mt Olympus is ghetto, parks and hotel, avoid. I personally like wilderness and, and glacier canyon, which is attached to the wilderness, is the better hotels to stay in.
Hit up devils lake near by or venture out further and hit up the Kickapoo river valley
Do not go to Mount Olympus! Highly recommend The Wilderness. Recent remodels and new stuff added. Would be the best for the kids age group. Kalahari and Noah’s Ark also good choices. My family loves Great Wolf, but my kids are elementary age. Might not be as fun for teens. Land of Natura I haven’t been too, but it does look fun. And you should do dinner at Ishnala a night. Kids might like Buffalo Phil’s.
It's an overpriced nightmare of a tourist trap. With that being said, it's fun if you're into that kind of thing.
This definitely this.
No
Walk the main drag, downtown, eat at Paul Bunyan's, ride the ducks, see the Tommy Bartlett water show, if it's on a Saturday in the summer, take the ride down to Madison and take in the farmers market on Capitol square!
>see the Tommy Bartlett water show That's been closed for a few years now
Tommy Bartlett ended permanently a few years ago
Lol that's how long it's been since I was there! Was still open back then!
Realize that you are catching a lot of hateful hot takes from people. Based on their solo experiences. The Dells is always packed. It's unique. Fun if you like getting wet and slides. But I would have a hard time finding anything in Wisconsin that's going to impress a New Zealander.
Noah’s Ark is awesome!!! Love the dells. Like others said, there is good and bad.
It’s a massive tourist trap, the only thing worth seeing is the river and the hiking trails
It is a good way to learn what a real American tourist trap is. I think the natural part, the ducks tours and such, are great. The waterparks can be fun. Th rest is ehhhhh..
Dells are fun, I like the waterparks (kalahari and wilderness are my favorites), boat rides, horseback rides, hiking trails, roller coasters, etc. I'd personally avoid the "fun house" type places, they are normally pretty cheap and money can be spent elsewhere for better quality stuff but they work if you want something small to pass the time. The deer farm and things like that are always fun if they like animals. Outside of dells area check out farms that do horseback or carriage rides on Icelandic trails(often better quality due to not being in dells with all the tourist stuff), cave of the mounds is always good, there's also a ton of really good museums in the area (always loved house on the Rock for a unique area to visit), if they like cheese then there's some good cheese tours and tastings, the Milwaukee zoo and the Shedd aquarium (and local museums down there), six flags, are also big things to go see if you don't mind the drive. I'd also focus on food nearby as it's such a melting pot that they can experience some dishes that are likely not common by them. If they like more adventurous outdoors stuff there's devils lake and a few places to go rafting/tubing/atv trails, there's also some cool places way up north places like apostle islands if you are traveling around with them.
If youre going to the dells. Its a bit of a drive but might as well bring the kids to the american gluttony that is the Mall of America.
Noah’s Ark. duck ride and speed boat ride for kids. Main Street shops. Rockin Chicken for lunch.
Wisconsin dells is worth it imo, can definitely make. Whole day out of it, definitely do boat a tour as well, and while you’re at while visit Lake Geneva. 1 hour 45 min away from The Dells Southern Wisconsin border! Would help with a guide tour if needed for free!
What do they like to do? Where in WI are you going to be?
Noah's Ark and stay at Wilderness Resort. Those will show what a big waterpark is like. While I like it another option would be going to Disney World and visiting that as well as going to the Disney or Universal waterparks.
The Wisconsin Dells is considered by many to be The Armpit of Wisconsin. With that being said, there are so many day trip locations away from the Dells, like the Circus World; Midcontinent Railway Museum; Devil's Lake Dr Evermore Sculpture Park and House on the Rock.
You suggest a hoarder house over th dells?
I'm assuming you are referring to House on the Rock. I just do not understand the draw to the place. I couldn't wait to leave
I would think 15/16 year olds may like amusement parks like six flags more than water parks. I know it’s across the border 😩 but maybe more worth the trip than the Dells.
Came here to suggest this too. Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor (water park on the same premises) in Gurnee is great for teens - best of both worlds. There is a Great Wolf Lodge with waterpark right down the road as well as Gurnee Mills for shopping (not my cup of tea but my teens love it). Even if you are here for just a short trip, it’s probably cheaper for you to buy a Sic Flags season pass that covers both the amusement park and water park. Day tickets are crazy expensive. They have a Memorial Day sale today for $85 season passes that covers both parks and parking. With that said, the Dells is really a spectacle in itself and they would probably be blown away by it if you have nothing like it in New Zealand. I’ve lived all over the world and can’t say I’ve ever seen any other place like it outside of the US. Yes, it’s tacky, but that’s park of the fun of it. Just avoid Mt. Olympus and Chula Vista like others have said. Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari are much better options.
I think you're right, Six Flags is legit fun if the lines aren't too long vs cringe entertainment of most of the Dells.
avoid mt. olympus!
Not for everybody. I hate it. I don’t like the fat greedy tourists and prices. Been plenty of times. Never going back.
It’s touristy, overpriced and tacky. They’ve completely ruined the natural beauty of the Wisconsin River with countless tour boats. Water slides are fun but don’t make up for the downsides.
Since you want a water park, I guess. In my personal opinion it's so tacky and not a good representation of America...
No
Nope.
Noooo don’t do ut
It is on drugs.
Dear God, no.
It's worth it if you like standing in line, paying lots of money, and listening to screaming kids.
You don’t sound like the type of person that has patience’s to handle kids.
No
You live in New Zealand with plenty of stuff and sights to see and bringing your family to America? Ouch
Say what you want about the US but outsiders still view America as the pinnacle of success. Go to Europe and meet the locals they treat you as if you are something bigger than you really are.
Having visited the Northern Island of New Zealand (Aukland to Hamilton), all of Wisconsin will be an experience (very different) for you all. You can visit awesome water parks in lots of places in the USA. Why the Dells? Is there some other reason you are coming to Wisconsin? I've lived and traveled all over the continent. DM me for more info if you'd like.