Our team loves the Wisconsin Dells, and it’s the perfect destination for a day trip or a mini-vacation with your crew. It’s a fun place to visit year-round!
From amusement parks, boat tours, shopping to waterparks galore, there are things for all ages and interests in the Dells.
Here’s a breakdown of our favorite things to do when we visit – we hope you find this list helpful as you plan your Dells trip!
This Guide is sponsored by our featured programs. We so appreciate the support of the community and the opportunity to present our readers with valuable resources such as these!
Where to Stay | Our Top Pick
Wilderness Resort
The Wilderness Resort consists of over 600 wooded acres in Wisconsin Dells and is home to Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, which features 444 guest rooms, 40 Vacation Villas, 76 Frontier Condominiums and 35 cabins. It is also home to Wilderness on the Lake which features 108 luxurious two and three bedroom condominium units overlooking Lake Delton; and Glacier Canyon Lodge, which features 460 upscale condominium units.
Combined, these three properties offer four indoor and four outdoor waterparks that total nearly 500,000 square feet – that’s over 12 football fields of extreme water fun! The resort is also home to Glacier Canyon Conference Center; Sundara Spa; Wild Rock Golf Club; The Woods 9-Hole Golf Course; Dodge ‘Em City; Timberland Play Park; three Clip ‘N Climb Challenge Walls; the OK Corral Lazer Tag Arena; Marshall Training Lazer Maze; The Wild Abyss indoor 3-D black light mini golf; VRSpace Virtual Reality Arena; bumper boats; indoor and outdoor go-karts and kiddy-karts; zip line tour; Northern Lights Sky Ropes Course; three Room Escapes by DOA; and outdoor Jurassic mini golf. Dining options include Field’s at the Wilderness; Sarento’s; Survivors; Thirsty Buffalo and several other quick service options.
511 East Adams – Wisconsin Dells, WI
(608) 253-9729
What to Do | Our Top Picks
Knuckleheads Trampoline and Indoor Amusement Park
At Knuckleheads Trampoline and Indoor Amusement Park in Wisconsin Dells, you are in for a fun-packed family experience. There is a bit of something for everyone to enjoy whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart. Visit Knuckleheads & Booby Trap Escape Rooms for unlimited indoor family fun! Go-karts, mini-golf, amusement rides, a huge arcade, trampoline park, cosmic bowling and a full bar & grill all under one roof. Stop in with your family and friends or book your upcoming special event at Knuckleheads.
We are open year-round and are conveniently located next to Buffalo Phil’s Pizza & Grille, Booby Trap Escape Rooms, and Outlets at the Dells.
150 North Gasser Road – Wisconsin Dells
(608) 254-7332
Riverside & Great Northern Railway
The Riverside & Great Northern Railway is a 15-inch gauge railway and living museum. Ride our live steam train along an old railroad right-of-way that goes through the scenic canyons, beautiful wooded areas, and majestic rock cuts of the Dells by the Wisconsin River. After the train trip, tour the shops to see where the trains were made.
N115 County Road North – Wisconsin Dells, WI
(608) 254-6367
More Dells Attractions
Where to Eat | Our Top Picks
Buffalo Phil's Pizza & Grille
150 Gasser Road – Wisconsin Dells, WI
(608) 254-7300
Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty
Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty is a Wisconsin Dells staple, and has been operating for over 65 years. The family owned restaurant serves a hearty family-style all you can eat breakfast, in a fun old fashioned Cook shanty. It’s a family tradition for many who travel to the Dells!
411 State HWY 13 – Wisconsin Dells, WI
(608) 254-8717
Helpful Tips!
Are you getting the mini-vacation itch yet??
If you’ve never done the hotel-with-kids thing, here are a few quick tips to make the experience go smoother:
- Bring some kind of white noise. Bring a large fan and position it between the “kid” side of the room and the “adult” side and you won’t have to worry about waking them up with any little sound!
- Invest in a room with a little separation. Wilderness offers suites, condos & villas, which are great if you have a big crew, or just need a little extra space!
- Consider springing for a room with a balcony. This might seem like an unnecessary luxury, but again: when you have very young kids, separation is critical to hotel success. A balcony offers a great option for adult hang-out time after the kids are down for the night.
- Ask for a room with a mini fridge and microwave. These are pretty common in hotels these days, but not every room has them, so it’s worth checking it out in advance. It is so much easier to be able to prepare meals/snacks (especially breakfast) in the comfort of your room, rather than having to scramble to get to a restaurant with a hangry toddler.
- Pack paper cups/plates AND/OR dish soap/cloths to wash your plastic stuff. Easy to forget—tragic to forget.
- Bring entertainment for the adults. This is usually the last thing on your mind when you’re planning for a kids’ vacay, but it’s kind of depressing to get the kids to bed and then realize you have nothing quiet enough to do. Bring a book (and a mini light!), a laptop (possibly with headphones), or some other activity that requires minimal sound/light.
Q: Seasoned Dells travelers, what would you add to this list?
In the dells we really like to go to the deer park. The little ones enjoy it they can get up close and feed them and walk through their “habitat”. They also have more than just deer. We really want to take the kids on the ducks too I think they’d love that!
My son loves his leap pad when we travel- we take frequent car trips to visit family and it’s the only time he gets it, so it’s always fresh and fun for him.
Loved this blog! I know great wolf is wonderful; never knew how toddler friendly though..wish I knew these tips earlier this summer when we went there for a day! We loved the deer park ourselves. I can’t wait to go back and check out the park at pirates cove though and some of the restaurants and places mentioned 🙂
My travel tip is to get something new (coloring book, stickers) and give them on the plane or in car when needed. A good distraction before a meltdown.
We have been thinking about going to the dells, thanks for the great info!
I agree with a sticker book or coloring book when traveling. It keeps toddlers busy and distracted.
My travel tip is to plan out a stop at a park when you are headed on a long car trip. Look up a couple parks along the way so you have options for a stop when your toddler is getting antsy.
We will plan out parks to stop at on long rides. Also, I’ve discovered this year that like anything else the more the kids are used to long trips the better they are at it.
The deer park in WI Dells is fun for little ones. Also stop at the outlet mall!
A favorite is one of the water parks or knuckleheads!
Great post! Buffalo Phil’s was a huge hit with my son as well.
Took my son to mt Olympus for the first time this year and he loved it!!!