Wisconsin Dells With Kids: Water Parks, Duck Boats and How to Pick a Resort

The Wisconsin Dells calls itself the water park capital of the world and nobody argues. There are more indoor and outdoor water parks per square mile than anywhere, plus amphibious duck boats through the sandstone canyons that started it all. Families come every year and the kids grow up on it.

Indoor water park resorts

The resorts each have their own indoor park and that is the Dells’ trick, because it works in January. Kalahari is the biggest with an indoor theme park too. Great Wolf Lodge is the one with the wand game and the story time for the under tens. Wilderness is the largest overall with several indoor and outdoor parks on a huge property. Chula Vista is on the river with a good mix. Mount Olympus has the Greek theme and the outdoor coasters with rooms across the road. Pick by the ages, book a room with bunks, and the water park is included.

Outdoor parks

Noah’s Ark is the biggest outdoor water park in the country with wave pools, a lazy river, a kids’ area and slides at every level, and it is the summer day. Mount Olympus outdoor has the wooden coasters and the go karts. Riverview Park has a small amusement park.

The Ducks

The Original Wisconsin Ducks are World War II amphibious trucks that drive through the woods and splash into the river for a tour of the canyons. It is an hour and kids of every age love the splash. The Upper Dells boat tour goes through the sandstone cliffs to Witches Gulch and Stand Rock, where a dog jumps the gap. Jet boat tours for the older kids who want speed.

The rest

Tommy Bartlett Exploratory with the science exhibits and a Mir space station module. The Tommy Bartlett water ski show, a Dells tradition for seventy years. Mini golf on every corner, the Wizard Quest maze, a wax museum, Ripley’s and a Top Secret upside down White House. Downtown for fudge and taffy.

Nearby

Devil’s Lake state park twenty minutes south has a lake with two beaches under bluffs, easy trails along the cliffs and rock scrambling for older kids. It is the best state park in the Midwest and it balances the water park days. The International Crane Foundation in Baraboo has cranes from every continent. Circus World in Baraboo has a big top show in summer.

When

Summer for the outdoor parks and the crowds. Winter weekends for the indoor parks at lower prices with snow outside. Fall for Devil’s Lake color and empty parks midweek. Three nights is right and any longer is a lot of chlorine.

Planning Wisconsin with kids? Start with the full Wisconsin family travel guide, or send me the ages and the dates and I will come back with what is really available.