Downtown Wisconsin Dells: Broadway, the River Walk, Parking and Where to Eat

Shops and signs along Broadway in downtown Wisconsin Dells — Broadway, the Dells' main street.

Downtown is where the Dells started. It's a few walkable blocks of Broadway along the Wisconsin River, with the boat tour docks, arcades, fudge shops, a handful of really good restaurants and a riverside path with views of the sandstone cliffs. It's about 10 minutes from our homes, and we end up here on almost every trip.

This guide covers what's where, how parking works, and where we eat and play downtown.

Quick facts

Where: Broadway and the blocks around it, between the Wisconsin River and Bowman Park, plus Oak Street and Superior Street
Best for: a boat tour, an evening stroll, lunch, ice cream and fudge, rainy-day fun
Parking: paid April 1 to September 30, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. ($1.50 an hour at meters, $10 a day in city lots). Get the Passport Parking app
Walkable: yes. Everything in this guide is within a few blocks
Open: all year, though some shops cut hours in the off-season

Getting around and parking

Downtown is the one part of the Dells where you can park once and walk everywhere. The city runs paid parking from April 1 to September 30, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.:

Where	Rate
Street meters	$1.50 an hour
On-street, all day	$15
City lots, all day	$10
EV charging	$10 for the first 3 hours, then $3 an hour

You can pay at coin meters on a few streets or at kiosks, but I highly recommend the Passport Parking app. It works at every paid stall downtown, and you can add time from your phone without walking back to the meter, which is handy when a boat tour or dinner runs long. Download it before you go:

In the app, enter the zone number from the blue sign on the block (like Zone 110 on Broadway) and your stall number, which is on the pole, the sign or the pavement. Card and app fees may apply. If a meter or kiosk is broken, call the city at (608) 432-3036 when you park, or the ticket can't be voided.

Passport Parking sign showing Zone 110 on Broadway — Look for the blue zone number on the Passport Parking signs.

Pay-per-stall parking meters on a downtown sidewalk — Pay-per-stall meters downtown. The app saves you the walk back.

Outside the paid season and hours, the meters are off, and the visitor bureau lists free parking throughout downtown for the Tree of Light in winter. The H.H. Bennett Studio also notes free parking on some side streets.

My tip: on a summer Saturday, a city lot for $10 is the easy move. Park once, do the boat tour, have dinner, walk the River Walk and you're covered for the day.

The River Walk

The River Walk is a free, paved path along the Wisconsin River, starting at the Kilbourn Dam marker by the foot of Broadway. It's about a quarter mile, with benches, game tables, history markers and an outdoor photo gallery called "Soul of the River," and views of the river and the sandstone bluffs. It's wheelchair accessible and dog-friendly, and it's open all year.

A chess table at an overlook on the River Walk — There are game tables and benches along the way.

It's the easiest free thing to do downtown, and a nice way to walk off dinner. In winter it's home to the Tree of Light (below).

Tour boats and the bridge seen from the River Walk — Tour boats from the River Walk.

The boat tour docks

The Dells Boat Tours sign downtown — The boat tour docks are right off Broadway.

The Upper Dells boat tour leaves from 107 Broadway, right at the river end of downtown. It's two hours with walking stops at Witches Gulch and Stand Rock, and it's the one classic Dells attraction I tell everyone not to skip. We did the evening tour in July 2025 and came back at sunset. The sunset dinner cruise leaves from 11 Broadway on select summer nights, and the Lower Dells tour leaves from the junction of Hwys 12, 13 and 16, a short drive away. Boat tours run mid-April through early November.

The boardwalk through Witches Gulch — Witches Gulch, on the Upper Dells tour.

Read our Upper Dells boat tour review and the Wisconsin Dells boat tours guide to pick a tour.

Things to do downtown

These are the ones we've done ourselves:

Wizard Quest (400 Broadway): a three-story indoor fantasy quest with a tablet and a UV flashlight. One of our family's favorites, and a great rainy-day pick. Read our Wizard Quest review.
Wild Fun Zone (310 Broadway): an old-school arcade with laser tag and a 9-hole blacklight mini golf course. We pop in every time we're downtown. Read our Wild Fun Zone review.
Asgard Axe & Tap (714 Oak St): axe throwing for ages 10 and up, with pizza, 24 taps and a retro arcade downstairs. Read our Asgard review.

Wizard Quest's airship room — Inside Wizard Quest.

The Wild Fun Zone storefront on Broadway — Wild Fun Zone on Broadway.

Also downtown, from our research:

H.H. Bennett Studio (215 Broadway): a state historic site in the studio of the photographer whose 1800s pictures of the river helped launch Dells tourism. Open Thursday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., from late May to late September. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for ages 5 to 12. It's closed for the season now and reopens in May 2027.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! (105 Broadway): an oddities museum with a mirror maze and a scavenger hunt, in the old castle building at the foot of Broadway.
Wisconsin Dells Museum at Bowman House (714 Broadway): a 1904 Prairie-style house run by the local historical society, with memorabilia from old Dells attractions. Free, donations welcome, and only open a few afternoons a week.
Dells Escape Rooms: five escape rooms downtown. See every escape room in the Dells.
Dells Ghost Boat (11 Broadway): an after-dark river ride with ghost stories and a walk through a dark canyon.
Bowman Park (727 Broadway): the city park at the east end of Broadway, with a playground, a band shell, basketball courts and restrooms.

Asgard Axe & Tap on Oak Street — Asgard Axe & Tap, a block off Broadway.

Where to eat downtown

Downtown has some of our favorite meals in the Dells. These are the places we've eaten at:

MACS (208 Broadway): mac and cheese in hot skillets. An easy, kid-friendly lunch. Read our MACS review.
Swagat (232 Broadway): excellent Indian food, upstairs on Broadway. Order the biryani. Read our Swagat review.
MarAzul (505 Broadway): a big, two-level Mexican restaurant on east Broadway that goes well beyond Tex-Mex. Read our MarAzul review.
Monk's Bar & Grill (220 Broadway): a long-running burger bar, good for a game day.
El Taco Loco (808 River Rd): a small taco shop a few blocks north, open late on weekends.

The MACS storefront on Broadway — MACS on Broadway.

Biryani at Swagat — The biryani at Swagat.

MarAzul on east Broadway — MarAzul, on the east end of Broadway.

Others on our list downtown include Dells Distillery (206 Broadway) with house spirits and a rooftop patio, Huckleberry's (212 Broadway) for ice cream and pastries, and The Kilbourn Cork (716 Oak St), a wine and bourbon bar. See every downtown restaurant with hours and a map.

Fudge, candy and ice cream

Fudge is a downtown Dells tradition, and you can sample your way down Broadway:

Goody Goody Gum Drop (401 Broadway): a candy shop since 1975 with about 1,000 kinds of sweets, house fudge and taffy, and gelato. We've been.
Original Wisconsin Dells Fudge (108 Broadway): making fudge since 1962.
Wisconsin Dairyland Fudge (216 Broadway): another long-running fudge shop.
Swiss Maid Fudge (743 Superior St): fudge, caramels and brittle made in the shop, and it opens at 9 a.m., handy for a fudge run on the way out of town.
Huckleberry's (212 Broadway): scooped ice cream, sundaes and shakes.

Nightlife downtown

Broadway stays lively on summer nights, with bars, live music and late food. Our Wisconsin Dells nightlife picks list every bar and lounge downtown, and the live music list shows who has music on which nights.

The Tree of Light and other downtown events

Tree of Light: the Dells' big holiday tradition, just off the River Walk. A 55-foot silver maple wrapped in about 65,000 lights, plus around 80 decorated trees. In 2026 it lights up on November 20 and runs nightly from 4:30 to 11 p.m. into mid-January. It's free, and so is downtown parking that time of year. The nearest restroom is at 105 Broadway. See Christmas in Wisconsin Dells.
Wo-Zha-Wa Fall Festival: the big downtown festival every September, with a parade, arts and crafts, a flea market, a street carnival and races. It's free to attend.
Fourth of July: community fireworks at dusk, watched from behind the municipal building at 300 La Crosse St, with a celebration at Elm Street Plaza (350 Broadway) earlier in the evening.

For everything else coming up, see What's On in Wisconsin Dells.

The River Walk path in the evening — The River Walk, home of the Tree of Light.

A little history

Downtown was the town of Kilbourn City, which grew up around the railroad crossing in the 1850s. Photographer H.H. Bennett opened his studio here in 1865, and his pictures of the river's rock formations drew the first tourists. The Kilbourn Dam at the foot of Broadway was finished in 1909, and the town took the name Wisconsin Dells in 1931.

Tips for a downtown day

Pair it with the boat tour. Book an Upper Dells tour, then eat on Broadway before or after.
Go in the evening in summer. It's cooler, the light on the river is beautiful, and Broadway is at its liveliest.
Park once. On a busy day, a $10 lot beats circling for a meter.
Rainy day? Wizard Quest, Wild Fun Zone, Ripley's and the escape rooms are all indoors and within a few blocks. See more rainy day ideas.
Download the Passport Parking app before you go so you can pay and add time from your phone.

FAQ

Is there free parking in downtown Wisconsin Dells?

Downtown parking is paid from April 1 to September 30, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Outside those hours and dates the meters are off, and the visitor bureau lists free parking downtown during the Tree of Light season. The H.H. Bennett Studio also notes free parking on some side streets.

How much is parking in downtown Wisconsin Dells?

Meters are $1.50 an hour, all-day street parking is $15, and city lots are $10 a day, from April 1 to September 30. You can pay at meters, kiosks or with the Passport Parking app.

What app do you use to pay for parking in Wisconsin Dells?

Passport Parking. It works at every paid stall downtown. Enter the zone number on the blue sign and your stall number, and you can add time from your phone. It's free on the App Store and Google Play.

What is there to do in downtown Wisconsin Dells?

The Upper Dells boat tour, the River Walk, Wizard Quest, Wild Fun Zone, Ripley's, the H.H. Bennett Studio in summer, escape rooms, fudge and candy shops, and restaurants like MACS, Swagat and MarAzul.

Is downtown Wisconsin Dells walkable?

Yes. Broadway, the River Walk, the boat docks and most of the restaurants and attractions are within a few blocks of each other.

Where does the Upper Dells boat tour leave from?

From 107 Broadway, at the river end of downtown. The sunset dinner cruise leaves from 11 Broadway.

When is the Tree of Light?

In 2026 it lights up on November 20 and runs nightly from 4:30 to 11 p.m. into mid-January, just off the River Walk. It's free.

More guides

Parking, hours and prices are from the City of Wisconsin Dells, the Wisconsin Historical Society and each business, checked October 2026. Check before you go, since they change.