Hidden Dells

Dells Picks

Wisconsin Dells attractions and tours

Boat tours, rides, mini golf, shows and the gloriously weird stuff the Dells is famous for. Filter for rainy days, little kids or teens, and see what's open when you're here.

Popular lists:Mini golf and go-kartsHorseback ridingEscape roomsZip lines and ropes coursesAnimal parks and farms

Hand-picked, not paid. Tap to save. Hours change by season, so check before you go. How the areas fit together

Showing 15 of 58

Boat tours (2)

A dog leaping to Stand Rock on the Upper Dells tour
We've been

Dells Boat Tours (Upper and Lower Dells)

Downtown · Seasonal, about mid-April to early November

Narrated double-deck boat tours on the Wisconsin River: a 2-hour Upper Dells trip with shore stops at Witches Gulch and Stand Rock, or a 1-hour Lower Dells loop.

Ages:
All ages
Allow:
About 1 hour (Lower) or 2 to 2.5 hours (Upper)
Best for:
First-time visitors who want the classic river scenery
Know before you go:
The Upper Dells tour includes two walking stops, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a light layer for the cool canyon air.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention the joking, history-filled narration from the crew and the walk through Witches Gulch.

Hours
  • Mon to Sun: 9:30 am to 3 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Outdoor
  • Kid-friendly
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Buy tickets online
  • Seasonal
Researched

Dells Boat Tours Sunset Dinner Cruise

Downtown · Seasonal, late May to mid-September

An evening Upper Dells cruise of about 2.25 hours with a grilled surf and turf dinner, live music and a torchlit walk through Witches Gulch.

Allow:
About 2.25 hours
Best for:
Couples and adult groups looking for a date night on the river
Know before you go:
Reservations are required; boarding is in the late afternoon from the River Road dock, not the downtown landing.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention the sunset views, the torchlit gulch walk and attentive servers, with a few noting basic plastic seating.

  • Outdoor
  • Evening
  • Adults
  • Reservations
  • Buy tickets online
  • Seasonal

Mini golf (1)

Wild Fun Zone on Broadway, with the giant gorilla over the entrance
We've been

Wild Fun Zone

Downtown · $$ · Year-round

Old school arcade on Broadway with laser tag and 9-hole blacklight mini golf; friendly staff and fair prices.

Ages:
About 5 and up
Allow:
Under 1 hour
Best for:
A quick indoor stop while walking downtown
Know before you go:
Package deals bundle mini golf with laser tag.
Hours
  • Mon to Wed: Closed
  • Thu: 12 pm to 8 pm
  • Fri: 12 pm to 9 pm
  • Sat: 10 am to 9 pm
  • Sun: 10 am to 6 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Kid-friendly
  • Teens
  • Evening
  • Year-round

Museums and oddities (3)

Historic darkroom equipment at the H. H. Bennett Studio

Photo: Jeff the quiet, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Researched

H.H. Bennett Studio

Downtown · Seasonal, late May to late October

State historic site in the preserved studio of photographer H.H. Bennett, whose 1800s images of the river helped launch Dells tourism.

Best for:
Photography and history buffs
Know before you go:
Wisconsin Historical Society members get in free.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention the preserved original studio and a gift shop with prints that feel more authentic than typical souvenirs.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Adults
  • Seasonal
Researched

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Downtown · Year-round

Interactive oddities museum with hidden doors, a mirror maze, slides and a scavenger hunt, now in the former Wizard Quest castle building downtown.

Best for:
Families with school-age kids on a rainy afternoon
Know before you go:
Downtown street parking is metered in summer.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention the hidden passages and slides carried over from the old Wizard Quest, with some finding it shorter than expected.

Hours
  • Mon to Sun: 10 am to 6 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Kid-friendly
  • Teens
  • Year-round
Researched

Wisconsin Dells Museum at Bowman House

Downtown · Free · Year-round, limited days

A 1904 Prairie-style home run by the local historical society, with period rooms and memorabilia from past Dells attractions.

Best for:
Nostalgic visitors and local history fans
Know before you go:
Open only a few afternoons a week; admission is free with donations welcome.
Hours
  • Mon to Wed: Closed
  • Thu to Fri: 1 pm to 4 pm
  • Sat to Sun: Closed

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Free
  • Rainy day
  • Adults
  • Year-round

Indoor fun (7)

Axe throwing lanes at Asgard
We've been

Asgard Axe & Tap and Underworld Arcade

Downtown · Year-round

Viking-themed downtown spot with 14 axe-throwing lanes, a 24-tap bar and food upstairs, and an unlimited-play retro arcade downstairs.

Ages:
10 and up for axe throwing
Best for:
Teens, adult groups and bachelor or bachelorette parties
Know before you go:
Axe throwers must be 10 or older.
Hours
  • Mon to Thu: 4 pm to 10 pm
  • Fri: 12 pm to midnight
  • Sat: 11 am to midnight
  • Sun: 11 am to 9 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Evening
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Year-round
The airship inside Wizard Quest
We've been

Wizard Quest

Downtown · Year-round

A 30,000-square-foot fantasy labyrinth where teams use a tablet to solve riddles, find hidden doors and complete quests across multiple floors.

Ages:
7 and up
Best for:
Families with kids 7 and up who like puzzles
Know before you go:
Each team needs someone 16 or older, there are lots of stairs and narrow passages, and no outside food or drink is allowed.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention the detailed theming and secret passages, challenging puzzles even for adults, and slow lines at check-in.

Hours
  • Mon to Sun: 10 am to 6 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Kid-friendly
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Buy tickets online
  • Year-round
Researched

Arcade PvP & Slingshot Bar

Downtown · $ · Year-round

Downtown arcade bar with games, drinks and pizza that welcomes families until 9 pm and turns 21-plus after that.

Best for:
Families early, adults late
Know before you go:
Kids must be out by 9 pm, when it becomes 21 and over.
Hours
  • Mon to Wed: Closed
  • Thu: 4 pm to 10 pm
  • Fri to Sat: 11 am to 2:30 am
  • Sun: 11 am to 10 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Evening
  • Kid-friendly
  • Teens
  • Adults
Researched

Chalet Lanes & Lounge

Downtown · $ · Year-round

Downtown bowling alley with bumper bowling for kids, a game room, pizza and sandwiches, and a 'Rock & Bowl' setup with lights and fog.

Ages:
All ages
Best for:
Families and groups on a rainy evening
Know before you go:
Saturday DJ nights run late, so families may prefer earlier in the day.
Hours
  • Mon to Thu: 11 am to midnight
  • Fri to Sat: 11 am to 2:30 am
  • Sun: 11 am to midnight

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Evening
  • Kid-friendly
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Year-round
Researched

Dells Escape Rooms

Downtown · Year-round

Downtown escape room company with five live-action games built on teamwork and logic puzzles.

Allow:
About 1 hour
Best for:
Groups downtown looking for an hour indoors
Know before you go:
Book ahead on weekends and in summer.
Hours
  • Mon to Thu: 1 pm to 6:30 pm
  • Fri: 11 am to 10 pm
  • Sat: 10 am to 10 pm
  • Sun: 10 am to 7:30 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Reservations
  • Year-round
Researched

Dells Mining Co.

Downtown · $$ · Year-round

Downtown gem and fossil panning with buckets sifted indoors, plus stone identification and optional cutting and jewelry mounting.

Best for:
Kids who like rocks and treasure hunting
Know before you go:
Basic buckets start around $20; premium buckets and stone cutting add significant cost, so set a budget first.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention kids enjoying the sifting, with mixed views on the value of the higher-priced buckets.

Hours
  • Mon to Tue: 10 am to 5 pm
  • Wed: Closed
  • Thu to Sun: 10 am to 5 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Kid-friendly
Researched

The Haunted Mansion

Downtown · $ · Seasonal, about March to November

Old-school downtown haunted walk-through with animatronics, dark tight spaces and jump scares, but no live actors.

Allow:
About 10 minutes
Best for:
Kids and teens who want a quick scare
Know before you go:
It is a short walk-through with no restroom inside, and tickets run about $7.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention it is quick, cheap and campy, with a few good jump scares and some tight dark passages.

Hours
  • Mon: 11 am to 6 pm
  • Tue to Thu: Closed
  • Fri to Sun: 11 am to 6 pm

Hours change by season. Check before you go.

  • Indoor
  • Rainy day
  • Kid-friendly
  • Teens
  • Seasonal

Night experiences (2)

Researched

Dells Ghost Boat

Downtown · Seasonal, nightly late May to Labor Day, then fall weekends through late October

An after-dark boat ride to Cold Water Canyon, then a one-mile haunted walk through the canyon with live scare actors, fog and strobe effects.

Allow:
About 1.5 hours
Best for:
Teens and adults who like a real scare; not recommended for kids under 10
Know before you go:
Reservations are required. The canyon walk is a mile of narrow, rocky paths in the dark, so wear sturdy shoes; no strollers, wheelchairs or pets.
  • Outdoor
  • Evening
  • Teens
  • Adults
  • Reservations
  • Buy tickets online
  • Seasonal
Researched

Elm Street Plaza

Downtown · Free · Live music in summer; plaza open year-round

Downtown public plaza with free live music most summer nights, a concession stand, seating, public restrooms and seasonal farmers markets.

Ages:
All ages
Best for:
A free, low-key evening downtown
Know before you go:
The plaza has free public restrooms; parking in the lot behind it is paid.

From public reviews: Reviewers often mention the free nightly music and the clean public restrooms.

  • Outdoor
  • Free
  • Evening
  • Kid-friendly
  • Seasonal

List last updated Oct 2026.

Wisconsin Dells attractions, in short

The Dells was a tourist town long before the waterparks. Boat tours have been running up the Wisconsin River to Witches Gulch and Stand Rock since the 1800s, the Ducks have splashed into the river since 1946, and the Parkway filled up with go-karts, mini golf and gloriously odd roadside attractions after that. All of it is still here, along with newer things like Aquavia Lumina, escape rooms and zip lines.

Downtown Broadway has the Upper Dells boat docks, Ripley's and plenty to walk between. The Parkway (Hwy 12) running south toward Lake Delton is where you'll find the Ducks, Mt. Olympus, go-karts and most of the mini golf, and the zip lines, animal parks and horseback riding are spread out in the countryside a few minutes away.

A lot of the outdoor attractions run from spring to fall and close for the winter, while the indoor ones stay open all year. Each card shows its season and whether it's open today, and you can set your month at the top of the page to hide what's closed while you're here.

Questions

What are the best attractions in Wisconsin Dells?

If you only do one, make it the Upper Dells boat tour with its walk through Witches Gulch. Our other favorites are Lost Canyon, Aquavia Lumina at night, Pirate's Cove mini golf and Wizard Quest for kids. Everything we've done ourselves is marked We've been on the cards.

What is there to do in Wisconsin Dells besides waterparks?

Plenty: boat and Duck tours on the river, Lost Canyon, hiking at Devil's Lake and Mirror Lake, mini golf, go-karts, zip lines, animal parks, magic and dinner shows, and museums. Our guide to things to do besides waterparks has the full rundown.

Which Wisconsin Dells attractions are open in winter?

The indoor ones stay open all year, including Wizard Quest, Tom Foolerys, Ripley's, Tommy Bartlett Exploratory, the escape rooms, Asgard Axe and the magic and dinner shows. Aquavia Lumina runs every night, Bigfoot has snow tubing, and two zip lines run all year. Most boat tours, go-karts and mini golf close for the winter, so set your month at the top of the page to see what's open.

What can you do in Wisconsin Dells on a rainy day?

Tap the Rainy day filter for everything indoors: Wizard Quest, Tom Foolerys, escape rooms, axe throwing, arcades, Ripley's, Tommy Bartlett Exploratory and the shows. Our rainy day guide has more ideas, including the indoor waterparks.

Do you need tickets in advance for Dells attractions?

For most of them, no. The regular boat tours, the Ducks, mini golf and go-karts are walk-up. Book ahead for Aquavia Lumina time slots, the Ghost Boat, the sunset dinner cruise, escape rooms, zip lines and dinner shows, especially on summer weekends.

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