Give yourself the shivers by climbing aboard the Dells’ Ghost Boat, where you’ll ply the inky waters of the Wisconsin River for 90 minutes, listening to haunting tales rasped out by a bloody goon. As you cruise along, the mute captain blows the boat’s shuddering horn, which echoes eerily along the river. Occasionally, dim figures appear on shore, pointing or...
In the Dells, you never know what you’re going to find. A tiny nook on Broadway Street cradles the Bavarian Village, a German-themed miniature town square containing a fountain, candy shop, restaurant, cheese store and the popular glockenspiel. The glockenspiel, or carillon, plays a melodious tune on its bells every half-hour on the hour, along with a recitation of The...
One of just a handful of illusionists in the world working with tigers year-round, Jeremy Allen of Jeremy Allen’s Grand Illusions incorporates his white Siberian tigers into select performances. His +60-minute shows, held in a Mayan jungle-themed theater, include a mix of magic tricks and comedy. The theater is intentionally on the smaller side so you feel like you’re almost on stage with Allen....
If you’re taking a Duck tour for the scenery, stick with the Original Wisconsin Ducks. It offers the best Duck route in town. The 60-minute tour begins in a patch of forest near the Wisconsin River, first passing discarded concrete statues that once graced the Chicago Board of Trade. (Odd, but interesting.) Then you dip into cool, leafy Fern Dell,...
The Rick Wilcox Magic Theater offers a 90-minute magic and comedy show. Master illusionists Rick and Suzan Wilcox run the top-quality performance. If you go, you’ll see people disappear, float in the air and maybe even be cut in half. Or appear to be. The show adds new illusions annually. It also features a lot of audience participation — always...
The Tommy Bartlett Ski, Sky and Stage Show is +50 years old. And guests still love it. The 90-minute show’s first half features waterskiers showcasing fast-paced trick skiing, barefooting and jumps. They also perform flips, pyramids and high-powered boat maneuvers. During the second half of the show, a series of international acts perform for about 10 minutes each. Popular acts...
One of the more unique experiences in the Dells is the Thunder Valley Farm Dinner Show. The show is held at Thunder Valley, a country farm a little outside the downtown Dells. The Nelson family owns the farm, and also operates Thunder Valley Inn. Shows start off with a casual meal: think pot roast with sauteed onions, mashed potatoes and...
You don’t need a smart phone to find Wild Fun Zone. Just go downtown and look for King Kong towering over Broadway. The spacious, well-maintained attraction features loads of arcade games, bumper cars, laser tag and 3D mini golf. The first floor is the home of the arcade, which features the popular Daytona racers, where four people can square off...
If you want to experience something truly different while you’re here, Paul Bunyan’s Lumberjack Show is a great choice. After all, how often do you watch competitive lumberjacking? Did you even realize it’s a competitive collegiate and professional sport? The 75-minute show mainly features two teams of lumberjacks and lumberjills competing against once another in 10 challenges. Challenges involve sawing,...
Duck tours are the quintessential Dells experience. There are two Duck companies in town. Both offer 60-minute trips for essentially the same price that feature splashdowns in the Wisconsin River and Lake Delton. While in the river, the drivers point out various rock formations in between dishing up campy jokes; a pitch for tips, via the purchase of postcards and...
Wizard Quest is an interactive game in which you’re given 90 minutes to find the answers to numerous questions and riddles. When you find the answers, you earn points which then allows you to find and free four hidden wizards. The game is harder than you’d think. While it’s not too difficult to answer some questions, others are pretty challenging....