What’s New in Wisconsin Dells

By Melanie Radzicki McManus | Photo courtesy Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau; pictured: Sands Splash Oasis

Summer is approaching, and for many that means it’s time to plan a trip to Wisconsin Dells, recently ranked one of the nation’s top 10 family vacation spots by U.S. News. With a wealth of possibilities for lodging, entertainment, dining and more, it can be overwhelming to create an itinerary. Here are some options to help you get started.

LODGING

Two new properties are debuting this summer – The Wisconsin Hotel & Conference Center and the Treetop Villas at Mirror Lake. The Wisconsin Hotel is a nod to the Badger State’s farming heritage, with a casual, rural aesthetic that includes timber beams and cupolas. The property’s stand-alone restaurant, Farmer in the Dells, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. It includes an eye-catching, four-story silo bar with an open-air roof.

The four Treetop Villas at Mirror Lake are year-round luxury cabins snugged into a patch of woods overlooking Dell Creek and the northern end of Mirror Lake. Three of the villas can accommodate six guests, while the fourth is built for up to 10 and includes a sauna. Each bedroom in the villas is cantilevered over the sandstone cliffs lining the water, offering pretty views.

The Treetop Villas are opening along with Dawn Manor Restaurant, Bar and Speakeasy. Originally built in 1855 by Captain Abraham Vanderpoel, a personal friend of President Abraham Lincoln, Dawn Manor was moved from its original site nearby – brick by brick – and reconstructed next to the Treetop Villas. The restaurant serves fine-dining fare in its five themed dining rooms, plus boasts a lower-level speakeasy featuring Prohibition-styled cocktails.

ENTERTAINMENT

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is debuting a new outdoor waterpark this summer – Sands Splash Oasis. The Sands, as it’s known, contains a splash pad, water basketball hoops, a dry playground and a ping-pong table. There’s also a full- service snack and cocktail bar.

Over at the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, Aquavia Lumina opened last year to rave reviews. This multimedia, nighttime experience features a mile-long walk through Wilderness Canyon, where thousands of sound and lighting effects reveal a story as you wander along. Another new offering is the Wisconsin Dells Mountain Coaster, the state’s first alpine coaster. The coaster’s winding tracks are tucked into a wooded patch of land. Riders zip and zoom down the tracks in an open-air car, using a hand brake to adjust their pace. The attraction will be open year-round. At Bigfoot Tubing, also a new year-round attraction, riders hurtle down a huge, outdoor slide via inner tubes, where they can hit speeds up to 35 mph, according to the business. Thanks to the slide’s special surface, it can be used both in summer and when the snow falls.

In neighboring Baraboo, a labyrinth is now part of New Life Lavender. The quarter-mile maze, carved through a patch of blooming lavender, offers a fragrant, relaxing adventure. New Life’s shop also sells lavender products and lavender-infused treats, such as lavender ice cream and lavender cherry pie.

Circus World, also in Baraboo, has been a longtime Dells staple. This year the Wisconsin State Historic Site is offering a Wagons and Wine event on August 16. Those who sign on will be able to sample a variety of white and red wines served from a dozen vintage circus wagons while wandering the historic grounds.

DINING

Big Boy restaurants, once a staple on the American dining scene, have largely disappeared, with only a few dozen restaurants remaining from more than 1,000 at its peak popularity. But now, after a 30-year hiatus from Wisconsin, Big Boy is back in the Badger State. The new Big Boy Wisconsin Dells features beloved menu items from the past, such as double-decker hamburgers, fries and shakes. Breakfast items are available, too, and the restaurant is home to the world’s largest collection of Big Boy statues. You may even be able to meet Big Boy himself during your visit. Over at the Hofbrewzhaus & Campsite Beer Garden, you’ll find the Midwest’s largest selection of authentic German beers. Grab a pint along with some German fare, including brats, schnitzel and giant pretzels. The beer garden offers live music, yard games and more chow via a smattering of food trucks.

Pals Brewing Company eschews Deutschland suds in favor of serving small-batch craft beers brewed in Nebraska. A dozen microbrews are on tap, which you can enjoy along with burgers, pizza, appetizers and more. 

Making the Most of Your Visit

To make the most of your Dells visit, consider these tips.

1. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are generally the least busy days in the Dells, so plan to hit the popular waterparks on one (or both) of them. Crowds also tend to thin around suppertime, and when it’s cool and cloudy out. While it’s not as much fun to be at a waterpark in a wet bathing suit on a cool day, the bonus is that when you hit the water, it feels warm!
2. If you’re short on cash, book a room at a smaller motel versus a major waterpark resort. The smaller motels often include passes to Noah’s Ark or other major attractions with your booking. Local campgrounds are another cost-effective option.
3. Don’t forget to enjoy the natural beauty of the Dells when you’re in town, as this is what first made the locale a tourist destination back in the late 1800s. Three state parks showcase some of this beauty, all of which are within a 20-minute drive. Devil’s Lake in Baraboo is Wisconsin’s most popular state park, while Mirror Lake and Rocky Arbor are in town. If you like the water, rent a canoe, kayak, paddleboard or inner tube, all of which allow you to see the Dells’ famous rock formations up close. You can even paddle through some of the formations.
4. If your lodging includes a fully equipped kitchen, check out the Wisconsin Dells farmer’s market, held at Elm Street Plaza in downtown Dells every Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nearby, Country Bumpkin Farm Market offers fresh fruits and veggies, plus fresh baked pies and cookies, cheese, honey, maple syrup, jams and jellies, and more. Kids will enjoy Country Bumpkin’s petting farm and play village, the latter of which showcases more than a dozen options for fun. Think tire and tube swings, tether ball, a zipline, rubber duck races, and a pedal kart and trike raceway.
5. Don’t overlook Baraboo. A mere 20-minute drive from the Dells, Baraboo has really blossomed over the years and includes many prime boutiques, restaurants and cafés. It’s also home to wineries, a distillery, a brewery, lavender farms, Devil’s Lake State Park, Circus World and the International Crane Foundation, the only place in the world where you can see all 15 crane species. While you’re in town, tour the AL. Ringling Mansion and Brewery, where you can sample the Ringling Original, a light beer. During the mansion’s renovation several years ago, workers discovered a wooden box under some floorboards that contained the Ringling family’s personal beer recipe. That prompted the addition of a brewery, where the Ringling Original is the star.