Wisconson Dells

[Hoosiergal Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hoosiergal]

I have reservaitons at Christmas Mountain over fall break, (Oct 22-25). This will be our first time there, to Wisconson. Is this a good time to go & what will there be to do if anything. I know lots of indoor water parks. It will be DH, myself, and if my boys go, they are 21, 19,17 & 13. Any suggestions?

Can anyone help me out?

TIA
Bev

[tfkaparks Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tfkaparks]

Mt. Olympus is an option. I took a quick look at there web site and I am unsure if there go karts and such run in October. Welcome To Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park, Wisconsin Dells

Also there are the ducks...

I am going to be at Christmas Mt. this weekend and will be able to post more later...

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

What kind of things do you like to do? There are a lot of museums and touristy things there open year-round but with reduced hours. Most of the boat tours won't be running but I think it will be very pretty that time of year - however, I'm a autumn lover, so many might not agree.

Depending on the weather, there are a number of national parks and natural area kind of things you can hike through, many of them linked from here:

STEWARDS OF THE DELLS OF THE WISCONSIN RIVER

If your boys think checking out tesla coils, an electrical Jacob's Ladder (also known as a climbing spark), a Van de Graaff generator or the MIR space station sound interesting, they'd probably enjoy the Exploratory. Much of it is set up for younger kids and they'll find the entry goofy, but there's good stuff for older ones there if they're into electronics or space.

I've heard good things about Wizard Quest, but we haven't gotten there. You collect clues to solve puzzles, and it's supposed to be fun for all-adult groups as well as for kids. You have enough people in your family for two teams, so if competition will serve as an incentive to your boys them involved you'd probably like it, but if competition leads to strife I'd give it a pass.

Top Secret gets dreadful reviews (apparently it's a poorly done haunted house), but we had a fun time poking around the facade outside - then again, we watch "making of" kinda movies, so we're into that sort of thing.

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

I posted last night but I suspect my computer ate it, however this may end up being repeat...

What kind of things do you like to do? I think the Dells area is beautiful and I'm an autumn person, so I'd be wanting to hike a bit. There are a lot of state parks and state natural areas if that appeals to you; there's one out on River Road, State Natural Area 283 (actually there are two parking lots I guess but I only know the one out by Witches Gulch). Not too far away are Devil's Lake State Park, Parfrey's Glen, Natural Bridge, etc. Stewards of the Dells' area visitors page lists most of them I think.

If your boys are into electronics or space exploration, Tommy Bartlett's Exploratory might appeal to them. There's a tesla coil, Jacob's ladder (also know as an electrical climbing spark), a Van der Graaff machine, and the MIR space station. They'll find the entry goofy and some of the displays kid's stuff but there's some good stuff for older ones in there.

They also might enjoy Wizard's Quest, which we didn't get to this last time but comes highly recommended even for all-adult groups. Don't go if anyone of you hates fantasy, but it appeals to people who like to solve puzzles, are into live D&D, or enjoy competition (since you have enough people for two teams).

I do NOT recommend Top Secret - it's apparently a poorly done haunted house, never seen a positive review of it - but we enjoyed poking around the outside of the building to compare "drive-by view" to what they actually did. If your boys are into "making of" kind of stuff you might stop and poke around - there's some breakage at the street end and then you can go back behind and get a good idea of what it's made of and whatnot.

There are various museums I haven't checked out yet - Objects of Torture, Circus World - that will still be open, although more limited hours, and I know the Rick Wilcox Magic show will still be going on Saturday nights, which gets good reviews but looked pricey to us, however if you're leaving that Saturday that won't work. There should be plenty to do, anyhow.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

There is a nice winery not too far from the Dells, Wollersheim Winery.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

One hour away is House on the Rocks, an interesting place and you could also do a tour of Frank Llyod Wrights Taleisin whle in Spring Green.

Circus World Museum will have the exhibits but none of the shows.

Devil's Lake State Park will be beautiful if the leaves are still changing. Parfrey's Glen is near it and worth the trip.

Knucklehead's bowling alley and arcade.

boats will probably not be out, but maybe the ducks will be.

Mt. Olympus if it is open.
Indoor water parks.

you might have beautiful weather and you might have cold weather.

the Rick Wilcox Magic show is good, well done.

Hobbitress, I am so happy to see someone else posting about the beautiful atural sites in the dells.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

Don't mention House on the Rocks if my wife is around. She will come up with something like "Biggest pile of crap I have ever seen". I'll admit, my first time through was much better than my most recent time through. The "house" is fine, it is the extra stuff that went to the really weird category.

We will also be there in Oct. Maybe we will take in the magic show. In all the years going to the Dells or CMV, we haven't done the magic show.

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

Hobbitress, I am so happy to see someone else posting about the beautiful natural sites in the dells.

I think it's a lovely area, on the whole, and there's also some very dramatic stuff. My kids had to practically drag me out of Witches Gulch; I could hang out there for a good long while.

Witches Gulch

It's just not the same coming there with a boat tour - best enjoyed with only a few, IMHO. You can get there following the directions on that site but I didn't mention it before because I don't expect it's technically open at this point - you pay at the concession stand and that'll be closed. I've heard of people hiking in from the road off season; I don't know if that's considered trespassing or not, since it's in some sense public property. I know Stand Rock was closed off to anyone not on a boat tour this year but that may be private land.

Most of that area I consider beautiful, but Witches Gulch is just stunner. I hesitated to post it, though, because I don't know if it's open, but I decided the pics here were too good to not sure. I bet it's incredible in the fall, with golden light and all...

[bfdretired Member Find all posts View Profile Close bfdretired]

we will be in the dells sept 14-18th thanks to all who posted....we always enjoy CMV. House in the rock is amazing....a must see....should be a great ride with all the colors and you can plan a full day......whitches gultch sounds good will have to check it out......if you go for update they will give you a few bucks for muligans the rest on site which is very good.......enjoy your trip
john

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

Mulligans is the bar area.
PInewood Bistro is the restaurant and is not open Mon thru Wed. Menu is much smaller than it used to be. Pasta bar on Thurs.
I used to eat at Mulligan's two or three times a week. I have not been in the Pinewood Bistro since it opened summer before last.
Witches gulch is probably inaccessible, but you can try.
Coldwater Canyon is beautiful too, but it is closed off to the public by the DNR.

another place that we always enjoy is the International Crane Foundation.

[btcctomtb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close btcctomtb]

4 Boys Ages 21, 19,17 & 13 --I hope you got one of the big units. I was looking at the same Prop for fall break and was seeing cabins that are about 650 sq. ft and 1 bath with 2 bedrooms -- Did you book Using bonus time. Still trying to make plans.

[Hoosiergal Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hoosiergal]

No, I booked using blue/white points. I have alot! (I also have to book when the younger two aren't in wrestling season) I think it starts around Nov 1 - goes thru end of Feb. I don't have the reservation with me - its at home. I just want to try something relatively close to Indy & we've never been to Wisconsin. I think its about 6-7hr drive which is fine. Nothing really close to Indy. Gatlinburg, Branson, Moutain Boyne, Dells are closest. Wish we were closer to either southeast coast/or Florida but thats way tooo long of a drive for a short 3 day get away.

I hope the leaves are still changing - it will be late October.

Bev

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

I'm glad to hear all about the natural areas. That's what I love. Looking forward to going there someday. shaggy

[swirg53 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close swirg53]

I just have to share my Witch's Gulch story! We were in the Dells in October one year and the lower Dells boat tours were already done for the season (and I think they were done this year before the season started because of the flooding causing the emptying of the lake), but as a kid it was the Upper Dells Boat tour we had taken previously and wanted my son and hubby to see that anyway.

When we bought tickets, they told us this was the last day the boats were running and we were on the morning boat and as long as the weather held the rain off, they would still have one more tour that afternoon.

My hubby and I were snapping pics all over Witch's Gulch and we had been warned to get back to the boat in time. As we came around the last corner to the dock, there was the boat LEAVING! We screamed.....our son who was on the boat (and I should say ADULT son [but he has Asperger's Syndrome--sort of a mild autism to put it in easy terms]) said later the captain had just done it as a joke; well, it didn't sound like it when he told us he didn't know we were left behind..................I had said to our son, "Why didn't you tell him to wait????" So that's when he told me it was a joke. Anyway, obviously they turned back and got us....they weren't really very far from the dock.........................besides, I had seen the little store with cars on the other side of the "caves" and so I knew there was a way to get back if we did get left behind, but then we would miss that dog jumping across for the meat on the other side (stand rock).

But anyway, there was NO boat tour that afternoon due to a torrential rain storm..............kind of a creepy feeling then to know we would have been stranded and at the mercy of those other people at the store/concession stand.

When we were there another time last November, we took a drive and I saw the place where you could drive in and pay to go back there, but it was closed off, I believe. It certainly wasn't well advertised however. That very much surprised me.

[dmbrand Member Find all posts View Profile Close dmbrand]

We took the upper Dells boat trip this past June....I enjoyed it! Witch's Gulch is great; fascinating that they started that tour waaayy back in the early 1900's.
Another activity to look into....the Hypnosis show by the Wilde couple. It is a bit cheesy, but our group of two 19, 17, and 16 year olds loved it. They wanted to go back another night. My son almost was hypnotized right in his seat in the audience. We also hit the mini-golf courses, another favorite with us. DawnB