Waterparks to Axe Throwing: Indoor Things to Do in Wisconsin Dells in Winter | USA
When it comes to Midwest Winter Getaways, Wisconsin Dells in Wisconsin is a great option. There’s a huge range of indoor activities and attractions that are fun for the whole family. Anyone from the Midwest will know how touch and go the weather can be in the winter! I’ve personally visited in December and I’m now sharing my favourite things to do in winter!
Disclosure: I do my best to try and keep information up-to-date but please check direct with businesses for current opening times and prices.
Wisconsin Dells Winter Activities
In This Guide
Wisconsin Dells Winter FAQs
Is Wisconsin Dells good in the winter?
Yes! Wisconsin Dells is good in the winter! There are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy, as well as outdoor winter activities, just dress appropriately for the weather!
What is winter like at Wisconsin Dells?
Winter in the Wisconsin Dells experiences typical Midwest weather. During the height of winter averages lows can be -14F and average high temperatures of -4F. There are many indoor attractions, including waterparks that are heated to comfortable temperatures.
Does Wisconsin Dells close for winter?
The outdoor waterparks and some other outdoor Wisconsin Dells attractions and businesses close during the winter months.
Is Wisconsin Dells open all year-round?
Many activities and accommodation providers are open year round.
Indoor Waterparks and Resorts
You can’t talk about Wisconsin Dells and not mention the awesome indoor waterparks and resorts! They are jammed packed with multiple indoor activities. Two of the largest resorts are the Wilderness vs The Kalahari.
A plus with the Kalahari is that they offer day passes, meaning that you could potentially stay at a cheaper hotel. The Wilderness is spread out across several different buildings, however they are all connected via indoor walkways.
Waterparks
When staying at the resort, you have the benefit of having your room close to the waterparks. It doesn’t matter if you’re wet, everywhere is heated!
I personally think the Kalahari has the best indoor water park, especially if you’re an adult visiting the Wisconsin Dells. They have a large selection of extreme water slides!
If you want to pretend you are somewhere warmer than the Midwest, the Wild WaterDome at the Wilderness has some fun features. It has a see-through roof, filling the park with natural light and apparently you can tan year round! There are many sun loungers, a swim-up bar, indoor private cabanas to rent and it is home to America’s largest indoor wave pool.
*Note – The Wild West waterpark at Wilderness Resort is sometimes shut Monday to Thursday during the winter season. The other 3 parks are open daily. Check the website for opening hours.*
Indoor Activities
As well as the indoor waterparks, there are plenty of other indoor activities at the resorts. Each resort has their own ‘selling’ points but they all have a wide variety of things to do on offer.
If it happens to be snowing, having everything under one roof at the resorts, is very handy. There’s no need to keep clearing snow off the car or to go out on the roads. They all have eating and drinking options too.
The waterparks are included as part of the room rates, however the other indoor activities often have an additional surcharge.
These include:
- indoor amusement parks
- indoor go karts
- mini golf
- arcades
- escape rooms
- pottery painting
- play areas
- and more!
Tom Foolerys Adventure Park
Tom Foolerys Adventure Park in the Kalahari has a range of different activities that are available for both guests AND non guests. This is a great option for those that are staying off-site and want access to a range of different family friendly indoor activities. The Wilderness has similar attractions, but they are ONLY available to guests staying at their hotel.
You can purchase all day admission passes, or the attractions can be paid for individually. For example, the Meteorace, a 2 story elevated go kart track, cost $6 per person.
Mini Golf
There are several different indoor mini golf courses in the Wisconsin Dells. Both the Kalahari and the Wilderness have black light mini golf courses, which gives a fun extra element to mini golf! Of course the Kalahari course ‘Legends of the Lost Jungle‘ is animal themed like the rest of the resort. The ‘Wild Abyss‘ course at the Wilderness is tropical aquarium themed!
Pottery Painting
I really enjoyed Polka Dot Pots at The Wilderness Resort. They have a wide selection of pottery sculptures and pieces that you can spend as little or as long as you want painting them. I spent hours on mine, painting my website logo!
The pieces are put in the kiln overnight and they are ready for collection the following day. It’s a nice relaxing activity to wind down with.
Christmas
In the lead up to Christmas, many of the Wisconsin Dells resorts have special offers and winter activities.
These include:
- meeting Santa
- cookie decorating
- making ornaments
- Christmas dinner buffets
Of course the resorts also have their Christmas decorations on display!
Spas
For adults, a spa break in the Wisconsin Dells could be an option for a great winter activity! The Kalahari has its own spa on site or somewhere like the Sundara Inn & Spa is a whole spa and wellness resort. When the temperature outside is freezing cold, a sauna is a great way to warm up!
Wizard Quest
- 💰Adult (12yrs+): $29.99 | Child (3-11yrs): $19.99
- 🕚Open Friday to Monday (closed Tues – Thurs)
One of my personal favourite things to do in winter in Wisconsin Dells, is Wizard Quest! Wizard Quest moved to a bigger location in November 2021. It’s an interactive scavenger hunt that uses tablets which display riddles and clues.
There are 2 quests with different levels of difficulty. It’s unique in the way that everyone is playing within the same magical labyrinth, yet they could be on a completely different quest!
There are hidden passage ways, tunnels and slides. The Odyssey Quest has some challenges that require the use of a UV flashlight. This can be purchases for an addition cost (and then reused on return views), or these particular activities can be skipped. There’s still plenty that can be completed without out!
Even if visiting as adults, the Freedom Quest is HARD. You have to see how many wizards you can ‘free’ without 120 minutes.
Wizard Quest can be combined with entrance to Ripley’s Believe It of Not. Purchasing a combo ticket for both indoor attractions will save visitors $16.
Tommy Bartlett’s Exploratory
- 💰Adult: $16 | Child (5-11yrs): $13
- 🕖Winter hours: 10am – 4pm
Another indoor attraction is Tommy Barlett’s Exploratory. This is a hands on interactive science museum with over 175 fun activities and experiments. There’s just a short outdoor walkway that connects the buildings together, but the rest is all inside. A whole area of the museum is dedicated to space exploration and the space station.
Some of the experiments are a little on the tricky side, so this Wisconsin Dells winter activity may be suited for those with older children or adults.
Asgard Axe Throwing
- 💰30 minutes: $30 per person
- 🕖Hours: 11.30am until 11.30pm (may close earlier on league days)
A sport that is increasing in popularity is axe throwing! At Asgard Axe Throwing, anyone over the age of 10 can take part! They have different graphics/targets that are projected onto the wooden board. This gives you plenty of choice from different challenges! I tried axe throwing, but I wasn’t very good.
For 2 people we found that 30 minutes was plenty of time for us sharing a lane. If you are a larger group or family, 1 hour may be a better option. The longer option also gives you access to more of the ‘targets’, there’s limited options available for those with 30 minutes. They also have an ‘unlimited’ arcade, pizza and sandwiches and 28 beers on tap!
Christmas in the Dells Dinner Show
- 📅Tuesday to Sunday throughout November & December
A brand new winter activity is the ‘Christmas in the Dells Dinner Show’! Running almost every day throughout November and December, this experience is a full on production with pyrotechnics, lasers and lights, celebrating all things Christmas. The cast figure skaters, singers, dancers and more!
For an additional fee, Santa is available for photos during the interval and straight after the show.
A 4-course Christmas dinner is included in the ticket price. The show plus dinner lasts just under 3 hours, with the meal sitting starting 45 minutes before show time. The main show starts at 7pm and on select days there is a lunch time show at 2pm.
Reasons to Return in the Summer!
I’ve shared some of the things to do in Wisconsin Dells in winter, however there are LOADS of reasons to return in the warmer months! The outdoor waterparks are one big reason (open from Memorial Day to Labor Day)!
I’ve mentioned some of the resorts that have indoor waterparks but these same places also have large outdoor ones too!
The wildlife parks are open during the warmer months. The outdoor mini golf courses aren’t filled up with snow, they close around early November until the middle of March. For river adventures, the Duck Boat tours operate between mid-March to mid-November.
One of my favourite restaurants for a buffet breakfast is ‘Paul Bunyans Cook Shanty‘, however this is closed during the off season.
About the Author – Kylie
My travels have taken me to over 50 countries worldwide (& I lived in USA for 4yrs). I hold a BTEC National Diploma in Travel & Tourism (triple distinction) and have been writing on Between England & Everywhere since 2015.
Expert in: Adventure travel🎢, beach destinations🏖️, and packing light (mid-budget backpacker)🎒
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Last Updated on May 23, 2025