We went on the Lower Dells jet boat adventure. This was our favorite part of our trip to The Dells!…read more The price for tickets is $37 per adult. But if you purchase them online you can get $6 off each adult ticket. The price is the same for the lower and upper dells tours. The lower dells tour seems to depart more frequently. The upper dells tour is a little longer. Parking was plentiful for the Lower Dells. There's bench while waiting for the next tour. Be prepared to be soaked. They don't sell ponchos. You will be drenched from the power stops. The spin outs are fun but not as wet. Literally every seat will be wet. No life jackets for adults but children are seated towards the center of rows and do get life jackets. Our tour guide Nate was great. He was very knowledgeable about the scenery. The rock formations are very pretty. Your tour guide gets very close to the rocks. One guy in the front row reached out and was able to touch it. It's a great activity to get a break from the heat. But you should have a change of clothes ready, a towel, a swimsuit on, or be prepared to go back to your hotel for a shower afterwards. It was well worth the ~$30 for the tour. We liked it so much we considered going on the upper dells tour the next day but the timing didn't work out since those tours are more limited.

Our visit to the Wisconsin Dells area began with a journey along the River Walk. To our left was…read morethe scenic Wisconsin River and towering above to our right was the tourist-trap laden Broadway. In between, the River Walk features stories of the citizens of the Dells from the past and present. The stories displayed along the walk perfectly lay out what the Dells are - A narrative of 'loving and protecting' the nature while operating an area that exists solely on the exploitation of said nature. This is where we meet our Upper Dells Boat Tour. The Dells Boat Tours leave from a handful of flights of stairs down from the River Walk to a dock on the river. An elevator from street level is available to access the docks as well. I brought our youngest down the stairs in my arms while my wife brought our other children down in the elevator. Arriving at the front of the dock I was refused a seat as my whole party had not arrived yet. I explained my wife was on route in the elevator and would be joining momentarily, this was met by the greeter with a "We know what we are doing." My wife explained when she made her way down that voyage on a boat was first come first serve and apparently the ability to sit served as a queueing mechanism. Sure! The boat ride itself? Comfortable enough. Old boat, river tour. You know what you are getting. The boat had access to two stops (Witch's Gulch, Stand Rock) for some interaction and up close views of the natural wonders formed in the area. At face value there, the whole tour was pretty good. Nice sites. About two hours of activity. To me though, the tour, and all of the Dells collapses underneath the weight of its own hypocrisy. The guide and captain both carried forward the "We know what we are doing" and "Loving and protecting nature" attitudes introduced at the beginning of this experience, while also contradicting themselves throughout. The tour references George H. Crandall, speaking lightly to his idea that 'No man can own the Dells' and his quest to purchase and preserve as much of the land as possible to promote stewardship over private exploitation. You are then dropped off at a raised platform hammered over the Witch's Gulch area to walk to a concession stand and souvenir shop built onto a paved area. Early on in the tour the guide points out and celebrates a carving into the rocks by Leroy Gates, an early entrepreneur operating Dells Boat Tours, advertising himself and his tours. Later in the tour at Stand Rock, security cameras and warning signs surround some exposed sandstone where curious tourists have etched initials over time. Also carved into that sandstone? Another concession stand where you can purchase a beer or a $55 sweatshirt. Now, I'm not encouraging carving into the rock but these messages feel mixed. Stand Rock also presented a bizarre presentation of a dog jumping over a 5.5 foot chasm up 46 feet in the air, to recreate a famous photograph taken by local H. H. Bennett in 1886. Bennett is celebrated for his early photography work documenting the Dells area and discovering many of the natural wonders. This beauty is yours because others before you loved it - and we honor them by hanging signs everywhere, selling slushies, and installing this safety net between rocks in case something happens when the dog jumps? One of the more disappointing tid-bits passed on by our guide was of the local Ho-Chunk people being formerly known as the Winnebago, which was a name they did not choose for themselves and was ultimately viewed as a slur. The Ho-Chunk had to fight for many years to have their name Federally recognized. This story was told in sort of a jokey fashion, with the English translation of Winnebago landing like a punch line. It was also mentioned later in the tour that one of the Dells Boat Tour vessels includes Winnebago in the name. Near the end of the tour we are pointed toward the Kilbourn Dam which is presented as a historic and wonderful achievement. The Dam split the Wisconsin River and raised the water level of the new 'Upper Dells', which concealed many of the natural structures H. H. Bennett had previously documented. He was a fierce critic of the Dam, and died the year it was built. I am not saying we shouldn't encourage preservation and take the opportunity in our lifetimes to preserve nature for future generations to enjoy. I have loved every visit to a National and State Park and we are teaching our children to do the same. What I would prefer, is that we pick a lane here. You either rally against defacing nature, or you pump tourists up and down a river to your concession stands every 1/2 hour. You know when you meet someone who isn't genuinely presenting as themselves and it makes the whole encounter feel weird? That is essentially the feeling I left the Dells and the Dells Boat Tour with. We declined leaving with a souvenir photo.

What an amazing Wedding Venue! Attended my nieces wedding last night and was really impressed…read more The building and grounds were immaculate and the staff was excellent. We were met in the parking lot by employees who led us to the venue entrance. The weeding took place outside behind the building with a pond and woods in the backdrop. It was a beautiful day and made the occasion even more attractive. I'm sure the pictures will be amazing! Cocktail hour and appetizers were hosted outside the main building partially under an overhang. Games like Cornhole and Large Jenga were available. Music was also piped into the area. Dinner was served in the building which has seating on a main floor and in an upper balcony. There is also a good sized bar in the back. After diner the party was moved back outside so the main dining area could be turned into a dance area. Because the weather was so great I'm pretty sure it never moved back in! Music and dancing outside on a warm summer night was perfect! (And no mosquitoes) Late night pizzas were prepared on a wood fire grill and served to cap off the evening. Voted the best wedding venue many times over. I can see why!

Harvest Moon Pond was the PERFECT place to host our same sex wedding. As a gay couple looking all…read moreover Wisconsin to find the right wedding venue we realized we couldn't take for granted a welcoming and inviting atmosphere, and we got exactly that with Stephanie, Bryan, and Mackenzie. From the second we stepped on the beautiful grounds of HMP we felt seen, wanted, and accepted for who we are. The planning process can be arduous, but the HMP team was there every step of the way to answer questions, provide advice, and respond in real time to changes up to and including the day of the wedding. As a former bartender I had some pointed questions and requests for Brian, he exceeded my expectations both in the guidance he provided in choosing quantities and variety if beverages, but also in the quality of the product they churned out the night of our wedding. Stephanie was so kind and welcoming and knowledgeable. She had recommendations for anything we asked her opinion on and the result thanks to her was a gorgeous day at a gorgeous venue that we could sit back, relax, and enjoy. Mackenzie's attention to detail and accessibility leading up to and on the day of the wedding was phenomenal. We could go on and on about how much we loved working with the HMP team. You hope you only get married once, but these guys made the experience so fun and our day turned out so gorgeous that we'd do it all again if it meant working with this team. If you are a same sex couple, or any couple, looking for a beautiful, welcoming, convenient barn wedding venue, Harvest Moon Pond is the venue for you!

First of all upon our first day, my daughter couldn't use the waterslide because the pool was…read moreoverflowing into other rooms of the pool area, and they turn the water off, then I was told my total bill upon making the reservation and come to my surprise when I went to check in there was an extra $50 charge that was not addressed to me upon my booking and also another additional charge which they claim was the tax. When I asked and showed them that this was the amount that said the total they said yeah that doesn't include the tax amount however it doesn't say that anywhere so that's a big Fail. Then the inside of my room has ripple wallpaper because it looks like the room was half ass done. Then they tell me there's nobody to clean the rooms unless you call and ask for it so making beds, taking out trash and cleaning everything was up to us. No coffee pot in the rooms you have to go up to the front desk and get a cup of coffee and the hot tub has Luwam water at best and you need to go push the button every five minutes to get the Jacuzzi settings going.. this place is a joke not to mention the horrible experience I had at the restaurant. Never again.

Very nice rooms. I like the fact there's no carpet in the rooms. Love the addition of the pool,…read morewater slides and hot tub area. The lobby area is also super cute.

"Hey Lets check it out ". Lazy Sunday adventure , didn't know what to expect and we were pleasantly…read moresurprised! Didn't try any food and only one working at the tasting room so it took a bit to get our bearings. But the wines were so delicious and the attendant knew what I would like by just telling her what I prefer . The bowhunter was the most delicious "grape juice" I've ever tasted , never having a sweet red before , the crowd of people were in a good mood and there was a wedding going on near by . We got pet some goats and admire the scenery . Not too big of a place but just big enough to enjoy the place. I can't wait to go back.

Went Sunday and did the wine tasting . Went with mostly white and all were pretty good. The place…read moreis set up really nice out in country . We sat outside and we brought crackers and cheese and enjoyed the music . What made this place was the server . She had only been there for a short period but she was so kind and answered all our questions. She really made the place great . We will be back.

We had a great tour on Saturday morning at 10am, it went until almost 1pm. Bring the sunscreen and…read morebug spray but leave feeling truly inspired and attuned with nature. Lovely scenery, history and experience.

Nice facility in a nice area. Glad that the shack and surrounding area have been preserved…read more Challenge with this place is that there is so much natural beauty (and great ways to explore it) in the area that this particular facility isn't all that differentiated. If you are in the area for a couple of days, probably shouldn't make the cut in terms of things to experience, but if you have more time to explore the area, definitely a place to check out. Shack is only "open" on Saturday, but that is not really the reason to come to the facility. The hiking trails are open all week and cut through some beautiful ecosystems. I should also add if you are a Leopold fan (or A Sand County Almanac) this is obviously a must visit).

Adults 21 over only that us the first big plus!! Clean rooms at the motel newly renovated old mom…read morepop motel is very clean with big fridge microwave and coffee!! The resort is camping trailer tent or cabins. Pool bar and restaurant bands play outside and its a fun crowd of ALL ages. I have nothing bad to say about this place it was perfect in every way the camp store has everything you need including cigarettes fun boozy booze beer liquor food ice everything it's the perfect place to go in the Dells but no kids waking you up in the morning screaming all day I highly recommend this place over the top highly recommend can't say enough about it. We stayed at the motel of the resort across the road but its all good!!

The good reviews seem to be for the camp grounds...I cannot speak to that we stayed in the "motel"…read more This place is like if your beat up garbage college apartment got handed back over to you. There's holes in the doors, weather strips to the front door missing with gaps big enough for mice! The layout is so bazaar, line when your 12 and have a sleep over and push everything together to build a fort! They say they renovated the whole place, but these rooms have clearly remained unchanged for decades. The beds themselves feel like blocks with basic training sheets and blankets. If you did not serve and therefore are unaware of how that feels...think dusty sandpaper. We are only here for two nights or I would dip and stay at literally any other motel. My favorite part was when we checked in and the "concierge" pleaded to us to just not break the furniture...that's not a good sign! This hotel is for you if plan to get wasted and use the room to crash...but my guess is it's a safe bet to leave the blacklights off!

Wish we could give more than 5 stars! This experience far surpassed my 6-year-old grandson's…read moreexpectations. We got to see a two-headed snake, so many gators, and the biggest snakes we've ever seen. The absolute highlight was when my grandson and his Dad got to hold a gator--he hasn't stopped telling everyone about it since! Definitely a must-see highlight of the Dells.

My son has become Mr Alligstor almost overnight (well it started maybe around May of this year and…read moreapart from his normal video gaming, Alligators -- and to a lesser extent Crocs and Caimans) are his jam. He had been watching science-related videos, reading books, talking alligators and crocs nonstop. We were planning a mini father son trip and I wasn't sure where to go, when to my surprise I saw that Wis Dells had an alligator place! So we actually headed up there from NW Chicagoland for Alligators first...and boy this did not disappoint. The place was surprisingly very clean and not smelly at all--I had a college roommate who bought an old Used car that had a garter snake in it and he kept it and boy did it smell...so this is no small feat to keep it clean with this many reptiles. It was the first thing we did in Wis Dells and my son was there a good couple of hours (entrance was about $20 for us to visit and then you can buy food to feed -- meat packets were very reasonably priced), and also feed alligators, pythons, snapping turtles, alligator snapping turtles, caimans live mice and/or rats depending what the animals needed that day. Thankfully the owners -- lovely people who have been there nearly 30 years -- feed the live animals we don't have to touch them. I'll admit that left me a little squirmish but my son was in heaven. We were there about 2 hours (most folks I imagine last about 30 mins) and my son was really excited to see the animals -- behind closed glass tanks. They have 14 or so gators in the big tank right as you walk in, have an albino alligator (large one too) in a separate tank behind. Several pythons- including a jumbo yellow scary python and one a little smaller next to it. They have turtles, some smaller snakes, and some toads etc in other cages.... I figured we saw all we could ever see that first 2 hours as it isn't the biggest place, but my son really wanted to go back before we left, so we went back 2 days later and I don't know how we missed it on day 1, but they had a photo opportunity to hold an alligator (its mouth is taped for safety) and that was the thrill of my sons life! He's been telling everyone about that post our visit. Overall it was impressive how clean and not smelly the place is, showing the care the handlers/owners take to these animals. One bit of advice, while they have some very brief blurbs on some (not all) of the animals, I'd recommend adding more complete blurbs in the animals like a traditional zoo would. They also have an opportunity to buy alligators (which presumably is legal in Wisconsin) and that is something I'd never recommend -- Thankfully they aren't cheap so kids likely couldn't do that without a parent being involved:). All in all across 2 visits we were there 3.5 or so hours and my son had the absolute best time of his life. I can't thank them enough and they were super great to him answering his questions, etc (especially since on the second visit they were pretty darn crowded but they gave my so. Extra special treatment :) ). A wonderful experience-- and a reminder of the things we parents do for our kids lol - as Id never be there if it was t for my son, let alone be there twice! We will be back too next time we go to the Dells (I hadn't been to the Dells in over 20 years--first time as an adult, and I hadn't a great time, but this was amongst our biggest highlight of the trip)

I visited this gorgeous venue for the Leinenkugel's and Ishnala Beer and Food tasting. All four…read morecourses (seared scallops, seared rack of lamb, seared Kobe Beef and a brioche bread pudding) were fantastic. The venue is a restored barn that has been painstakingly restored and it was truly top breathtaking. Looking forward to attending future events.

My daughter and her fiancé were very excited to book their wedding and reception here. We made an…read moreappointment to visit the venue, ask questions, and revue options. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up being about 30 minutes late for the appointment but still had time to tour. Whenever we asked about different options, setup, etc. we were told to go check them out on Instagram, which I did during the tour - not helpful. Overall it seemed that we were bugging them. Like our being there was an annoyance. At one point my daughter was so upset that she walked away from the group and cried. Hardly the response you want your daughter to have when planning her big day. It's a nice venue with a lot of possibilities. Just don't expect a lot of help from the venue manager. Maybe she was having a bad day. Maybe she was annoyed that we were late. I don't know. What I do know is that they are in the wedding business and that means the bride shouldn't end up in tears because she was treated poorly.