The Wisconsin Dells is an established getaway known for outdoor escapes and family fun, but that hasn’t stopped the locale from breaking virgin ground. In fact, 2016 is a banner year for the Dells when it comes to fresh fun and event venues for planners and groups to consider.
“Wisconsin Dells is known for a winning combination of unconventional meeting spaces plus a chance to squeeze in a family vacation,” says Bianca Johnson, marketing and communications manager for the local VCB. “The addition of SpringHill Suites by Marriott, The Swan Barn Door and Dells Barn Weddings and Events adds to a robust and varied list of options for meetings in “The Waterpark Capital of the World.’”
And that’s really just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the array of recently introduced attractions and venues in the region. Here’s a splashy roundup of the complete flood of new offerings.
Trolley Take-Off
The new Wisconsin Dells Trolley transport launched in 2015 and can be used as easy hop-on/hop-off transport around town—or as a festive tour-provider for your group. There are winery tours every Saturday and Sunday that visit the trio of wineries in the area, as well as special seasonal tours like a Haunted Ghost Trolley Tour. The owner is very accommodating, according to Johnson, and can be contacted for private tours, and the trolley is wheelchair accessible as well.
In addition to the winery tour, groups seeking to let their hair down a bit might also consider the Distillery & Food Pairing Tour or Bloody Mary & Mimosa Tour that makes a stop at the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions for its heralded Sunday brunch.
Exciting Escape
Escape challenges, where teams work together to get out of a room, have really been taking off lately and two new room escapes have been created at Wilderness on the Lake, part of the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort.
These hour-long experiences actually take their cues from factual incidents that took place during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. “The Hotel” will feature a lobby simulation laden with clues and riddles to help guests escape their entrapment. “The Basement” is all about spurring an urgency and confusion as players explore the countless twists of the room while sudden sounds, sights and even animated objects jar their sensibilities.
Free Photo Fun
H.H. Bennett Studio, a state historic site, is now offering complimentary entry to all, thanks to generous grants from the community. The charming venue is the original studio of landscape photographer Henry Hamilton Bennett, who is often credited with helping give the Dells national prominence as a natural treasure.
The studio is a local portal to the past, with a recreated studio section and old-time “stereo photographs” of the region’s outdoor wonders, but also offers modern fun like a digital 3-D “lab” that lets visitors view photos in three dimensions on a computer screen through the use of unique liquid crystal spectacles.
Vineyard Venture
Baraboo Bluff Winery opened to the public in 2015 and boasts superb vistas of the eponymous Baraboo Bluffs. Just a few minutes’ drive outside Wisconsin Dells, the site offers special tastings by appointment for groups of 12 or more, and also loans out picnic blankets for smaller groups seeking to sip some wine and relax alfresco.
The winery is open Thursday through Monday all year, and occasionally works with local eateries to host special wine pairing dinner events.
Tempting Tubing
Christmas Mountain Village recently unveiled Cyber Tubing, the very first snow tubing attraction of its kind in the U.S.
After getting a lift to the top, riders zip through 5,000 feet of fast and furious tubing lanes. As if that alone wouldn’t provide plenty of action, there is also amped-up and rocking music—plus the added effect of color-changing LED lights, lasers, black lights and glow sticks. While safety rules limit downhills runs to one rider per tube, tubes can be connected for the ride down for a shared group experience.
Amped-Up Accommodations
Smaller groups coming to the Dells might want to consider the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott Wisconsin Dells, which opened its doors in February. The hotel features a small meeting room of about 600 square feet with a 40-person capacity, and other bonuses include an indoor pool and workout room.
For groups tying in some family fun to their event, the Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort will be debuting 13 new two-story treehouses later this year. Each unit can sleep up to eight and has playful elements such as an indoor slide extending from its loft down to the main level. Multitiered balconies overlooking a canyon and playground are another nice touch.
Opening A New Door
The Swan Barn Door made its debut this spring as a rustic-but-regal event venue that can handle all manner of functions and events.
Owned and operated by the Swan family—who also planned and supervised its construction—the site can host up to 500 attendees and only leases to one group at a time, so your affair will have full run of the place.
Hotel shuttles can be arranged, and the venue also has a full list of preferred vendors for all purposes, but also allows groups and planners to work with their own vendors if they like. The fabulously restored structure is also fully insulated, meaning drafts won’t be an issue during wintertime event
