The Wisconsin Dells area is 19.5 square miles in size, with just over 5,200 permanent residents.
The Water Factory, a water attraction with fun water sprays ideal for little ones, launched the waterpark craze in Wisconsin Dells, when Polynesian Resort Hotel owner Stan Anderson decided to put a roof over it in 1994. It still stands today, and Anderson still runs the business.
There are more than 15.7 million gallons of water in the area’s more than 20 waterparks.
Wisconsin Dells has more hotel rooms than any other city in Wisconsin, numbering more than 8,000. It also has 18 campgrounds with nearly 3,200 campsites.
There are more than 400 businesses in the area, many run by second and third generations.
In the last three years alone, these business owners have literally pumped in hundreds of millions of dollars in new attractions and expansions.
Accommodations
- There are more than 40 Wisconsin Dells properties that welcome guests with pets. Options include campgrounds, hotels, motels, resorts, condos and cottages.
- More than 20 indoor waterpark/water playground properties reside in Wisconsin Dells, the highest concentration of these facilities in the world.
- The Polynesian Resort Hotel & Suites was the first property in the nation to introduce the indoor waterpark concept in 1994.
Waterpark Facts
- Kalahari Waterpark Resort Convention Center is the largest indoor waterpark in the United States at 125,000 square feet.
- Noah's Ark is America's largest waterpark, spanning 70 acres with five million gallons of water and three miles of waterslides.
- Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort's indoor and outdoor waterpark space combined equals that of six football fields.
- Largely due to the addition of indoor waterparks, visitor spending in Wisconsin Dells between the off-peak months (September through April) has gone from $125.7 million in 1997 to almost $500 million in 2006, a 267% increase.
Dining Facts
- Ishnala Supper Club sells more than four tons of prime rib between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
- Monks Bar & Grill uses more than 36,000 lbs. of fresh ground beef per year for burgers.
- The Cheese Factory Restaurant has its own cookbook, which is one of the top-selling vegetarian cookbooks on the Internet.
- Moosejaw Pizza & Dells Brewing Co. can brew 15 to 30 barrels of beer per day (500 to 1,000 gallons).
Meeting & Convention Facts
- More than 2,500 meetings are held annually
in Wisconsin Dells.
- More than 400,000+ square feet of meeting space
is available in Wisconsin Dells.
- Largest meeting facility (combined/flexible
space) is Chula Vista Resort with 200,000 square feet. Kalahari
Waterpark Resort Convention Center offers 100,000 square feet.
Visitor Facts
- Visitors can obtain Wisconsin Dells travel
information from the Wisconsin Dells Visitor &
Convention Bureau by calling 1-800-223-3557,
visiting the web at wisdells.com or by
e-mailing info@wisdells.com.
- Visitors driving to Wisconsin Dells can access
the area from exits 85-92 on Interstate 90/94.
- Nearest airports include Dane Co. Regional
Airport in Madison, Wis. (55 miles), General
Mitchell International in Milwaukee, Wis. (116
miles) and O'Hare International in Chicago, Ill.
(188 miles).
- Greyhound and Amtrak services are available to
Wisconsin Dells.
