Theme guide
Family fun
Wisconsin is unusually good for families with children, largely because so much of it is water, and the rest is indoor water. Here is what works, what costs too much, and what to do when it rains.
Wisconsin Dells, planned properly
The Dells has more indoor waterpark space than anywhere else on earth, and about four large resorts dominate. It is the obvious family destination and it deserves the reputation — but it is easy to spend a lot of money for a mediocre day.
- Buy day passes, not rooms, unless you are staying two nights. Most resorts sell day entry, and it is far cheaper than a night in a suite you barely use.
- Go midweek in term time. Tuesday to Thursday rates in January can be half the weekend rate, and the queues are shorter.
- Check height restrictions before you promise anything. They vary by park and by slide.
- Bring towels and a lock for a locker. Both are usually charged separately.
- Balance the waterpark with the gorge. One boat tour or cave tour makes the trip feel like a holiday rather than a shopping centre with slides.
Full detail on the Wisconsin Dells guide.
Lake and Great Lakes beaches
Wisconsin has thousands of public swimming beaches, most free, most with a lifeguard in July and August. The ones worth planning around:
- Bradford Beach, Milwaukee — a wide Lake Michigan beach ten minutes from downtown, with real sand and a buoyed swimming area.
- Devil's Lake — two beaches in the state park, busy but well organised, with shallow water at the north end.
- Big Bay State Park, Madeline Island — a sand beach on Lake Superior, which is bracing but beautiful.
- Kohler-Andrae State Park — dunes and a long Lake Michigan beach north of Milwaukee, with a boardwalk trail.
- Mirror Lake, near the Dells — clear spring-fed water and a small sandy beach, five minutes from the resort strip.
Lake safety, briefly
Inland lakes are usually calm and shallow near shore. Lake Michigan is not: rip currents form on windy days and the shelf drops quickly. Swim near a lifeguard, and keep children within arm's reach on the Great Lakes even when it looks flat.
When it rains
- Cave tours — the Dells, Blue Mounds and the lead-mining district all have commercial caves; they are dry, cool and reliably diverting.
- Museums built for children — the Milwaukee Public Museum, the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, and children's museums in Madison and Appleton.
- Indoor waterparks — the obvious choice in the Dells, and the only one that works in February.
- Library story hours and indoor pools — every mid-sized town has a municipal pool with open swim sessions, which is often the cheapest hour of the trip.
Outdoors that works with short legs
Not every state park trail is suitable for a five-year-old. These are:
- Devil's Lake's Balanced Rock trail — steep, so instead take the flat 3 km Tumbled Rocks trail along the west shore.
- Peninsula State Park, Door County — the Eagle Trail is 3.5 km with some climbing; the Sunset bike trail is flat and shaded.
- Kettle Moraine's Scuppernong Springs — a flat 2 km loop over boardwalks to spring-fed ponds.
- The Ice Age Trail near Whitewater — rolling, wide and well marked, with segments of 3–5 km.
- Riverside parks in any town — Wisconsin towns almost all have a river or lake park with a playground; they cost nothing and children like them as much as anything on the list.
County fairs and small-town events
From July to September almost every county runs a fair with a midway, livestock judging, demolition derbies and a grandstand concert. They are cheap, they are genuinely local, and they are a much better introduction to Wisconsin than a theme park. Look up the county fair schedule for wherever you are staying; there will be one within 30 minutes.
Smaller events worth catching: cherry harvest weekends in Door County in July, apple orchard days in Bayfield in September and October, and the maple syrup open weekends in late March.
Keeping the cost down
- State park annual pass — pays for itself in four visits, and covers the whole family in one vehicle.
- Camping — state park campsites are far cheaper than motels and many have showers and electricity.
- Municipal pools and beaches — free or a few dollars, versus $60+ per person for a waterpark day.
- Supper clubs — children's portions are usually generous and the relish tray arrives before you order.
- Off-season Dells — midweek in January is the cheapest waterpark trip of the year.
Suggested family routes
- Two days: Dells waterpark plus the Upper Dells boat tour, staying in the Dells.
- Three days: Madison farmers market on Saturday, Devil's Lake beach in the afternoon, Dells the next day.
- Five days: Milwaukee lakefront and museum, then north to Green Bay for the railroad museum and stadium tour, then Door County for beaches and a fish boil.
For the wider picture, see Places to Go and the itineraries hub.
In pictures
Water, wheels and fairy lights
The one thing worth booking now
If you are coming in a school holiday, book the waterpark resort first and plan the rest of the trip around it. Everything else in Wisconsin can be arranged at short notice.