Wisconsin Dells, WI

Address:Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

3 million people a year visit the Wisconsin Dells, and for good reason – their natural beauty and the attached man-made family attractions. Besides hosting some of the nation's largest water parks, the upper and lower dells along the Wisconsin River wind for 15 miles through beautiful scenery and 150-foot sandstone bluffs.

The Wisconsin Dells' most famous landmark is Stand Rock, a big easily recognizable mushroom-shaped rock. Stand Rock was first immortalized by a famous photo taken by photographer H.H. Bennet of his son jumping over a chasm to the rock. This picture is considered a milestone in stop-action photography. As you can imagine, with all of these tourists flocking to see the scenery and enjoy the water, local commercial and tourism development has also taken off. The area now boasts many indoor and outdoor water parks and resorts, as well as a waterskiing show, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, a wax museum, a petting zoo, golf courses, and many other family-oriented attractions.

The Dells are one of the prime tourist spots of the Midwest so expect lots of kitsch and both the best and worst of real Americana. You should also expect crowds, especially during the summer and school holidays. A visit can be made more enjoyable by staying in one of several resorts based in the water parks, some of which are only for the use of guests of the resort.