10 Wisconsin hotels that rival theme park fun

From waterslides and mini golf to arcades and bowling alleys, the amenities at these Wisconsin hotels ensure a fun and exciting vacation. 

Theme parks provide hours of entertainment for thrill seekers of all ages. However, if you live in Wisconsin, you don’t actually have to go to a theme park to experience the fun and excitement these attractions offer. There are tons of Wisconsin hotels with amenities that rival those typically found at a theme park. 

When booking your next vacation, consider our top 10 Wisconsin hotels that rival theme park fun. Some feature their own water park or roller coasters, while others have a swimming pool in each room. Whether you’re looking for a fun family-friendly hotel or a unique adults-only retreat, there’s a lodging option for every type of getaway in this roundup.   

1. Great Wolf Lodge – Wisconsin Dells

When you book a room at Great Wolf Lodge, you get access to its 76,000-square-foot indoor water park. (You can also purchase a day pass to the water park if you don’t want to stay overnight at the hotel.) The park features a slew of water slides with varying thrill levels, plenty of pools and hot tubs, a “treehouse,” and basketball hoops. Other attractions include a Build-a-Bear workshop, an arcade, and a mining area where kids can sift for gemstones. 

The fun doesn’t stop when you head back to your room for the night. In addition to its standard suites, Great Wolf Lodge also has themed suites, such as its Wolf Den Suite, which features a Northwoods-inspired sleeping area.

On a Friday night in March, the Double Queen Suite (one of the more affordable room options) costs about $410. Water park passes for those not staying at the hotel start at $31.50 for a half day during the week (prices vary and increase on the weekend). 

Entrance to the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells. (Aron Pobursky/CC BY-ND 2.0)

2. Mt. Olympus – Wisconsin Dells

Mt. Olympus is home to the U.S.’s tallest water slide. (Dubbed the Rise of Icarus, the slide is 145 feet tall.) But that’s not the only unique attraction you’ll find at this water and theme park resort. Medusa’s Slidewheel, the country’s first mechanically rotating water slide, combines the movement of a Ferris wheel with the excitement of a water slide. There are plenty of other slides, warming pools, wave pools, multi-person raft rides, and lazy rivers, too. 

The indoor water park is open from mid-September to mid-May, and then the outdoor water park opens for the summer. There’s also an indoor and outdoor theme park featuring arcade games, roller coasters, go-karts, bumper cars, putt-putt golf, and more. 

A Queen Bed Standard room starts at about $145 per night on the weekend. Lodging prices include entry to the water and theme parks. Park tickets without lodging start at $30. 

3. Chula Vista Resort – Wisconsin Dells

Chula Vista Resort features an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park and an outdoor park with slides, a splash pad, a sport pool, a lagoon, and private cabanas. In total, the resort has 26 waterslides, plus five restaurants, an 18-hole golf course, and 18 zip lines. 

Weekend rates start at about $370 for a room with two queen beds. Water park passes are included with your hotel stay or can be purchased separately for $59.99. 

The water park at Chula Vista Resort. (Jody Halsted/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

4. Wilderness Resort – Wisconsin Dells

Wilderness Resort is so large that you might need several days to experience all it has to offer. It’s part of Wilderness Territory, which spans 600 acres and also includes Glacier Canyon Lodge and Wilderness on the Lake. Altogether, there are four indoor and four outdoor water parks to explore, plus three arcades, an 18-hole golf course, a spa, a two-story go-kart course, a zip line, laser tag, a sky ropes course, multiple dining options, and more. 

Wilderness Resort rooms start at $399 per night and include water park admission for all registered guests (the room sleeps up to six people). Day passes to the water parks aren’t offered. 

5. Rainbow Ridge Farms – Onalaska/La Crosse

Animal lovers should check out Rainbow Ridge Farms, a bed and breakfast and working farm. Located on 35 scenic acres, Rainbow Ridge Farms is home to ​​miniature donkeys, a llama, chickens, ducks, calves, pigs, and goats. Speaking of goats, Rainbow Ridge Farms hosts goat yoga classes twice a week during the summer. 

The bed and breakfast has several common areas, including a family room with a TV, a dining room with a large table perfect for playing board games, and a fire pit. Rainbow Ridge Farms also shares due dates for its pregnant goats on its website and invites guests to witness the births or help with deliveries that occur during their stay.  

Weekend nightly rates start at $135. Goat yoga costs $20 per person. 

Someone participating in an outdoor goat yoga class with three goats. (Rainbow Ridge Farms)

6. Kalahari Resorts & Conventions – Wisconsin Dells

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions has multiple locations throughout the U.S. and is ranked number one on USA Today’s list of the best indoor water parks. Its Wisconsin location is home to the state’s largest indoor water park. The park has an activity pool, a wave simulator, a lazy river, tons of slides, multiple whirlpool spas, and a swim-up bar for adults. The outdoor park is equally impressive. 

The resort also features a 10,000-square-foot adventure park with an arcade, bowling alley, go-karts, laser tag, a Ferris wheel, axe throwing, and other fun attractions, as well as multiple bars and restaurants, a Build-a-Bear workshop, and a spa. 

Weekend rates for suites located in the main resort building start at about $475 per night and include water park admission. Water park day passes can be purchased for $99.99. 

7. Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark – Lake Geneva

Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark is also featured on USA Today’s roundup of the best indoor water parks. (There’s also an outdoor park that’s open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.) 

The indoor park features a kid’s area with small slides and water features, as well as an activity pool with more slides, a water basketball court, and a rope climb feature. For braver (or older) visitors, there are two 30-foot slides, and for everyone else, there’s a lazy river and a hot tub.

Guests at Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark can also enjoy mini bowling, mini golf, and an arcade.

Room rates for a weekend night in March range from about $250 to $350 and include water park admission. If you don’t want to stay overnight but want to use the water park, you must purchase a $149 Daycation Package, which includes four water park passes and access to a one-bedroom suite from 2 to 10 p.m. 

The water park in Timber Ridge Lodge. (Andrew Nicolle/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

8. Metropolis Resort – Eau Claire

Make a splash at Metropolis Resort’s indoor water park, which features an aquatic playground for young children, water slides for thrill seekers, and a lazy river for those who want to kick back and relax. 

Those who want to stay dry can race around the indoor go-kart track—the largest in the Midwest—test their gaming skills in the arcade, play a round of laser tag or mini golf, or reach new heights on the zipline. There’s also a trampoline park with dodgeball courts, basketball slam dunk stations, and ninja warrior-style courses.

Weekend nightly rates for a Double Queen room start at about $248. Water park admission is included with your hotel stay. 

9. Sybaris – Mequon

Kids shouldn’t get to have all the fun on vacation. Sybaris caters to couples looking for a unique getaway. Each suite has either a pool or whirlpool tub (or both!) in it, as well as a fireplace and massage chairs. The luxurious Chalet Swimming Pool suite features a heated swimming pool, a waterfall, a misting steam room, a waterslide leading from the bedroom loft to the pool, a whirlpool tub in the bedroom, and a private garage. 

Rates for the Classic Whirlpool room (the most affordable option) start at $109 for an afternoon or $199 for an overnight stay. You’ll also have to pay a $30 annual membership fee during your first booking.   

10. Don Q Inn – Dodgeville

Don Q Inn is another excellent option for adults looking for a fun escape. In addition to standard hotel rooms, Don Q Inn has a selection of themed suites with whirlpool tubs and unique decor. For example, the Cupid’s Corner suite features a heart-shaped bed, Northern Lights has an igloo overtop the bed and an arctic landscape painted on the walls, and in Up, Up, and Away!, the bed is located in the gondola of a hot air balloon. 

The hotel also features an indoor/outdoor pool and a Boeing C-97 plane you can tour. 

Standard rooms start at $89.95 per night, and themed rooms start at $124.95 per night. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.