VI
History of the famous tourist city
Upon my arrival at the visitor center, Dominique Madland, the city's communications manager, was quite surprised to learn I was from Vietnam. She explained that there wasn't a large Asian community there, meaning there were no well-known Asian restaurants, Vietnamese markets, or Vietnamese Americans to recommend.
But when asked about the meaning of the city's name, "Wisconsin Dells," which I previously only knew as being associated with the word Dell, a famous American computer brand, she began to explain enthusiastically: Because of the landscape featuring rocky valleys along the Wisconsin rivers, the city of Wisconsin Dells was born, meaning "the valleys of Wisconsin," and quickly became a popular tourist destination in the South-Century region of the state.
In 1856, Leroy Gates began offering tourist boat tours in the Wisconsin Dells. These tours were conducted using wooden rowboats until 1873 when the first steamship, the Modocawanda, came into service.
In 1875, landscape photographer HH Bennett established a studio in the city and took many photographs of the sandstone formations in the valleys. These works reached the public throughout the United States, further enhancing the city's status as an attractive tourist destination.
From there, Bennett began offering souvenir photography to visitors to the sites, becoming one of the first to capitalize on the area's burgeoning tourism industry. Today, HH Bennett Studio, located in the downtown area, is a historic landmark operated by the Wisconsin Historical Museums Association.
Dominique Madland added about the bustling activity of river tours: “Since the time of LeRoy Gates, Dells Boat Tours has been operated by many businesses. Some of the former companies include The Riverview Boat Line, Olson Boat Line, Dells Boat Company, Consolidated Boat Company, and Silver Dollar Boat Line.”
Pointing to a tourist map, she also suggested I explore the "Ho-Chunk Autonomous Region," a Native American area whose name means "People Who Speak Louder." They once made up half the population of southern Wisconsin, including Wisconsin Dells.
Until 1993, the “Ho-Chunk Nation” autonomous region, formerly known as the Winnebago Wisconsin Tribe, was established. Today, approximately 8,000 Ho-Chunk citizens live in 5 counties, own land in 14 counties in Wisconsin, and are the largest landowners in Sauk and Jackson counties.
Of course I couldn't refuse to go...
The city of America's firsts
Wisconsin Dells proudly boasts the title of "water park capital," with over 200 water slides in nearly 30 water parks of varying sizes, utilizing approximately 16 million gallons of water.
Wisconsin Dells currently holds several "individual titles," including: Noah's Ark - the largest outdoor water park in the United States, Kalahari - the largest indoor water park in Wisconsin, Chula Vista Resort Waterparks with the longest water slide in Wisconsin, and the first ever Original Wisconsin Ducks boat tour...
This place also offers many beautiful river tours, including a "Ghost tour" at night to see ghosts on the river through the valleys, or a "Speed boat" with 360-degree rotations for those who aren't faint-hearted.
Amusement parks, mini-golf courses, zip lines are located right next to shopping malls, restaurants, and boat rental services, making the city center always vibrant and lively, and much more!
Summer is the busiest time for hotels in Wisconsin Dells, so they often require a minimum two-night stay for reservations, as most hotels offer free entry to the city's water parks as part of a business partnership. Therefore, to get a reasonably priced stay, you need to book six months in advance. I was no exception!
My stay at the expansive Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells hotel and casino complex was particularly memorable. This Native American-owned casino is located in the town of Delton, between Wisconsin Dells and Baraboo. It's owned by the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin and is one of six large casinos in the area under the same brand.
Show "Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show"
For the first time in my life as a "backpacker," I got lost in the parking lot because the area was too big to find the entrance. Not to mention wasting an extra hour just waiting to check in – that showed just how high the demand from tourists is! And then there was the free welcome show by Native Americans. And when checking out, you had to pay an additional "autonomous zone" fee on top of your state taxes!
There are incredibly fun water activities that tourists shouldn't miss.
Following Dominique Madland's recommendation, I went to see the Dells Lumberjack Show, visit the Circus World, go boating with the Original Wisconsin Ducks, visit Wisconsin Deer Park, race mini-cars at Big Chief's Go Karts, ride a mini-train at Riverside & Great Northern Railway, explore the "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" museum, sample famous local cheeses, and even get my dinner delivered by mini-train at Buffalo Phil's Pizza & Grille. Each place was so much fun I almost forgot to go home!
A famous cheese shop here.
I was most impressed by the "Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show" at the second stop, which took place on Lake Delton. This water show originated in Chicago in 1952.
Following the show's resounding success here, its owner, Tommy Bartlett, decided to permanently relocate the troupe to Wisconsin Dells. The aerial acrobatics of the male and female waterskiers, the flyboard spins, and the water fountain performances... all draw huge crowds of visitors, even with two shows daily, proving his decision was correct.
As Dominique Madland concluded when we parted ways, "Whether it's a family vacation, a romantic weekend getaway for young couples, or grandparents trying their luck... Wisconsin Dells is the perfect destination!"
