Known as the “Waterpark Capital of the World,” Wisconsin Dells has more to offer than the largest concentration of indoor and outdoor waterparks on the planet. (More than 20 different waterparks call the destination home!)
Wisconsin Dells also boasts 500,000 square feet of meeting space, 8,000 guest rooms, more than 90 attractions, over 100 restaurants and more. Its facilities play host to more than 5,500 meetings a year, and recent and upcoming developments throughout the destination will surely bring even more groups to this family-friendly central Wisconsin favorite.
Already a major meetings and events draw is Kalahari Resorts & Conventions’ Wisconsin Dells Resort, a family-owned-and-operated resort and one of four locations nationwide. The company is home to America’s largest indoor waterparks—and has plans to make them even bigger.
Plus, come this summer, Wisconsin Dells will capture yet another title as home of the tallest waterslide in America, The Rise of Icarus.
Meetings Today got a sneak peek of the latest developments in Wisconsin Dells on a recent press trip with Travel Wisconsin, and here’s what we learned.
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions’ Wisconsin Dells Resort Expansion
In mid-March 2023, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions announced the expansion of its Wisconsin Dells Resort, which began construction on a new building consisting of 237 guest rooms last spring.
The addition, called Hillside at Kalahari, required an investment upwards of $50 million and is expected to open this July. All 237 guest rooms will be standard double queens with contemporary decor and modern amenities.
Hillside at Kalahari will also be connected to the rest of the Wisconsin Dells Resort via a skywalk, which will significantly benefit those meeting at the property during the winter months.
Additionally, late last year Kalahari Resorts & Conventions opened Cinco Niños, a modern Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, at its Wisconsin Dells location. The restaurant’s menu features made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine and offers a large selection of tequila and mezcal. Other onsite restaurants at the resort include Double Cut Steak House and Wisconsin Brew Pub.
Already, Kalahari’s Wisconsin Dells Resort features 760 guest rooms, including 14 standalone five-bedroom suites, a 212,000-square-foot convention center, the full-service Spa Kalahari and Salon, a 125,000-square-foot waterpark, a massive indoor theme park and more.
[Related: Hotel News and Updates from Chicago, South Dakota and Wisconsin]
Kalahari Resorts’ New Luxury Treehouse Resort
A second exciting announcement from the Nelson family, owners and operators of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, is a new distinctive resort experience in Wisconsin Dells called Dawn Manor, in homage to the historical home previously located on the resort’s land. Dawn Manor will be located a short drive away from the Kalahari Wisconsin Dells Resort off Country Road A and on Lake Delton.
With the new resort comes a new lodging concept named the Kalahari Treehouse Collection at Dawn Manor, which will feature 21 partially supported luxury treehouses and 31 ground-supported houses, as well as a 10,000-square-foot classic Wisconsin supper club named Daylene’s Supper Club at Dawn Manor that will overlook Lake Delton.
The Kalahari Treehouse Collection will also feature a reconstructed beach area, 18 boat slips with both beach and restaurant access, and a refreshed gazebo and boathouse.
The treehouses are being designed in partnership with Pete Nelson and family, who starred on Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters for 11 seasons. The structures will celebrate the area’s natural beauty and each feature screened-in porches, kitchenettes and views of the lake.
The Kalahari Treehouse Collection at Dawn Manor represents an investment of over $50 million and is currently in the initial stages of construction, with plans to open in phases starting later this year.
[Related: Touring the Latest and Greatest Meetings Offerings in Madison, Wisconsin Dells and Milwaukee]
Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort Expansion
The Wisconsin Dells-based Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort already boasts more than 100,000 square feet of indoor water and theme park space as well as dozens of attractions for thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies alike, making it a perfect choice for pre- or post-meeting trips in Wisconsin Dells.
Come this summer, the resort will have even more for groups to explore and experience once meetings end—including America’s tallest waterslide, The Rise of Icarus.
The record-breaking waterslide structure will stand 145-feet tall in the center of Mt. Olympus’ outdoor waterpark and feature five body slides of varying heights. The Rise of Icarus opened in time for Memorial Day weekend.
Later this summer, Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort will debut additional expansions to its outdoor waterpark, including Icaria Splash ’n Slide, a nearly 12,000-square-foot kiddie area with 10 slides, water play features and a wading pool; more deck space with tables, umbrellas and lounge chairs; rentable cabanas with air conditioning; and a bar, concessions, retail and locker building.
Two years ago in May 2022, Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort became the home of the first rotating waterslide in the U.S., Medusa’s Slidewheel, combining “the movement of a Ferris wheel and the speed and thrill of a waterslide.” The structure soars 80 feet in height and measures 100-feet wide, and the ride takes approximately 96 seconds from start to finish.
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