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Winter adventures can be had inside, too
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MADISON - While many visitors to Wisconsin come in search of the many great outdoor pursuits in winter, the indoor attractions are equally entertaining. State-of-the-art indoor waterparks, amazing performing arts venues, fascinating museums and rejuvenating spas are a sampling of what awaits visitors looking to enjoy an exciting winter adventure comfortably indoors. Unforgettable indoor adventures lie ahead.
Indoor Waterparks
Home to the largest collection of indoor waterparks in the country, Wisconsin is a hotbed for water recreational activities. With new waterparks opening annually, the state brings year-round fun to families across the Midwest, with water slides, elaborate pools, interactive water activities for kids, and even the opportunity to catch a wave for a little surfing.
Jellystone Park in Warrens, Three Bears Lodge Indoor Waterpark and Conference Center (1-800-888-386-9644; www.jellystonewarrens.com) is the latest addition to Wisconsin's extensive line-up of indoor waterpark thrills. The 48,000-square- foot waterpark will offer a wave pool, lazy river and plenty of slides and chutes for high-speed thrills.
The Springs at Country Springs Resort & Conference Center (1-800-247-6640; www.thespringswaterpark.com) is another of Wisconsin's newest indoor waterparks, and the first in Waukesha county, offering more than 40,000 square feet of water attractions including a three-person boat ride with high-speed curves, smooth and high-energy bodyslides and much more.
The name invokes the area's winter chill, but things are heating up at Tundra Lodge in Green Bay (920/405-8700; www.tundralodge.com). Kept at a comfortable 82 degrees, the water offers an array of entertaining options as it rushes down the waterslides, ambles along the lazy river and provides the fun for the interactive children's play area.
Making a splash with kids of all ages, Sheboygan's Blue Harbor Resort (920/452-2900; www.blueharborresort.com) boasts seven waterslides along with 12 levels of fountains, spray guns, valves and hoses spread out over 40,000 square feet of indoor waterpark excitement.
Drawing its inspiration from the Northwoods and Wausau's timber industry, the all-suite Lodge at Cedar Creek (608/254-2797; www.lodgeatcedarcreek.com) is one of northern Wisconsin's largest indoor waterparks boasting more than 50,000 square feet of indoor excitement.
Heralded as the birthplace of the indoor waterpark trend, Wisconsin Dells continues to offer the largest and most impressive collection of the indoor water attractions in the country. Some of the state's top destinations include the Kalahari Resort Convention Center, Great Wolf Lodge, Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, Treasure Island Waterpark Resort, the Polynesian Resort Hotel, Raintree Resort and Chula Vista Resort (1-800-223-3557; www.wisdells.com). Headlining the group is the largest indoor waterpark in the United States, the 125,000-square-foot Kalahari Resort Waterpark.
Kalahari is home to the first indoor, stand-up Flowrider® surfing experience in the country, bringing the thrills of surfing to Wisconsin - without those pesky sharks - with Surfari. Surfari gives guests the chance to test their skills at surfing and bodyboarding as 50,000 gallons of water a minute create an ocean-like wave.
The nation's first urban indoor waterpark, Paradise Landing (414/271-7250; www.milwaukeehilton.com), is in Milwaukee at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in the heart of Milwaukee's downtown, while Lake Geneva visitors enjoy the watery fun of Moose Mountain Falls (1-866-636-4502; www.timberridgeresort.com) on the grounds of the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva. Visitors to Wisconsin's Northwoods can enjoy 10,000 square-feet of indoor fun with indoor pools, a indoor/outdoor hot tub and two body slides at The Waters of Minocqua (1-877-992-8377; www.thewatersofminocqua.com).
Spas
An ideal place for rejuvenation, The American Club's Kohler Waters Spa (1-866-928-3777; www.destinationkohler.com) is part of the Midwest's only AAA five-diamond resort, located noth of Milwaukee in Kohler. In 2005, this mecca of relaxation added over 9,000 square feet of new space including eight new treatment rooms and a new glass-enclosed rooftop deck with whirlpool fireplace and lounge offering a co-ed area that guests can enjoy year-round. Also, 10 new Immersion Suites offering in-room spa services Each suite features a Kohler Tea for Two whirlpool and a shower centrally located within the room with fireplace, plasma screen television, and sitting area.
Wisconsin Dells' Sundara Spa (1-888-735-8181; www.sundaraspa.com) whisks guests away from reality, starting with a purifying bath ritual. A la carte services follow including breathing therapy, gemstone energy massage and thermal rejuvenation (for an all-natural face lift). Renewal can also get romantic with couples' spa services in rooms designed for two.
The Midwest's largest resort spa, the Fontana Spa at the Abbey Resort (1-800-558-2405; www.theabbeyresort.com pampers guests with soothing services including several different types of massage, body wraps and scrubs, aromatherapy, facials, seaweed masks and bath treatments. The spa is located at the Abbey Resort, a full-service waterfront resort situated on 90 acres along the western shore of Geneva Lake. Also located in the Lake Geneva area, The Spa at Grand Geneva (1-800-246-5468; www.grandgeneva.com) offers a wide range of services including facials, massage, aromatherapy, loofah scrubs, body wraps and therapeutic baths.
Families looking for a getaway that offers both relaxation for adults and recreation for kids find that the Kalahari Resort Convention Center (1-877-253-5466; www.kalahariresort.com/dayspa) and Great Wolf Lodge (1-866-333-1612; www.greatwolflodge.com/cameo.asp) fit the bill. In addition to spectacular indoor waterparks, both Dells properties have full-service spas that provide services including several types of massage, facials, aromatherapy and body wraps.
Performing Arts
Wisconsin's performing arts season is in full swing during the winter months with an assortment of performances in music, theater, dance and opera going on around the state.
Site of the stunning Overture Center, Wisconsin's capital city is bustling with performing arts groups. Among those calling Madison home are the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Madison Opera and Madison Repertory Theatre. The Madison Civic Center hosts a full schedule of performances, including touring productions of jazz, classical and world music; musicals; opera; and children's theater (1-800-373-6376; www.visitmadison.com).
Opened in September 2004, the Janesville Performing Arts Center (608/758-0297; www.janesvillepac.org) is one of the state's newest venues built in a restored historic downtown building. The 637-seat theater will host local, regional and national performing arts presentations.
Excellent performing arts venues can be found throughout the state, from the Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater (715/235-0001; www.mabeltainter.com) in Menomonie to the Fireside Dinner Theater (1-800-477-9505; www.firesidetheatre.com) in Fort Atkinson and the newly opened Drill Hall Dinner Theatre at The Armory in Janesville (608/741-7400; janesvillearmory.com).
Museums
Exotic butterflies fluttering amid lush foliage creates a sense of the tropics even on the coldest of Wisconsin days at the Milwaukee Public Museum's (414/278-2702; www.mpm.edu) Puelicher Butterfly Wing. Visitors strolling through the glass-enclosed design will witness native as well as exotic species of butterflies; watch butterflies emerge from their chrysalises; and learn about butterflies and their habitats in a working laboratory. Hands-on exhibits are scattered throughout the exhibit including a super-sized habitat and the chance to don costumes while transforming into caterpillars and butterflies.
In 2006, Discovery World (414/765-9966; www.discoveryworld.org) will be making a major move as it relocates lakeside to the new Pier Wisconsin project. The new 120,000 square-foot facilities will feature two buildings - one rectangular in shape and the other circular - both connected by a glassed-in promenade and housing over 200 exhibits. One building will feature new and enhanced interactive exhibits, laboratories and classrooms that are dedicated to technology and environment. The second building will be home to new aquariums, touch tanks and exhibits focusing on water resources - with an emphasis on freshwater - and exploring underwater life.
Combining learning and fun, children's museums across Wisconsin offer engaging, hands-on exhibits designed especially for the younger set. Kids can crawl through a giant human heart or experiment with electronic pictures and sound in a play television studio at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum (414/390-5437; www.bbcmkids.org) in Milwaukee.
At the Madison Children's Museum (608/256-6445; www.madisonchildrensmuseum.com), children can join an expedition to a simulated paleontologist's dig site in New Mexico, capture their shadow and plant vegetables in a make-believe organic garden. Three floors of interactive activities at the Children's Museum of La Crosse (608/784-2652; www.childmuseumlax.org) include an exhibit where kids can experiment with light and shadows, a "Reuseum" where they can create artwork using recycled materials and a display demonstrating water flow in the Mississippi River. Other children's museums statewide include the Fox Cities Children's Museum (920/734-3226; www.kidmuseum.org ) in Appleton, the Central Wisconsin Children's Museum (715/344-2003) in Stevens Point, the Children's Museum of Green Bay (920/432-4397) and the Northwoods Children's Museum (715/479-4623) in Eagle River.
Indoor Waterparks
Home to the largest collection of indoor waterparks in the country, Wisconsin is a hotbed for water recreational activities. With new waterparks opening annually, the state brings year-round fun to families across the Midwest, with water slides, elaborate pools, interactive water activities for kids, and even the opportunity to catch a wave for a little surfing.
Jellystone Park in Warrens, Three Bears Lodge Indoor Waterpark and Conference Center (1-800-888-386-9644; www.jellystonewarrens.com) is the latest addition to Wisconsin's extensive line-up of indoor waterpark thrills. The 48,000-square- foot waterpark will offer a wave pool, lazy river and plenty of slides and chutes for high-speed thrills.
The Springs at Country Springs Resort & Conference Center (1-800-247-6640; www.thespringswaterpark.com) is another of Wisconsin's newest indoor waterparks, and the first in Waukesha county, offering more than 40,000 square feet of water attractions including a three-person boat ride with high-speed curves, smooth and high-energy bodyslides and much more.
The name invokes the area's winter chill, but things are heating up at Tundra Lodge in Green Bay (920/405-8700; www.tundralodge.com). Kept at a comfortable 82 degrees, the water offers an array of entertaining options as it rushes down the waterslides, ambles along the lazy river and provides the fun for the interactive children's play area.
Making a splash with kids of all ages, Sheboygan's Blue Harbor Resort (920/452-2900; www.blueharborresort.com) boasts seven waterslides along with 12 levels of fountains, spray guns, valves and hoses spread out over 40,000 square feet of indoor waterpark excitement.
Drawing its inspiration from the Northwoods and Wausau's timber industry, the all-suite Lodge at Cedar Creek (608/254-2797; www.lodgeatcedarcreek.com) is one of northern Wisconsin's largest indoor waterparks boasting more than 50,000 square feet of indoor excitement.
Heralded as the birthplace of the indoor waterpark trend, Wisconsin Dells continues to offer the largest and most impressive collection of the indoor water attractions in the country. Some of the state's top destinations include the Kalahari Resort Convention Center, Great Wolf Lodge, Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort, Treasure Island Waterpark Resort, the Polynesian Resort Hotel, Raintree Resort and Chula Vista Resort (1-800-223-3557; www.wisdells.com). Headlining the group is the largest indoor waterpark in the United States, the 125,000-square-foot Kalahari Resort Waterpark.
Kalahari is home to the first indoor, stand-up Flowrider® surfing experience in the country, bringing the thrills of surfing to Wisconsin - without those pesky sharks - with Surfari. Surfari gives guests the chance to test their skills at surfing and bodyboarding as 50,000 gallons of water a minute create an ocean-like wave.
The nation's first urban indoor waterpark, Paradise Landing (414/271-7250; www.milwaukeehilton.com), is in Milwaukee at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in the heart of Milwaukee's downtown, while Lake Geneva visitors enjoy the watery fun of Moose Mountain Falls (1-866-636-4502; www.timberridgeresort.com) on the grounds of the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva. Visitors to Wisconsin's Northwoods can enjoy 10,000 square-feet of indoor fun with indoor pools, a indoor/outdoor hot tub and two body slides at The Waters of Minocqua (1-877-992-8377; www.thewatersofminocqua.com).
Spas
An ideal place for rejuvenation, The American Club's Kohler Waters Spa (1-866-928-3777; www.destinationkohler.com) is part of the Midwest's only AAA five-diamond resort, located noth of Milwaukee in Kohler. In 2005, this mecca of relaxation added over 9,000 square feet of new space including eight new treatment rooms and a new glass-enclosed rooftop deck with whirlpool fireplace and lounge offering a co-ed area that guests can enjoy year-round. Also, 10 new Immersion Suites offering in-room spa services Each suite features a Kohler Tea for Two whirlpool and a shower centrally located within the room with fireplace, plasma screen television, and sitting area.
Wisconsin Dells' Sundara Spa (1-888-735-8181; www.sundaraspa.com) whisks guests away from reality, starting with a purifying bath ritual. A la carte services follow including breathing therapy, gemstone energy massage and thermal rejuvenation (for an all-natural face lift). Renewal can also get romantic with couples' spa services in rooms designed for two.
The Midwest's largest resort spa, the Fontana Spa at the Abbey Resort (1-800-558-2405; www.theabbeyresort.com pampers guests with soothing services including several different types of massage, body wraps and scrubs, aromatherapy, facials, seaweed masks and bath treatments. The spa is located at the Abbey Resort, a full-service waterfront resort situated on 90 acres along the western shore of Geneva Lake. Also located in the Lake Geneva area, The Spa at Grand Geneva (1-800-246-5468; www.grandgeneva.com) offers a wide range of services including facials, massage, aromatherapy, loofah scrubs, body wraps and therapeutic baths.
Families looking for a getaway that offers both relaxation for adults and recreation for kids find that the Kalahari Resort Convention Center (1-877-253-5466; www.kalahariresort.com/dayspa) and Great Wolf Lodge (1-866-333-1612; www.greatwolflodge.com/cameo.asp) fit the bill. In addition to spectacular indoor waterparks, both Dells properties have full-service spas that provide services including several types of massage, facials, aromatherapy and body wraps.
Performing Arts
Wisconsin's performing arts season is in full swing during the winter months with an assortment of performances in music, theater, dance and opera going on around the state.
Site of the stunning Overture Center, Wisconsin's capital city is bustling with performing arts groups. Among those calling Madison home are the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Madison Opera and Madison Repertory Theatre. The Madison Civic Center hosts a full schedule of performances, including touring productions of jazz, classical and world music; musicals; opera; and children's theater (1-800-373-6376; www.visitmadison.com).
Opened in September 2004, the Janesville Performing Arts Center (608/758-0297; www.janesvillepac.org) is one of the state's newest venues built in a restored historic downtown building. The 637-seat theater will host local, regional and national performing arts presentations.
Excellent performing arts venues can be found throughout the state, from the Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater (715/235-0001; www.mabeltainter.com) in Menomonie to the Fireside Dinner Theater (1-800-477-9505; www.firesidetheatre.com) in Fort Atkinson and the newly opened Drill Hall Dinner Theatre at The Armory in Janesville (608/741-7400; janesvillearmory.com).
Museums
Exotic butterflies fluttering amid lush foliage creates a sense of the tropics even on the coldest of Wisconsin days at the Milwaukee Public Museum's (414/278-2702; www.mpm.edu) Puelicher Butterfly Wing. Visitors strolling through the glass-enclosed design will witness native as well as exotic species of butterflies; watch butterflies emerge from their chrysalises; and learn about butterflies and their habitats in a working laboratory. Hands-on exhibits are scattered throughout the exhibit including a super-sized habitat and the chance to don costumes while transforming into caterpillars and butterflies.
In 2006, Discovery World (414/765-9966; www.discoveryworld.org) will be making a major move as it relocates lakeside to the new Pier Wisconsin project. The new 120,000 square-foot facilities will feature two buildings - one rectangular in shape and the other circular - both connected by a glassed-in promenade and housing over 200 exhibits. One building will feature new and enhanced interactive exhibits, laboratories and classrooms that are dedicated to technology and environment. The second building will be home to new aquariums, touch tanks and exhibits focusing on water resources - with an emphasis on freshwater - and exploring underwater life.
Combining learning and fun, children's museums across Wisconsin offer engaging, hands-on exhibits designed especially for the younger set. Kids can crawl through a giant human heart or experiment with electronic pictures and sound in a play television studio at the Betty Brinn Children's Museum (414/390-5437; www.bbcmkids.org) in Milwaukee.
At the Madison Children's Museum (608/256-6445; www.madisonchildrensmuseum.com), children can join an expedition to a simulated paleontologist's dig site in New Mexico, capture their shadow and plant vegetables in a make-believe organic garden. Three floors of interactive activities at the Children's Museum of La Crosse (608/784-2652; www.childmuseumlax.org) include an exhibit where kids can experiment with light and shadows, a "Reuseum" where they can create artwork using recycled materials and a display demonstrating water flow in the Mississippi River. Other children's museums statewide include the Fox Cities Children's Museum (920/734-3226; www.kidmuseum.org ) in Appleton, the Central Wisconsin Children's Museum (715/344-2003) in Stevens Point, the Children's Museum of Green Bay (920/432-4397) and the Northwoods Children's Museum (715/479-4623) in Eagle River.
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| Stateline Area News in Brief | Plenty of frosty fun still slated at events throughout the state |
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