From Arthur Levine,
Your Guide to Theme Parks.
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SUVs with giddy families primed for a weekend of water slides and lazy rivers clog the exit ramps. Nothing unusual there. This is, after all, the famous summer resort, Wisconsin Dells.

What is unusual is that it's February. And it's snowing. And it's 23 below with the wind chill factor.

What are these people doing toting their bathing suits, swimming goggles, and ice scrapers? They're joining the indoor water park phenomenon that has transformed the Dells and altered the way travelers think about--and when they take--their vacations.

Wisconsin Dells Indoor Water Parks

• Most of the indoor waterparks are restricted to hotel guests. The Kalahari and Treasure Island parks sell day passes.
• Location: 55 miles north of Madison, 116 miles northwest of Milwaukee
• Nearest airports: Dane Co. Regional Airport, Madison, WI, General Mitchell International, Milwaukee, WI
• Travel info: 800-223-3557

H2 whoa!
With about 20 hotels now luring guests to jump into their pools during what used to be the off-season, Wisconsin Dells is the world's chlorination capital. We're not talking about a Jacuzzi and a couple of floats tossed into a pool. The features vary from property to property, but some of the bigger resorts boast indoor water attractions that rival most outdoor water parks.

The Polynesian Resort for example, features Blackbeard's Mystery Voyage, a combination water ride and dark ride that incorporates theme park storytelling elements. Riders navigate a lazy river in inner tubes and enter a pirate-themed area complete with fire and talking animatronic buccaneers.

The Wilderness Resort, with 160,000 square feet of slides and rides in total, is among the nation's largest indoor facilities. (By the way, a number of Wisconsin Dells water parks claim to be the largest. Who's really king of the water slide mountain, and who's taking us for a ride? See A Lotta Water: Who Has the Biggest Water Park?) Wilderness attractions include The Surge, an interactive wave pool with water blasters and depth charges, and Fantastic Voyage, a 500-foot, five-person raft ride. At Klondike Kavern, a separately themed park in the Wilderness complex, a 600-foot lazy river surrounds Gold Mine Mountain, a five-story tall water play structure. Two 500-foot slides send daredevils careening around the building's rafters.

The Kalahari, at 125,000 square feet, is another mega indoor water park. Attractions include a not-so-lazy river, a water coaster, and the Pro Bowl, a contraption that propels riders into a 40 MPH spiral around a funnel-like structure before dropping them into a pool below--sort of like a giant toilet bowl. The Kalahari's water slides loop both inside and outside the facility. While the tubes are enclosed, riders can feel a temperature change when the slides veer outside on cold winter days.

Who needs Florida?
Speaking of outside, most of the parks open some outdoor pools (yes, they're heated) and Jacuzzis throughout the winter. There's nothing quite like sitting in an outdoor Jacuzzi during a snowstorm.

The larger Wisconsin Dells indoor waterparks also include the Chula Vista Resort, the Great Wolf Lodge, and the Treasure Island Waterpark Resort. Even the local Howard Johnson's Inn features indoor water attractions. Click here for a complete list of Dells water parks.

Since man (and woman and kids) can't live on water alone, consider toting in your own food or shopping for some provisions for at least some of your meals if you go for a vacation to the Dells. Most of the waterpark resorts offer in-room refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee pots. For dining out, the wonderful Field's Steak House at the Wilderness is among the Dells' finest, if priciest restaurants. For funky, exotic, eclectic, and absolutely scrumptious vegetarian fare, check out The Cheese Factory Restaurant.

The conventional wisdom has been that guests can only enjoy water and theme parks during a brief window in the warmer months. The incredible popularity of indoor waterparks demonstrates that people want to have this kind of fun in the winter too. Believe it or not, the Dells is even developing a cool cachet among college students. Cash-strapped spring breakers are foregoing Florida for the indoor water park mecca. As a bonus, they don't have to worry about tan lines.

Next Page: History of the Chlorination Capital

List of Dells Water Parks

Dells Water Parks Photo Galleries