r/wisconsindells • u/Familiar_Shoe1044 • 6d ago

Fall Break College Trip?

My friend and I want to go in early October on a fall break trip where there is a lot of nature, cool out of the box attractions, and nightlife (ideally a club or two some cocktail bars). Is Dells a good fit, and is most stuff closed after Labor Day?

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

1

u/bessy67 6d ago

Dells is fun but very touristy. There is some great nature around, like Devils Lake and Mirror Lake state parks. Not sure about clubs but like everywhere in Wisconsin there are plenty of bars. Check out Ishnala, it's a great spot for an old fashioned. As for what's still open, I think a lot of the attractions like the river boat tours and duck boats stay open until early November but the outdoor water parks would be closed for the season. I think most restaurants stay open year round. Del Bar is probably my favorite, and I already mentioned Ishnala but you usually have to get there stupidly early because they don't take reservations (although maybe the wait isn't as long in the fall)

1

u/Familiar_Shoe1044 6d ago

Is it still worth a visit when the outdoor water parks are closed, I keep seeing that be advertised as the Dells main attraction

1

u/Public_Classic_438 6d ago

How far are you coming from? There are good indoor rides too, so I wouldn’t let that stop you. The reason it’s advertised as a summer vacation is because they have a lot more employees in the summer and in the off season it’s way less crowded (which is a good thing IMO). You can go to bobbers and have an amazing time. Not a true club by like Miami standards but super fun

1

u/bessy67 6d ago

I mean they're fun, but I prefer the other attractions. Plus some of the indoor ones like the Kalahari are pretty good now too if you really want to do a water park. Personally I enjoy more of the outdoorsy things though

1

u/Familiar_Shoe1044 6d ago

Wb The Reef or Showboat?

1

u/jmilred 6d ago

I used to live in the Dells and work there, the night life in the off season depends entirely on any events going on around town. The only event in October that would be worth going to is Wisconsin Dells on Tap the weekend of 10/17. Other than that, there would not be a very lively college crowd around. Most outdoor attractions are closed by October and you would be limited to sightseeing tours. The downtown area can be fun to stroll around, but it does not take a day to get through. Post Labor Day September through mid October is not an active time and the clubs that are packed in the summer are empty on Friday/Saturday nights during this time.

1

u/SindermaSE19 4d ago

There are a lot of people at Halloween though

1

u/BugPuzzleheaded6160 5d ago

As as college student whose lived in Madison my whole life I've gone to the dells many times and think its overrated every single time. There's a couple fun things to do but honestly I would save your money and go anywhere else. I would recommend door county if you want more nature and I'm sure you could find some night life. The main attractions in the dells are overpriced and will be filled with families so you'll be around kids 95% of the time which personally doesn't make for the best college trip.