Kilbourne Dam at Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

The scenic sandstone cliffs along a stretch of the Wisconsin River became a place for tourists as early as the 1850s, and steamboats took sightseers on the river in the 1870s. The Kilbourne Dam was built on the river in 1908, dividing into upper and lower Dells. In 1952, the Tommy Bartlett’s Thrill Show, from Chicago, set up shop in town, and became the first attraction that had little to do with the scenery. Many more attractions followed, such as Wonder Spot, mini golf, go carts, amphibious DUKW Tours, as well as many water parks, indoors and outdoors, which became the main part of the local economy. Some claim the Dells is the waterpark capital of the world. Recent attractions along the strip include an upside-down White House, and a large Trojan Horse go-cart track. The Dells is one of the more dramatic examples of a compounded tourist attraction economy, growing around a scenic site.