Things to Do in Baraboo

Knucklehead's Bowling & Indoor Amusement Park's 80,000-square-foot facility is bursting with a dozen family-friendly attractions. In the bowling alley, a light show illuminates pins and balls to the tune of festive music and a black light adds an eerie neon glow to cosmic bowling. You can also bowl under conventional lighting, of course, opting for automatic bumpers to prevent gutter balls and marshmallow pins to muffle noisy strikes. Elsewhere, go-karts zoom around a track, bumper cars collide, and visitors swing hand-over-hand through a weblike ropes course. A roller coaster zooms throughout the space, and the arcade whirs and flashes with video games such as Dance Dance Revolution and Madden, as well as traditional games that award prize tickets to their deftest handlers.

Two teams of gunmen disperse across the tower field, some marksmen ducking for cover in the World War II–style bunkers constructed of railroad ties, others seeking protection inside the field's two-story pillboxes. Silently holding their positions, the players feel a hush fall over the field as they wait to see which side will make the first move in their battle to take the central, three-story tower. As they sit frozen behind their barricades, an excruciating hush envelops each one until it seems they're each alone on the territory. And then someone sprints toward the tower.

Apocalypse Paintball spans 50 acres of playing grounds, encompassing 15 current and upcoming fields that range from two speedball courses to a 40,000-square-foot castle. Coordinating both walk-on and private play, Apocalypse's staff maintains active, challenging bouts through organized games such as capture the flag and downed pilot. Between competitions, a fire pit, grills, and a large picnic area invite players to recuperate and exchange stories of catching incoming fire with their bare hands.

In addition to paintball, the Apocalypse crew also runs Airsoft sessions and hosts tournaments. An FAQ page anticipates visitors' questions to encourage a seamless transition to the fields.

The Madison Mallards take to the diamond each summer for three months of collegiate baseball, gathering players from across the country as they hone their skills for a shot at the pros. The Mallards took home a Northwoods League championship in 2004, cheered on by some of the most devout and rowdy fans in the league. In 2012 the team set a collegiate attendance record, drawing more than 217,000 fans.

Since the 1950s, Wingra Boats has outfitted groups and individuals for treks along the serene, wake-free Lake Wingra with their fleet of water vessels. Starting out with a small squad of canoes, the company has grown to include more than 100 canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and sailboats across two locations. In addition to supplying rentals, the staff keep limbs limber with yoga—performed on dry land or atop paddleboards—and strengthens cores with standup paddleboard lessons. Youngsters get in on the action during camp sessions, where they learn to cast, reel, and ask fishes for any seven cards, or paddle aboard kayaks and canoes. The staff also lead guided tours and birding expeditions, and tuck boats away for the off-season with docking and storage services.