Robot World & Exploratory

This is a good place to spend a rainy afternoon in the Dells, especially if you have kids. I’d rate it 3 stars if you are an adult but 4 stars for kids. We were two adults and even we were able to enjoy ourselves. It’s basically a lot of interactive games and displays that are educational but still entertaining. I enjoyed myself, and the kids that were there really seemed to be having a good time. You go through at your own pace and can play as little or as long as you like. I’d say it’s worth checking out. Price was high in my opinion, I think laying half of what we did would have been a fairer price.

A bit dated, but the exhibits are pretty cool just he same. Great place to take the kids, especially if it’s rainy out and you’re looking for something to do indoors.

Light sciency fun for all ages. My toddler loved it. Many many fun tricks and illusions to play with, plus the MIR command capsule. Yes, the Soviet space station is here in Wisconsin. Definitely worth a stop for any age. You may learn something, but you mostly will just have fun. The place is huge too, so you are bound to see something new.

Billboard in Dells = WE’RE OPEN
Magazine at Amtrack station = Exploratory open!
Magazine at hotel = Exploratory open!
Website = we’re open! Here are our hours!
Small sign at Exploratory location = Exploratory closed. I visit during what appears to be the only three days of the year it is closed.
I get it, its the slow season. But, its a good idea to put a notice up SOMEWHERE if you’re going to be closed — the website is a great option for such a notice.

My dad used to take us here when we were kids, so I love it for nostalgia’s sake. The robots are hilariously corny and obviously somewhat intentionally outdated. The exploratory/​game room thing has actually improved somewhat in recent years, and we (as grown ups with no kids) actually had a really good time playing all the games. It would be a fun/​weird date spot if you’re looking for an «out of the box» date idea…
This is definitely a quirky, off the beaten track attraction. Go with no expectations and an openness to weird stuff and you’ll enjoy it.

Just got back from the exploratory and I thought I’d find a ton of reviews for this place. It’s listed in Unilocal under an odd name considering that it’s billed as «Tommy Bartlett’s Exploratory». Regardless, this place is truly a mixed bag so I thought I’d share some observations.
Part Americana road-​side attraction, part carnival side-​show and part science museum, the place is much larger than I expected with quite a number of exhibits. The exhibits were well-​maintained and in good working order in spite of their obvious age. I get the impression that a lot of money was spent on this place when it was built in the late 80’s /​early 90’s and it has been maintained in stasis ever since.
One exhibit states «International Space Station, Started: 1998 — Completed: ?». An entire section of the tour is, roughly sort of, about the Mir space station. The prototype Mir command module (I guess it’s a prototype — they don’t give much solid information about it) is neat but nowhere in the exhibit is there any mention of the fact that the real Mir re-​entered the atmosphere in a controlled fiery death-​plunge over a decade ago. The exploratory may also lay claim to the single largest collection of still-​functioning CRT monitors (you know the old big heavy ones) in the U.S. That many of them are still running old DOS-​based ANSI-​graphic displays is a humorous blast from the past (for some, anyway).
I’d love to know the story behind this place. There seems to be an old-​school electronics technician maintaining the exhibits. Amongst the Tesla coil, Jacob’s ladder, ‘mars rover’ simulator, many exhibits give the impression that someone somewhere is/​was having a lot of fun building neat electronic toys.
This being off-​season, maybe things are different during the summer but the experience, as a whole, had the unattended fend-​for-​yourself feel of a typical forlorn roadside attraction. If it weren’t for the fact that the exhibits were well-​functioning and clean, this place might be a bit too creepy to recommend.
If anyone knows more of the inside story on the Exploratory, I’d love to know. Otherwise, I’d definitely recommend it as a secondary attraction in the Dells. Not at the top of the to-​do list but a worthwhile destination to spend a couple of hours in an air-​conditioned fun environment

This place is amazing. It is basically a 1980’s view of what 1990 would look like. When I was a kid, this was my favorite stop in the Wisconsin Dells and it is exactly the same as it was 16 years ago. If you are looking for the latest, cutting edge robotics technology– you should go to Japan. However, if you are looking for something super weird and campy, this is your stop.