WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — In a city known as the water park capital of the world, Rich, David, and Adam Makowski are trying something different.
The brothers grew up in Wisconsin Dells, surrounded by natural beauty — and that upbringing shaped their vision for Land of Natura.
"We decided that we're going to take the basic foundation of a water park, which is water, and change it a little bit to where we're going to go back to nature," Adam said. "How does nature clean water? Well, we figured that out."
While most water parks rely on chlorine, Land of Natura uses natural filtration systems designed to work with nature.
"If you took about three feet of rock and then put it in a big tub that was the size of a basketball court, pump the water into the bottom of it, and then the water would come up and over the waterfalls, that's how we clean our water," Adam said.
The wetland filters are central to the experience.
"We're right next to our wetland filters. These are responsible for giving that nice, clean, clear water," Adam said.
But for the brothers, the water is only part of what they've built.
The property spans 80 acres of forest and features beaches, walking trails, and views of the lower Dells.
"You have a lookout which we're going to go to next right on top, and it's an amazing, breathtaking view of the lower Wisconsin Dells River. Plus we have this entire beach spanning 2,000 feet long. It is all part of your all-day admission to the Land of Natura," Adam said.
For the Makowski brothers, the goal was never to build another water park. It was to create something new by returning to what made Wisconsin Dells special in the first place.
"I mean, the Dells wouldn't be here without the natural beauty, the natural rock formations and the rivers and the lakes, so we're just stemming off of that," Rich said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
