the birthplace of D&D - 330 Center Street

Your chance to visit the Birthplace of D&D®! This is where Gary Gygax wrote D&D®, the world’s first published roleplaying game!

• The Birthplace of D&D®: Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm - Visit the Birthplace of D&D®! A short video runs continuously and provides a virtual tour and history of the house for our Dragon Days guests.

• Chainmail, Fantasy Wargaming: Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm - Learn to play Gary Gygax's Chainmail game on a real wargaming sand table just like Gary had—and in the same basement he played, using the very same type of figures he used! Chainmail is a set of medieval miniatures wargame rules with an added section on fantasy wargaming. These rules were eventually incorporated into Dungeons & Dragons®. Gaming sessions are open to all and run about a half-hour, starting at the top of every hour.

Geneva Lake Museum - 255 Mill Street

The Geneva Lake Museum was established in 1983 and moved to what was formerly the 1929 Wisconsin Power & Light building in the early 1990’s. The museum houses an array of local historical artifacts and displays, including an all new exhibit on Gary Gygax.

• The Wizard of Lake Geneva: Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm & Sunday, 11 am to 3 pm - Check out the museum's newest addition! Created in cooperation with the Gygax Memorial Fund, The Wizard of Lake Geneva™ exhibit is dedicated to Gary Gygax and his legacy of imagination. The exhibit follows the life and times of one of Lake Geneva's most famous sons, including his world-changing game Dungeons & Dragons®, his New York Times Best-Selling books, the founding of GEN CON® (North America's largest tabletop gaming convention), and his launch of the first roleplaying game company and publisher of more than 360 science fiction and fantasy novels—all done in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin! Get your free Wizard of Lake Geneva exhibit sticker while supplies last! (Museum Admission is free with a Dragon Days™ bracelet.)

  • 11AM - Guided Walking Tour of Lake Geneva

  • 2PM - Meet-and-Greet session with a TSR personality

American Legion Hall - 735 Henry Street

American Legion Hall, Post #24, was one of the sites of GEN CON® during the 1970s. Founded by Gary Gygax in 1968, GEN CON® would eventually outgrow Lake Geneva and become the largest tabletop gaming convention in North America, with attendance in excess of 60,000 attendees.

• Dragon Days Gaming: Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm - Play your favorite games—including board, card, roleplaying, and war games. Newcomers welcome! We'll demo games and teach you how to play.

  • The Adventure Begins: New to Dungeons & Dragons®? Never played before? Try this easy to learn board game version of D&D®. Our experienced guides will show you how the game is played in just a few quick minutes! Suitable for ages 10 to 110!

Click to see a Schedule of Games

Lake Geneva Public Library - 918 West Main Street

The Lake Geneva Public Library, built in 1954, was a favorite haunt of Gary Gygax, who sought out books on history, mythology, science fiction, and fantasy. The Library, in concert with the Gygax Memorial Fund, has dedicated a section of 100 books that inspired Gary's design of Dungeon & Dragons®!

• TSR Worlds of Imagination: Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm - Meet local authors of some of the best known and most beloved fantasy stories of all time—all published by TSR, Inc! While tens of millions of fans have played D&D®, hundreds of millions more have read the amazing science fiction and fantasy works that came out of TSR in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Gary Gygax's company published more than 260 short stories and 360 novels, opening Worlds of Imagination to millions of readers!

• Best TSR Character Costume: Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm - Come dressed as your favorite TSR literary character and take a photo against our backdrop to be posted on our social media page! Elminster, Mordenkainen, Count Strahd, Kitiara, Drizzt Do'Urden, Sturm Brightblade, Goldmoon, and more: Give us your best look! Don't forget to enter the costume contest, outside in the Dragon Days Fantasy Faire. 

• Ruko, The Smallest Samurai: Saturday, 11 am, 1 pm, & 3 pm - Gary Gygax loved to tell bedtime stories to his five children, just like his father before him. The adventures often involved a small boy named Ruko and his adventures in a fantastic version of Medieval Japan. Your children may gather 'round our Throne of Reading in the "Appendix N Alcove" for a magical tale about the adventures of the smallest samurai—an unpublished story of Ruko and the Octopus King by Gary Gygax! Storytelling sessions start at the given times.

GENEVA THEATER - 244 BROAD Street

The Geneva Theater, which opened in 1928, was where Gary Gygax viewed many matinees and late-night movies. One night, after watching The Thing from Another World, young Gary's imagination conjured illusions of The Thing lurking along the shadowy streets of Lake Geneva. The youth broke into a dead sprint to the safety of the front porch light of 925 Dodge Street! Years later Gary, his business partner Brian Blume, and employee Tim Kask would watch Star Wars in the Geneva Theater in 1977 and think, "That is what we really need for D&D®—to become a major franchise!"

• Featured D&D® Films: Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm - Featured D&D® films will run approximately every 2 hours (11am, 1pm, 3pm), followed by talk backs and features; with D&D® Cartoon episodes scattered throughout.