The Duck is an amphibious (land/water) vehicle with six driving wheels, a steel hull and the capacity to carry 25 people on land or 50 people while afloat and 5,000-pounds of general cargo. The Duck's land motor is located in the front and operates in water by means of a pusher/propeller located at the rear. (Note: Original Wisconsin Ducks carry a maximum of 21 people per ride).

With more than 90 ducks, the Original Wisconsin Ducks is the largest fleet of amphibious tour ducks in the nation. There are an estimated 300 operational ducks in the United States.

The Original Wisconsin Ducks carry more than 300,000 visitors a year on a one-hour, 8½-mile tour of the wooded trails and scenic waterways of Wisconsin Dells.

The Original Wisconsin Ducks have a perfect water safety record with 565 years of operation in Wisconsin Dells.

The Original Wisconsin Ducks conducts rigorous training of drivers as part of an overall standard of excellence that sets it apart from other amphibious tours. The training involves extensive written and practical testing, both internally and with outside agencies such as the Department of Transportation, Department of Natural Resources and the American Red Cross.

Becoming an Original Wisconsin Duck tour driver is one of the most sought-after jobs in Wisconsin Dells. More than 100 applicants are considered each year, but only 60 make the cut and go on to six weeks of intensive training before being allowed to shepherd tours.

All Original Wisconsin Ducks are named after famous military leaders or World War II battles.

The Duck was used as a transport vehicle, carrying GIs, ammunition, arms and supplies. In addition, Ducks evacuated wounded GIs to hospital ships and aided in the recovery of aircraft lost at sea. Inland, the Duck was used to traverse natural barriers such as rivers or other waterways.

The Duck participated in all large amphibious operations, both in the Pacific and in Europe during World War II and the Korean War. As one of the only vehicles that could maneuver over coral reef in the Pacific during the 1940s, the Duck was a vital asset to U.S. military operations.

On June 6, 1944, more than 2,000 Ducks traveled along with troops delivering them and their supplies to hard-to-reach areas for the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France.

General Motors manufactured more than 21,000 Ducks between 1942 and 1945. When first produced, the cost of a single Duck was $10,000 - more than it would have cost to buy a three-bedroom home at that time.

A total of 370 Ducks participated in the Allied crossing of the Rhine between March 7 and March 31, 1945. These forces extended more than 350 kilometers and included 5,000 American Engineer Corps, 893 sailors, and 1,400 men from the Transportation Corps harbor companies who were led by General George Patton, among others.

Of the nearly 15-million tons of equipment and supplies delivered to French and Belgian ports between June 6, 1944, and May 8, 1944, more than three million tons were transferred by Duck amphibian vehicles.