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My brother has lived in Michigan for pretty much my whole life. So, naturally, I have been out there countless times since I was a kid. He and his family live basically right in the middle of the “mitten” (Lower Peninsula).
Although I have been there more times than I can count, I am saddened to say that I’ve never done much exploring. It wasn’t until this summer that I finally made the short trip about an hour from his house into the cutest little Bavarian-inspired town: Frankenmuth.
Is Frankenmuth Worth Visiting?
When doing my own research on Frankenmuth, I was surprised to find a lot of reviews from some Michiganders that say they avoid Frankenmuth at all costs. The biggest complaints were that Frankenmuth is touristy and tacky and disappointing compared to Germany.
Well, it definitely is touristy – especially around Christmas time. Frankenmuth is best known for being one of the best Christmas towns in the US. However, I don’t consider this a deal breaker. In fact, quite the opposite. I would visit just to experience all of the holiday festivities.
I didn’t think Frankenmuth was tacky either. On the contrary, I actually thought Frankenmuth was beautiful. In the summer, the streets were lined with flowers and the Bavarian-inspired buildings were so cool to see.
With that being said, I have put together a mini travel guide for what you can do on a day trip to Frankenmuth, MI that will be great for the whole family.
Things To Do That Make Frankenmuth Worth Visiting
Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland
Other than it’s other worldly charm, Frankenmuth is best known for Bronner’s – the largest Christmas store in the world!
Seriously, the place is HUGE!
There is an ornament for anything and everything. From safari theme, baby’s first Christmas, sports, travel, even s’mores. Yep…s’mores! And I’m not talking about one or two s’mores ornaments… I’m talking about a whole section dedicated to s’mores.
Plan to spend at least a couple hours here if you want to explore everything, especially as it gets closer to Christmas. Beware, it can get a bit overwhelming haha!
Zehnder’s
Another thing that Frankenmuth is famous for is their chicken dinners. They are pricey, but remember, this is a popular tourist destination so this is to be expected.
It’s best to make reservations ahead of time. Although their dining room is huge, there was still about a 20-30 minute wait for those that did not have reservations.
While you wait, you can walk downstairs to explore Zehnder’s bakery and marketplace. If you don’t want to dine in the dining room, or if you are short on time, you can opt for the Z-Café on the lower level. The Z-Café is more of a takeout style, but they still have all of the fried chicken and comfort food you could want!
The staff is all dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing and the dinners are served family style with a side of hospitality!
Your meal will start off with an assortment of breads and coleslaw for the table. Save room, because your entrees are not small. It was comfort food at its finest. I had the fried chicken (one piece of dark meat and one piece of white meat) with a side of stuffing and mashed potatoes — and of course, gravy. It was So. Much. Food!
Zehnder’s also is home to Zehnder’s Splash Village – a hotel that is great for families. They have an indoor water park and family suites to stay in. As a matter of fact, they recently added an outdoor section which made the park even bigger and even more fun!
The Bavarian Inn
Since we opted to eat at Zehnder’s instead of here I cannot attest to the food. However, Beth (my niece) has and she said that the two restaurants are very similar. Both have traditional family style dining with similar menus consisting of traditional German dishes. They also have a marketplace in their lower level.
I will say though, that the lower level of the Bavarian Inn has some incredible looking Bavarian soft pretzels. If you can find the room (I sadly could not) I highly suggest you get one. And if you do, let me know how they are … I would bet delicious!!
Bavarian Belle Riverboat
Another ‘must do’ on your day trip to Frankenmuth is take a ride on the Bavarian Belle Riverboat.
Take a relaxing one hour narrated cruise down the Cass River on this authentic paddlewheel riverboat. It does have an open air canopy so you can protect yourself from the sun while not sacrificing the fresh air and the view. There are also snacks and restrooms on board.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for kids 12 and under and kids under 4 are free. Tours run every hour and a half from 11am to 8pm. Check their website for full details: times will vary depending on the day of the week and time of year. They are open from early May through mid-October. Payments are also cash or check only and can be purchased in River Place Shops.
Walk the Holz Brucke
Take a walk or a bike ride across the covered Holz Brucke (wooden bridge) across the Cass River. Be careful when crossing or taking that perfect photo because it is an active road. Be sure to use the pedestrian walk. It is 239 feet long and made ENTIRELY of wood.
River Place Shops
What trip would be complete without some souvenir shopping. Walk across the pedestrian bridge under the flags over to the River Place Shops – an outdoor shopping mall reminiscent of a small Bavarian town. Don’t forget to stop and admire the prettiest little waterfall flowing into the Cass River.
Sugar High Bakery was the cutest little bake shop and bakery gift shop I have been in. I was still too full from Zehnder’s to try a cupcake, but there were a ton of people in there so it is obviously a pretty popular place. They have a lot of really cute bakery related gifts if you need to pick up something for that baker back home. A fun fact about Sugar High Bakery is that they won Season 7 of Cupcake Wars
Raelyn loved the Ultimate Mirror Maze. It costs $8 per person and you can go through as many times as you want. She and Beth (my niece) had so much fun doing it!
I definitely recommend stopping by the Popcorn Wagon and taking some absolutely delicious home-made flavored popcorn home with you. There are over 45 flavors to choose from as well as kits to make your own at home, seasonings and other gifts. I couldn’t decide on just one. I ended up taking 4 home … and I could have taken a lot more, but I had to reel myself in!
When we were no longer feeling overly stuffed from our delicious chicken dinner at Zehnder’s we stopped by Zak & Mac’s Chocolate Haus. Hand made daily, they have chocolates, fudge and ice cream. What do you think I opted for …
With over 40 unique shops and attractions you will surely find something for everyone to enjoy at River Place Shops. This definitely makes Frankenmuth worth visiting!
Take a Horse and Carriage Ride Through Town
For something a little different that the whole family will surely love is a horse and carriage ride through downtown with Fantasy Carriage Company. Their tour starts by Zehnder’s Restaurant and goes all through downtown.
Pretend you are going back in time and enjoy some of Frankenmuth’s history.
This would be absolutely magical during the winter while listening to Christmas music and enjoying some hot chocolate while looking at the Christmas lights that adorn Main Street.
This is a little bit more expensive than some of the other options on this list. Although the carriage can accommodate up to 6 people, a 15 minute ride will cost $50 and the prices go up from there. If you want to splurge, I think it would be a really cool experience, especially for the kids.
I would suggest you make reservations for this ahead of time. You may have to wait a couple hours for an available carriage.
Walk and Explore Downtown
Frankenmuth is an easily walkable town. So of course you should definitely take some time to walk Main St. It is such a charming Bavarian style town made to look like you are stepping back in time. They have a clock shop, fudge shops, sausage shops and more. The streets are lined with flowers in the summertime.
Frankenmuth Aerial Park
This is a zip lining, rope and aerial park with several different courses for all levels. Prices vary between weekdays and weekends, but you can expect around $40 for ages 12+. You can save some money if you go during Twilight hours which is the last 2 hours the park is open. Tickets for these hours are $29 for all ages.
They also offer “glow nights” which sounds like a blast!
If we had more time, we would have definitely checked out Frankenmuth Aerial Park. I think if you can fit it into your itinerary on your day trip to Frankenmuth you will have some happy kiddos (and probably those big kids at heart, aka adults, too) 🙂
Frankenmuth Brewery
Have a meal, or just a drink, and relax in Michigan’s oldest microbrewery founded in 1862. Their website says they are open daily, but we tried to go and they were closed. So check their website for details before you go.
Go Gnome Hunting
When you get to Frankenmuth, stop by the Visitor’s Center and grab a gnome scavenger hunt sheet and see how many of the 10 gnomes you can track down around town. This is a really fun and exciting thing for the kids to do while you are exploring the town. Be sure to turn in your sheet when you are finished for a prize!
Check out the Frankenmuth Visitor’s Center website here!
I hope you enjoyed this one day itinerary for Frankenmuth, Michigan. Do you think Frankenmuth is worth visiting? Let me know what you are most excited to see in the comments!
Also, if you are continuing your travels in beautiful Michigan, check out my post on Traverse City!!
