15 Best Things to Do Frankenmuth, Michigan
Have you been yearning for years to visit the world-famous Oktoberfest and drown yourself in authentic Bavarian spirit?
Let me be honest.
This guide will not tell you about the Oktoberfest.
It will, though, tell you everything about the next best thing!
Frankenmuth in Michigan is the Bavarian capital in the United States.
It is the perfect Germany in USA clone!
You can enjoy authentic German beers and the lovely Bavarian culture in this quaint, small town.
In addition to the fantastic beers, you can enjoy beautiful parks and the festive spirit of the town.
Make sure to check out our Mega Guide of the Top 15 Things to do in Frankenmuth when you plan your trip here.
Frankenmuth River Place Shop
Rejoice in the endless merry-making in the authentic Bavarian spirit at the Frankenmuth River Place Shops.
While shoppers can explore the colorful goodies in over 40 enchanting shops, foodies can have their share of pleasures at the pastry shop and the grill.
Fashionistas will be spoilt for choice with many varieties of clothes, accessories, and items to choose from.
If you have taken your kids along, you needn't worry either.
There are plenty of toy shops to keep them engaged.
Finally, even tech-geeks can find something to their taste at the rich electronics shops.
For those who want to ditch the shopping and just breathe in the beauty of the place, the Bavarian Belle Riverboat will take you on a refreshing excursion over the glorious Cass River waters.
Many exquisite waterfalls and streams add to the charm along the ride.
St.Lorenz Lutheran Church
Early German settlers found the St.Lorenz Lutheran Church in 1845.
Other than making your communion with the Powers that be, you can also take guided tours to learn exciting details about the history of this congregation.
The St.Lorenz Lutheran Church is one of the finest specimens of marvelous church architecture.
The building is crafted from shining orange-brick, and its colorful stained glass reflects sunlight into doleful optical patterns all over the compound.
If you like to decipher the semantics of religious symbols and statues, you will have plenty of those to exercise your grey cells in this church.
Zehnder’s Splash Village Waterpark
Drown yourself in endless water-mania at the two indoor waterparks at Zehnder’s Splash Village.
Colorfully named, Splash and Atrium, you can enjoy these two waterparks the whole year.
For summer travelers, Zehnder’s also has an outdoor pool.
The safety of your little tiny tots won't be an issue at Zehnder's.
Their pools are shallow, and you can brush aside all worries as kids splash and spray in the Landing Play Area.
Adults can participate in competitive water sports, including water basketball and water volleyball.
Have mad fun with the chutes, slides, and dumping buckets to further enhance the aquatic frenzy!
Michigan Heroes Museum
You can next head to the Michigan Heroes Museum to pay tributes to the state's bravest heroes who led the hugely successful military and space programs to new heights.
The museum is decidedly people-centric, and you will get to know more about the men behind these beautiful feats of human ingenuity rather than the events or the technologies.
More than 850 items enlighten you with insider facts from the lives of these great men.
Photographs, documents, medals, and posters all bear testimony to their yeomen efforts.
A unique attraction is the vast collection of Medals of Honor.
Some estimate it to the nation's most extensive single-site assortment of these.
These medallions are a salute to the dare-devilry and the proud adornments of those who put their lives in the line of fire.
The Fortress Golf Course
The Fortress Golf Course is one of the largest in the state.
The entire 18-hole course is lush with green grass and features several challenging bunkers.
You would have a great chance to hone your putts and drives at this fantastic par-72-course.
Dick Nugent is the creative genius behind the Fortress Golf Course.
The famous architect wanted to add a dash of authenticity to his course.
And so, he designed it in a manner to amply reflect the game’s rich Scottish pedigree.
Once you have the birdies and eagles and the bunkers all gobbled up, relax in the restaurant bar to nibble on toothsome snacks with fine spirits.
Bavarian Inn Restaurant
Frankenmuth can't get more Bavarian than the Bavarian Inn Restaurant!
This classic place features all the rich elements reminiscent of vintage Bavaria.
Spend endless hours admiring the Bavarian façade and the old grandfather clock.
Get further lost in Bavarian charms with the signature 35-bell glockenspiel clock, and yes, you also get to hear its handstick and bells chime as the clock is still in action!
Book your tryst with the famed Pied Piper of Hamlin, who weaves his pipe’s magic every noon and other selected times.
Just make sure you don't fall under the spell of these quaint actor-pipers, or there would be no way from the steep fall down the cliff!
This Bavarian heaven in the middle of the vast American expanse dates back to 1888.
To further allure you, they serve excellent home-cooked food replete with renowned delicacies of traditional German yore.
Some of the best names on the food menu include rouladen, bratwurst, sauerbraten, and schnitzel.
However, if you really want to eat it as the Germans do, we suggest the specialty Ultimate Family Style Bavarian Dinner Treat.
This sumptuous single-dish feast is prepared from five kinds of meat, topped up with potato puffs and sauerkraut.
Finally, binge-drink the marvelous ale to regale your soul of all its travails!
Frankenmuth Aerial Park
Buckle your belts and straighten your backs.
You need to do so because we will now visit one of the most challenging obstacle courses in the area.
Sloth is no excuse to evade the challenge, but we will try and make it fun so that your old bones are not the only ones that crackle in laughter at your helplessness in this exciting but difficult adventure!
The Frankenmuth Aerial Park features various obstacles in increasing difficulty, which test all your physical skills, including balancing, climbing, and swinging.
Finally, your ultimate test awaits you at the long zip line.
We promise you we will gift you your "Master of the Universe" tag once you reach this point and hopefully conquer the final frontier too!
Frankenmuth Farmer’s Market
Cooking meals yourself on holidays has been trending the last few years very rapidly.
For a good reason too.
In Frankenmuth, that reason is called Frankenmuth's Farmer's Market.
You can't go to this marketplace and not be lured by the incredible freshness of the local produce.
Even if you have never boiled yourself a cup of tea before, we promise you will be compelled to don your chef hats once you visit this site!
The market sets up on Saturdays from May to October, and also on Wednesdays from June to August.
Exotic fruits and local veggies will mesmerize you with their texture, colors, aromas, freshness, and flavors once you put them to boil!
The ready-to-eat offerings are equally enticing.
Simmering hot soups and warm specialty teas are the perfect start and end courses.
Fill up the yawning mid-course with delicious loaves of bread and other baked delights.
Finally, a wonderful assortment of pastries and pies round up the meal with the best dessert you could ever want!
Frankenmuth Historical Museum
Time to journey back into time and take a moment to salute those who laid the foundation for the prosperous, modern city that Frankenmuth has become today.
We visit the hallowed portals of the Frankenmuth Historical Museum to learn about the rich history of the region through the various exhibits.
You will get a rare chance to explore some actual structures from those times.
These include a mission, storage facilities, a vintage log house, an old-style mill, and the creaking remains of a post office.
In addition, you can get a taste of action yourself with their hands-on activities.
Experience life as it was in the old times by trying your hand at carrying an old water yoke or by blending butter with a heavy stone churn!
Test your designing chops and knowledge of furniture by trying to guess the grade and type of the several wood specimens sprawled generously.
Finally, play good old board games to teleport into another era!
Memorial Park
Fresh air and the calm beauty of green outdoor spaces await you at the Memorial Park in Frankenmuth.
Further, the meandering creek adds to the charm of this place.
Memorial Park is an ideal place to spend an idle day doing nothing.
Stretch yourself on all fours on the inviting grass and get lost in blissful midday siestas!
Enjoy the warm sunshine kiss your skin, and dote on the beauty of the fountains dancing in the vicinity.
Drink in the sweetness and breathe in the fragrance of lovely roses in the delightful Rose Garden.
Finally, head out to the memorial dedicated to the native Chippewa people and ponder over the turning of the tide of time.
Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland
Year-round Christmas extravaganza welcomes you at Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland (that's not a typo, it's how Bronner's spell their name).
The electrical energy and festive spirit of the place are unmistakable.
Bronner's is the largest Christmas shop in the world, and all kudos to them for regaling travelers with endless merry-making!
The shop covers an incredible 7 acres of land area.
The building itself is designed as an alpine chalet to set the Christmas tone upfront.
A giant snowman and a big Santa Claus figure guard the gates, and you must be careful not to anger either if you want to have a peek at the riches inside!
The shop comes alive with nightfall when the staff turns on thousands of shimmering lights to produce a visual spectacle!
The items include the largest variety of Christmas kitsch you can get at one place.
Ornate baubles, Santa Claus hats and suits, colorful and creatively decorated Xmas trees of all sizes, and light chains are some of the exciting stuff you can pick up here.
Horse Drawn Carriage
There is a different charm in coasting across a city in a vintage old-style horse carriage.
It gets even better when they provide you with blankets in winters, and the driver points out to you all the remarkable sites along the way.
Did we just say perfect for the Cupid-struck?
Even if we didn't, you should take your sweetheart along on one of these joy rides to explore the streets of Frankenmuth in a good old horse-driven carriage.
St.Julian Winery
Wine and Bavaria don't rhyme but believe us; they chime together in perfect harmony when you head out to the St.
Julian Winery to sip on their award-winning delicious wines!
The 100-year old winery uses authentic processes and local fruit to produce fine wines.
They have several locations spread across Michigan.
You can have endless pleasure tasting their wide variety of rich wines.
And, when one of the flavors smites you into becoming its die-hard fan, they have plenty of bottles in stock for you to buy a big haul!
Heritage Park
Leisure and sport with a dose of heritage make the perfect recipe for spending a care-free weekend afternoon.
However, you can visit the Heritage Park even on weekdays and still enjoy all the relaxing pleasures of Frankenmuth's most popular public park!
The grandstand is the Harvey E.Kern Community Pavilion.
This majestic pavilion is colored in beautiful shades of blues, and its white roof compliments those superbly.
The many sports facilities include basketball courts, volleyball courts, and play zones for kids.
Cross Holz Brucke
Shutterbugs can have a field day at the gorgeous Cross Holz Brucke.
This exquisite wooden bridge spanning the Cass River is almost 240 feet in length.
It is an ingeniously designed structure.
Engineering enthusiasts can spot several exciting techniques and trade-offs used by the designers by observing the bridge closely.
Frankenmuth is a fantastic holiday destination in Michigan.
Even if you don't drink beer, you have no excuse not to travel to this delightful city.
We wish you a happy tour of this classical city!
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