Things to Do in Frankenmuth, Michigan (2026 Guide)

Last Updated: September 2026

The best things to do in Frankenmuth, Michigan are Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the Glockenspiel’s Pied Piper show, a family-style chicken dinner, and an hour on the Bavarian Belle paddlewheel riverboat. Add indoor water parks, a heritage farm, a mirror maze, and fudge shops, and Michigan’s Little Bavaria works for a day trip, a romantic weekend, or a family getaway any time of year.

From the gingerbread trim on the shops to the costumed servers carrying platters of fried chicken, this Saginaw County town wears its German heritage proudly. It’s also one heckuva good time, whether you come for Christmas, a summer riverboat ride, or a weekend of water slides with the kids.

When should you go? November and December are the magic months, when downtown glows and Bronner’s is at full holiday tilt, but that’s also when weekends are busiest and dinner waits run longest. Summer brings the riverboat, the farm, and outdoor festivals, and a weekday in May or September gets you nearly all of it with half the crowds. Downtown is compact enough to park once and walk Main Street from the Frankenmuth Brewery to River Place Shops, but Bronner’s sits at the south end of town, so drive over. Here’s what I’d do on a first visit: Bronner’s in the morning, lunch downtown, the Glockenspiel at 3 p.m., and a chicken dinner reservation for the evening.

About Frankenmuth: Michigan’s Little Bavaria

German Lutheran settlers founded Frankenmuth in 1845, and the town has drawn visitors since 1928, when William Zehnder opened what became Zehnder’s restaurant. Christmas arrived in a big way in 1945, when Wally Bronner started a Christmas decorating business that grew into Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, now the world’s largest Christmas store, with more than 2 million guests a year.

That mix is what makes it work: real heritage, over-the-top Christmas cheer year-round, and enough water slides and fudge to keep kids happy. Frankenmuth also made it onto screens in the 2019 UPtv holiday movie A Christmas Movie Christmas, filmed mostly at River Place Shops.

Best Things to Do in Frankenmuth

Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland

25 Christmas Lane, Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Bronner’s is a giant Alpine-style building packed with more than 50,000 ornaments and gifts, animated figures, and decorated trees, and it’s free to walk through. Plan at least two hours. Kids love picking out their own ornament, and Bronner’s artists will personalize ornaments while you wait. After dark, Christmas Lane lights up with 100,000 lights, and the Silent Night Memorial Chapel, a replica of the Austrian chapel where “Silent Night” was first sung, is open daily at the south end of the grounds. Check current Bronner’s hours before you go; it closes earlier than you’d think.

Watch the Glockenspiel Tower

925 S. Main St., at the Bavarian Inn

The Bavarian Inn’s 50-foot Glockenspiel has been ringing since 1967, with a 35-bell carillon imported from Germany. At noon, 3, 6, and 9 p.m. daily, the bells play and 4½-foot carved wooden figures roll out to act out the Pied Piper of Hameln, rats and all. Get there a few minutes early for a good spot; the Bavarian Inn’s Glockenspiel page has the full story.

Frankenmuth River Place Shops

925 S. Main St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734

This German-style shopping village has about 40 shops and attractions, with little bridges, a waterfall, tasting rooms, and a Cherry Republic. It’s also where you’ll find the mirror maze, the blacksmith shop, and the riverboat dock, and it hosts festivals like Balloons Over Bavarian Inn on Memorial Day weekend. Fans of the 2019 movie will recognize it as the town of “Holiday Falls.”

Ride the Bavarian Belle Riverboat

The Bavarian Belle is a family-owned, 150-passenger sternwheel paddleboat that makes a narrated one-hour cruise on the Cass River from early May to mid-October. There’s a snack bar, restrooms on the lower deck, and a ramp for accessibility, and well-behaved dogs are welcome aboard. Buy tickets the same day at the booth by the waterfall in River Place Shops, and bring cash or a check; the Bavarian Belle listing has current details.

Cross the Holz-Brücke Covered Bridge

The Holz-Brücke, next to the Bavarian Inn Lodge, is a two-lane wooden covered bridge over the Cass River, and it’s especially pretty lit up at night. Walk or drive across. If your family loves odd bridges, Midland’s three-legged Tridge is about 40 minutes away.

Try Chocolate Cheese at the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus

545 S. Main St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Yes, chocolate cheese, along with a long list of domestic and imported cheeses, spreads, and sweets. Grab samples, then have the kids pose with the giant mouse and his slice of cheese out front.

Watch Fudge Being Made at Zak & Mac’s Chocolate Haus

Pull up to the window and watch the candy makers work the fudge by hand, then pick out a few slices to take home. It’s across from the riverboat dock.

Frankenmuth Historical Museum

613 S. Main St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Set in an early-1900s hotel building downtown, the museum tells the story of the Franconian settlers who founded the town. It’s a quiet hour that gives the rest of the trip some context.

Take a Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride

A carriage ride is a good way to get the lay of the land on your first visit, and it’s romantic after dark under the streetlights. Look for the Fantasy Carriage Company or the Frankenmuth Carriage Company downtown.

Frankenmuth Brewery

425 S. Main St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Brewing on this spot on the Cass River traces back to 1862, and the Frankenmuth Brewery bills itself as Michigan’s oldest brewery. Today it’s a brewpub with house beers, a full bar, riverside patios, and the River View rooftop. Kids get the house-brewed root beer and orange cream soda. Note: no dogs, not even on the patio. Want more? Use my guide to the best craft breweries in Michigan.

Golf The Fortress

The Fortress is an 18-hole, par-72 public course just a few hundred yards from Zehnder’s front porch, with Scottish-style fescue mounds and big greens. Zehnder’s has offered golf-and-chicken-dinner packages, so ask when you book a tee time.

Things to Do in Frankenmuth With Kids

Frankenmuth is basically a giant playground with taffy, water slides, and farm animals. Everything above works for families, especially Bronner’s, the Glockenspiel, and the riverboat, but these are the stops built with kids in mind.

Indoor Water Parks

You’ve got two, and both are open year-round. Zehnder’s Splash Village, at 1365 S. Main St., is a hotel and indoor water park with slides, a lazy river, and a kids’ play area. The Bavarian Inn Lodge has its own family fun center with pools, waterslides, and a huge arcade. Both are built around their hotels, so plan your stay around the one your kids want and check whether day passes are offered.

Grandpa Tiny’s Farm

7775 Weiss St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Started by Bavarian Inn founder William “Tiny” Zehnder, this working heritage farm lets kids pet goats, lambs, and bunnies, peek into a one-room schoolhouse, and ride a wagon around the property. It’s open April through October, with a sunflower festival in summer and pumpkin picking with cider and donuts in the fall.

Ultimate Mirror Maze

Inside River Place Shops, this maze of thousands of mirrors takes 10 to 15 minutes to wander, longer if you keep walking into yourself. Mirrors that stretch you tall and wide guarantee some giggles.

Bavarian Blacksmith Experience

Also in River Place Shops, a blacksmith guides you as you hammer and twist hot metal into anything from a dog tag to a hook. It’s a great pick for older kids; ask about the minimum age when you book.

Frankenmuth Aerial Park

1375 Weiss St., Frankenmuth, MI 48734

Climb, balance, and zip line through the treetops on ropes courses ranging from beginner to expert, clipped to a safety line the whole way. Reservations cover a multi-hour session, and there’s a minimum age, so it’s best for school-age kids and teens.

Sweet Stops: Taffy Kitchen and Rau’s Country Store

Let the kids fill a bucket from the baskets of Michigan-made “fresh water” taffy at the Frankenmuth Taffy Kitchen, 565 S. Main St. A block down, Rau’s Country Store, 656 S. Main St., is an old-fashioned general store packed with candy, toys, and a restored original checkout counter.

Bavarian Inn Shops

The lower level of the Bavarian Inn Restaurant is a warren of little shops, including a toy shop and a bakery with donuts and pastries. It’s the perfect spot to kill time before a Glockenspiel show or a dinner reservation.

Christmas and Events in Frankenmuth

Frankenmuth is Michigan’s Christmas town year-round, but from mid-November through December the lights reflect off snowy rooftops and the whole town feels like a snow globe. Santa visits, carriage rides, and Bronner’s after dark make it worth braving the crowds; my guide to Christmas in Frankenmuth has the full holiday plan, and Zehnder’s Snowfest brings snow and ice sculptures to town in late January.

The rest of the calendar stays busy, too, from Balloons Over Bavarian Inn on Memorial Day weekend to summer festivals and Oktoberfest. It’s also one of my favorite Christmas towns in Michigan.

Near Frankenmuth

Birch Run Premium Outlets, about 15 minutes south, is one of the biggest outlet malls in Michigan, an easy stop on the way home down I-75. Wilderness Trails Zoo, 11721 Gera Rd. in Birch Run, is a small private zoo with big cats and farm animals; check its season before you go.

Map of Things to Do in Frankenmuth

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Where to Eat in Frankenmuth

The famous all-you-can-eat chicken dinner is the whole point. Both Zehnder’s and the Bavarian Inn Restaurant, across Main Street from each other, serve family-style chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, noodles, and a parade of sides. Pick either one; locals have opinions, but you won’t go wrong. On busy weekends and in December, reserve ahead.

For breakfast, Oma’s Restaurant at the Bavarian Inn Lodge does potato pancakes and waffles. Zehnder’s Marketplace downstairs is the place to grab bread, pastries, and treats to take home. My full guide to Frankenmuth restaurants covers more.

Where to Stay in Frankenmuth

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With kids, stay at a water park hotel. Without them, a smaller hotel on the river is the quieter choice. Book early for any weekend from mid-November through December.

Bavarian Inn Lodge

Right on the Cass River by the covered bridge, the Bavarian Inn Lodge has indoor pools and waterslides, an arcade, and restaurants under one roof, a short walk from downtown.

Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel

Your room comes with the water park, which is the main reason families book here. It’s on South Main Street at the edge of downtown.

Drury Inn & Suites Frankenmuth

A dependable, Tudor-style chain hotel on Main Street; book through Drury Inn & Suites Frankenmuth.

Marv Herzog Hotel

A smaller riverfront hotel with a home-away-from-home feel; see rates at the Marv Herzog Hotel.

Frankenmuth Motel

The budget pick, within walking distance of downtown, and consistently well reviewed; check the Frankenmuth Motel.

Frankenmuth: Questions & Answers

Is Bronner’s open year-round?

Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland is open 361 days a year. It’s closed New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, and admission is free.

What time does the Frankenmuth Glockenspiel play?

The Bavarian Inn Glockenspiel plays daily at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9 p.m., followed by the Pied Piper figurine show. It’s free to watch from the street.

Is Frankenmuth worth visiting outside of Christmas?

Yes. Summer and early fall bring the Bavarian Belle riverboat, Grandpa Tiny’s Farm, the Aerial Park, and outdoor festivals, and Bronner’s and the water parks are open year-round with smaller crowds.

Come hungry, leave with an ornament, and plan on coming back. Frankenmuth is the kind of place families return to every year, and there’s always a new season to try. For more family trips, see my things to do in Michigan with kids.

Bella Di Mascio and Anna Heim contributed to earlier versions of this guide.