Overview
Frankenmuth is a city of about 5,500 people (2019) in southeastern Michigan, which was settled in 1845 by 15 Lutheran Germans who intended to spread the Christian religion to the Native American population in the area. The town today capitalizes on this German background, billing itself as "Michigan's Little Bavaria", and styling its downtown after an idealized image of a 19th-century Germany village. Visitors may find it to be unbearably kitschy, but there's a great sense of fun and an almost theme-park-like feel about the downtown area.
1 sights · 2 things to do · 4 places to eat · 2 bars & cafés · 3 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Frankenmuth
Military and Space Museum
Open weekly until 5PM, except during January and February. The only museum of its type in the US, including uniform displays for Michigan veterans of six foreign wars and the space program, featuring over 400 exhibits.
Frankenmuth Auto Fest
See show cars cruising main street at the Friday "Big Block" party and over 2,000 show cars on display in Heritage Park.
Zehnder's Snow Fest
A weeklong winter festival featuring snow and ice sculptures and a variety of other activities. The international competition is located at Zehnder's Restaurant, the state competition at the Bavarian Inn, and the high sc…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 16°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Ann Arbor)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MBS MBS International Airport, Freeland — 22 mi away. Directions
- FNT Bishop International Airport, Flint — 25 mi away. Directions
- DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Detroit — 80 mi away (major hub). Directions
Frankenmuth is situated close to I-75, between Flint and Saginaw. Coming north from Detroit, take exit 136 and travel east on M-54, then north on M-83. Coming south from Mackinaw City, take exit 149 and travel east on M-46, then south on M-83.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Military and Space Museum, Frankenmuth Auto Fest
- Lunch Z Chef's Cafe
- Afternoon Zehnder's Snow Fest
- Dinner Zehnder's Foodstore & Bakery
- Evening Frankenmuth Brewery
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
One of the main attractions in Frankenmuth is its famous all-you-can-eat chicken dinners, offered at both the Bavarian Inn and Zehnder's, its two largest downtown restaurants. For $25 per person, diners are served all-you-can-eat homemade breads (including stollen), butter, preserves, chicken noodle soup, salad, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered noodles, hot vegetables, and homemade ice cream. The centrepiece, of course, is the mouth-wateringly juicy fried chicken. If you're a non-vegetarian visiting Frankenmuth, don't miss it.
Many other German dishes can be found in town as well, including wienerschnitzel, sauerbraten, and a variety of German sausages.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By car
Frankenmuth is situated close to I-75, between Flint and Saginaw. Coming north from Detroit, take exit 136 and travel east on M-54, then north on M-83. Coming south from Mackinaw City, take exit 149 and travel east on M-46, then south on M-83.
Get around
You'll need a car to reach the downtown area; fortunately, parking is abundant and free, even during heavy tourist periods. Most of the main attractions downtown are easily reached by walking, but you might want to pull the car back out to get to some of the more far-flung locations.
See
- Downtown Frankenmuth spans several blocks of shops in Franconian (not Bavarian)-style buildings, starting from Frankenmuth River Place and continuing uphill. It's easily walkable and very pedestrian-friendly. The Cass River runs alongside the downtown area, and there are some very pleasant swathes of grassy tree-dotted hills if you want to take a riverside picnic break.
Do
Frankenmuth plays host to several festivals throughout the year:
- Bavarian Festival, early June. Bavarian music, two parades, a midway with rides and games, and of course German food.
- Oktoberfest, mid-September. Bavarian music, Dachshund races, German food and lots of beer.
Do Zehnder's Snow Fest
A weeklong winter festival featuring snow and ice sculptures and a variety of other activities. The international competition is located at Zehnder's Restaurant, the state competition at the Bavarian Inn, and the high school competition at the River Place Shops. Occurs annually the last week of January.
Buy
Shop Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
Frankenmuth is arguably even more well-known for Bronner's than it is for its Bavarian culture. Operating since 1945, Bronner's is the largest store in the world specializing in Christmas merchandise: the buildings alone cover 7.35 acres, with another 27 acres of landscaped grounds. The complex offers over 50,000 trims and gifts, and displays 350 decorated Christmas trees. Open daily year-round, except New Year's, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Shop Frankenmuth River Place
Over 34 shops and attractions, including a mirror maze, bumper cars, a laser show at the outdoor amphitheatre, and a paddlewheel boat that runs tours along the Cass River.
Eat
One of the main attractions in Frankenmuth is its famous all-you-can-eat chicken dinners, offered at both the Bavarian Inn and Zehnder's, its two largest downtown restaurants. For $25 per person, diners are served all-you-can-eat homemade breads (including stollen), butter, preserves, chicken noodle soup, salad, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, buttered noodles, hot vegetables, and homemade ice cream. The centrepiece, of course, is the mouth-wateringly juicy fried chicken. If you're a non-vegetarian visiting Frankenmuth, don't miss it.
Many other German dishes can be found in town as well, including wienerschnitzel, sauerbraten, and a variety of German sausages.
Other spots to try:
Eat Z Chef's Cafe (Z's Cafe)
Located in the basement of Zehnder's Restaurant, Z's Cafe offers the same food at a significantly reduced price. Food is served cafeteria style and does not come with all of the extras available with the full family-style chicken dinner.
Eat Zehnder's Foodstore & Bakery
Located in the basement of Zehnder's Restaurant, Zehnder's Bakery features a wide variety of baked goods (including traditional German goods) along with gourmet foods, cheeses, chocolates, etc. Lots of samples!
Eat Frankenmuth Cheese Haus
A large cheese shop offering a huge variety of cheeses, including exotic delicacies as chocolate and strawberry cheese.
Eat Kern's Sausages
Bratwurst, knackwurst, braunschweiger, summer sausage and many other German specialties.
Drink
Drink Frankenmuth Brewery
High-quality pub food with a German twist. Over 10 locally craft-brewed lagers and ales, some of them award-winning. $8 (sandwiches) - $20 (pasta and steaks).
Drink Sullivan's Black Forest Brew Haus & Grill
Pub food including barbecue. Four flagship handcrafted beers, three specialty brews and six seasonal beers. $6 (burgers) - $19 (steaks).
Sleep
There are multiple hotels in Frankenmuth to choose from, with more only a few miles away in Birch Run.
Go next
Nearby
Saginaw
City / town · 34 listings · 12 mi away
Bay City
City / town · 13 listings · 20 mi away
Flint
City / town · 30 listings · 22 mi away
Swartz Creek
City / town · 31 listings · 26 mi away
Midland
City / town · 17 listings · 32 mi away
Fenton
City / town · 8 listings · 37 mi away
Ithaca
City / town · 22 listings · 44 mi away
St. Louis
City / town · 13 listings · 44 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.