Why frankenmuth, MI didn't win my heart
After visiting (and falling in love with) Petoskey, MI last year, I was really looking forward to discovering what else Michigan has to offer. So when Ted went skiing with some friends for a weekend, I found the perfect opportunity to plan a quick ”moms and kids only” weekend getaway with my friend, Ayesha.
I had heard about Frankenmuth in the past and I was really excited to discover ”Midwest’s Little Bavaria”. And I tried! I really tried to like it. But you know what? It just didn’t happen for me. Why? It felt too commercial and overwhelming, mostly due to the ever-present arcades.
Frankenmuth is like a mixture between Germany and Las Vegas. On the one hand, you have the beautiful Bavarian architecture all around you, from the hotels to the restaurants along the main strip.
On the other hand, you have the arcades that seems to be one of the main attractions in Frankenmuth. And while my kids loved it, I was overwhelmed by the amount of video games, lights and sounds.
THINGS I LIKED ABOUT FRANKENMUTH
1. ZEHNDER'S SPLASH VILLAGE
The Splash Village in Frankenmuth is hands down the best indoor water park we’ve ever been to! Not only does it have a huge area for little kids, but it is so beautifully decorated you feel like you’ve walked into a magical land.
The water park is divided into two parts: the Atrium Park (open to all ages, but designed for older kids, teenagers and adults; my kids loved the lazy river in this park) and the Splash Pad (open to all ages, but designed for younger kids; my kids loved everything about this park, from the lazy river, to the slides and the splash area).
2. THE ARCHITECTURE
I love the Bavarian style and architecture and I think Frankenmuth is very picturesque. All the buildings in the downtown area are designed and painted in that style. You really do feel like you’ve traveled to a different country!
Also, a lot of the staff at hotels and restaurants wear the traditional Bavarian clothes, which adds to the feeling.
They also have a few cuckoo clocks throughout the town that sing at different times of the day. We got lucky and were around at noon to listen to the one at the top of the tower of the Bavarian Inn.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT FRANKENMUTH
1. THE FOOD and THE COFFEE
Frankenmuth is very famous for its ”all you can eat chicken and sides” dinner buffets. We did that at ”Zehnder’s” one night and weren’t very fond of the food. The chicken was bland and the appetizers seemed uncoordinated and weird (cottage cheese, slaw, cranberry sauce). I felt like those should have been sides and served at the same time with the chicken. Also, the portions are huge and a lot of food gets wasted.
Pro-tip: across the street from Zehnder’s is the Bavarian Inn. The restaurant there serves the famous chicken dinner too, but they also have some options for German food on the menu, which gives you more variety.
In terms of breakfast, one morning, we had crepes at ”Crepe du jour”. Since we had a large order, the crepes were made by two different people. One did a good job with them, the other overcooked them to the point where they were hard and rubbery.
The only two decent meals we had the whole weekend were pizzas at Oma’s restaurant (located in the lodge we stayed in) and fish/pasta at Da Vinci’s.
I do have to admit that we didn’t thoroughly research or plan our meals. If I were to go back, I would try dinner at Prost and breakfast/brunch at Honey B’s. They both had great reviews and a waitlist when we tried to get in. Make reservations!
Just like the food, the coffee was also subpar. Not only did all the restaurants and the hotel we stayed at serve Folgers, but so did the ”artisan cafe’s” we went to. Or, at least, that’s what the coffees tasted like.
2. THE ARCADES
They were everywhere! And, by that, I mean literally everywhere. From the hotel we stayed in, to the water park and the shopping center. It felt like we couldn’t escape them! Don’t get me wrong, my kids loved them, but I felt completely overwhelmed and trapped by them.
The Bavarian Inn had a fun center with two pools at one end and two pools at the other end. To get from one side to the other, you had to walk through the arcade, which boasts over 160 games. Imagine doing that with a 4 year old and a 5 year old!
WHERE WE STAYED – the Bavarian Inn
The Bavarian Inn is a massive resorts that has over 350 rooms, pools, arcades and restaurants. We stayed in the Lodge, in a king room, which was a bit too dark and dated for my taste. We had access to a shared balcony with 4 other rooms. My friend, Ayesha, stayed in a two queen bed room. That room looked like it had been renovated and it had big windows and a private balcony. It felt warmer and cozier.
The Lodge has two restaurants on site – Lorelei’s and Oma’s. We had dinner at Oma’s the first night and the food was good.
The Lodge also has a massive fun center, that has an 18 hole putt-putt course, 4 pools and hot tubs, a few water slides and over 160 games.
OTHER THINGS TO DO IN FRANKENMUTH
We only had two full days in Frankenmuth and bad weather for both of them. So we spent all of our time inside, either in our Lodge or at Zehnder’s water park. On the day we left, the sun was up, so we took a walk through downtown to look at the cute buildings and to visit a few souvenir stores.
Besides that, Frankenmuth also has Bronner’s, the world biggest Christmas store. It is open year long and it’s so massive, you need a map to walk around it. We chose not to go to the store because … my rambunctious boys + fragile, easy to break decorations = one stressed out momma. We would have given it a try, if Ted had been with us.
Also, there are different festivals and events throughout the year in Frankenmuth, like the Balloons over Bavarian Inn, a festival for dogs, Oktoberfest or a snowfest. You can read more about it here.
I waited for a couple of weeks before writing my opinion on Frankenmuth, because I have such mixed feeling about it.
Two weeks later I still feel like I don’t really have any desire to go back there, unless we went for a fun festival or around Christmas time, when I’m sure Frankenmuth is adorably decorated.
That being said, I know there are a lot of people who would love it! Just like some people love Las Vegas, while I have no desire to ever go there. I think it’s just a question of preference and what fun is for different people. I certainly think Frankenmuth is worth at least a visit and, if the opportunity arises at some point, maybe I will give it another chance. For now, I will simply say: Frankenmuth, you did not win my heart!