Web Design in Frankenmuth, MI

Frankenmuth, Saginaw County

Well-Known Places in Frankenmuth

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, Bavarian Inn Lodge, Zehnder's Restaurant.

Frankenmuth Business Districts

• Main Street Bavarian District
• Frankenmuth River Place

Major Employers in Frankenmuth

Bavarian Inn Restaurant, Zehnder's of Frankenmuth, Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, Star of the West Milling.

About Frankenmuth, Saginaw County

Frankenmuth is a Bavarian-themed destination town on the Cass River in Saginaw County, founded in 1845 by conservative Lutheran immigrants from Franconia, Germany. Nicknamed 'Michigan's Little Bavaria,' it draws millions of visitors a year for family-style all-you-can-eat chicken dinners, Old World architecture, and Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store. The name itself means 'courage of the Franconians.'

History of Frankenmuth

• Settled in 1845 by Lutheran immigrants from the Rosstal area of Franconia who left Germany aboard the Caroline on April 20, 1845.
• After landing in New York, the group traveled the Great Lakes to Detroit and Saginaw, then overland to the settlement site in August 1845, intending to run a mission to Native Americans.
• The name combines 'Franken' (Franconia) and the German 'Mut/Muth' (courage), so Frankenmuth means 'courage of the Franconians.'

Landmarks and Places in Frankenmuth

• Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, the world's largest Christmas store, covering more than seven acres indoors with over 50,000 holiday items and a replica Silent Night Chapel.
• The Holz-Bruecke (Zehnder's) covered bridge across the Cass River, a 239-foot wooden span completed around 1979-1980 using Douglas fir and traditional peg joinery.
• The Glockenspiel carillon and Bavarian Inn, centerpieces of the Bavarian-styled Main Street.

The Frankenmuth Economy

• The economy runs on tourism and farming.
• Zehnder's (opened Mother's Day 1929) and the neighboring Bavarian Inn are two of the nation's largest independently owned restaurants and together serve more than two million chicken dinners a year.
• The Bavarian Inn tradition traces to the Exchange/Fischer's hotel dining dating to 1888, and the site has hosted more than 20 million guests.

Community Life in Frankenmuth

• World-famous family-style chicken dinners are the town's signature meal, anchored by the Zehnder's-versus-Bavarian Inn rivalry.
• The Bavarian Festival, held the second weekend of June since 1959, features polka music, keg tapping and ribbon dancing.
• Frankenmuth's Oktoberfest, first held in 1990, was recognized as the first Oktoberfest outside Munich sanctioned by Bavarian authorities.

Local reference: en.wikipedia.org, www.frankenmuth.org, www.zehnders.com