The Christmas season in Chicago is just about a month away, and chances are you might be thinking of taking a getaway to get in the holiday spirit.
If you’re wishing you could escape the hustle and bustle of the Windy City for a Hallmark-esque small town, you’re in luck.
Just a short drive from Chicago lies a picture-perfect village known for its Bavarian-inspired architecture, bucolic nature areas, and the pièce de résistance: America’s largest Christmas store!
Here’s your guide to Frankenmuth, Michigan.
All about Frankenmuth, MI
Frankenmuth, Michigan is located a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Chicago, making it the ideal distance for a weekend trip this fall or winter.
Known as “Michigan’s Little Bavaria,” the quaint resort town is home to dozens of German-inspired shops, restaurants, lodges, and indoor markets.
Popular holiday activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, outdoor ice skating, and even a reindeer farm experience!
Visitors will also want to try some authentic German cuisine at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant, and shop for a one-of-a-kind gift at Zehnder’s Marketplace.
Other can’t-miss attractions include a towering traditional Glockenspiel, the Frankenmuth Historical Museum, and the Bavarian Blast indoor waterpark.
Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland—America’s largest Christmas store
By far the biggest attraction in Frankenmuth is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland—the largest Christmas store in the entire United States.
The sprawling roadside emporium covers a whopping 320,000 square feet of space, or 5.5 football fields.
Guests can shop an inventory of more than 50,000 Christmas ornaments, artificial trees, lights and decorations, and even Santa costumes.
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, no worries. Bronner’s is worth the trip just to window shop and take in the spectacle of it all.
Maybe you’re looking for small town vibes, fresh air, holiday shopping, adorable photo ops, or some combination of all.
Whatever the case, a visit to Frankenmuth, MI is the perfect trip from Chicago this holiday season.
Learn more and plan your getaway here.
