A Christmas Wonderland

November 2025--Before I tell you what or where this is, here is some trivia about this place. Read on and see if you know it.

·      Over two million guests visit annually from throughout the world.

·      The weekend after Thanksgiving welcomes as many as 50,000 guests.

·      The landscaped grounds cover 27 acres—with an additional 7.35 acres for its building.

·      The late-great John Wayne ordered a suit from this place by phone on Dec. 15, 1976.

·      The parking lot has 1,470 parking spots.

·      The electric bill averages $650 a day.

Any ideas? If you guessed Disney World, the answer is no. And it’s not the State of Liberty or the Grand Canyon either. 

It’s Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in the Bavarian-styled town of Frankenmuth, Michigan, about an hour and a half from Detroit. I’m estimating about 3 ½ hours from me. And with good reason, it boasts being the world’s largest Christmas store.

I’ve not been to Frankenmuth, but I have seen billboards along the highway. (Learned that more than 60 billboards advertise the Christmas Wonderland along various highways throughout the Midwest and as far away as Florida.) I should add the word “yet,” because it’s on my to-do list of places to visit and I’m hoping it will be very soon.

It doesn’t matter the time of the year, I’ve learned there’s always a lot happening at this year-round destination. If you visit in the summer, there are riverboat tours and other outdoor activities. Spring and fall include the  World Expo of Beer, Michigan’s oldest beer sampling festival, and the Frankenmuth Dog Bowl, an Olympic-style festival for dogs, plus a vivid display of nature’s beautiful colors. Of course, I’m hoping to get there in December to experience a magical holiday atmosphere!

Browsing the aisles and aisles of Christmas décor is going to take some time. A lot of time. (Hmm…maybe we need to board the dogs and get a hotel room?) There are more than 50,000 trims and gifts, as well as over 550 styles of Nativity scenes, decorations, and gifts from more than 24 nations. They’ve also got more than 300 decorated trees on display (no wonder their electric bill is so high!) and thousands of Christmas ornaments, and the staff personalizes 600,000 ornaments each year.

If there’s time after going through the Christmas Wonderland, I would love to see the rest of the town. Calling itself Michigan’s Little Bavaria, Frankenmuth does all it can to get you in the Christmas spirit. You can take some laps around an ice rink, go Christmas caroling, and even follow the Santa hats to meet the jolly guy himself. And speaking of Santa, John Wayne called Bronner’s in 1976 to order a Santa Claus suit!

 Frankenmuth showcases the heritage and culture of Bavarian Germany through its Franconian-style architecture, its quaint shops, and restaurants serving authentic Bavarian cuisine. I look forward to trying some of the dishes and, of course, melt-in-your-mouth Bavarian chocolate.

Like I said, I haven’t been there yet—and even though they have year-round fun, for me, there’s no better time than Christmastime! I really do believe in the magic of Christmas.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this place, especially if you've been there. Scroll down to the bottom and leave a comment. Thanks!

Take it one day (or one Christmas ornament) at a time…

More about Santa!