Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland
7674 S Block Rd, Frankenmuth, MI
Frankenmuth, MI
The world's largest Christmas store, lit up and decorated all year long, in a Bavarian-themed Michigan town.
Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland is, by its own well-earned billing, the world's largest Christmas store, a single enormous building on the edge of Frankenmuth where it is Christmas every single day of the year. Under one roof you will find ornaments, nativity sets, lights, trims, and collectibles from dozens of countries, all displayed on a scale that has to be seen to be believed.
What began as a small sign-painting business grew, through the vision of Wally Bronner, into a Michigan institution and one of the state's most-visited attractions. The grounds are as much a part of the experience as the store, with Christmas lanes lit every night of the year and a peaceful outdoor chapel that honors the carol Silent Night.
What Guests Love
- Aisles of ornaments, lights, and decorations that stretch on and on, open all year
- The outdoor Silent Night Memorial Chapel, a replica of the Austrian original
- Christmas lanes that stay lit every night of the year
- Personalized ornaments and decorations from around the world under one enormous roof
Worth Knowing
- This is a genuinely huge store, so wear comfortable shoes and give yourself real time
- It is open year round, and the holiday season brings the biggest crowds
- The grounds and light displays are meant to be enjoyed after dark, and welcome visitors in the evening
- Pair a visit with Frankenmuth's shops and restaurants a few minutes away to make a full day
Details
Frankenmuth, MI
Learn about Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland
From a sign painter to a Christmas empire
Bronner's traces back to Wally Bronner, a Frankenmuth sign painter who began making decorations and displays for towns and businesses in the 1940s. Christmas trims turned out to be his passion and his best sellers, and the enterprise grew steadily from a small operation into ever-larger stores over the following decades.
In 1977 Bronner opened the vast store that stands today, sized to hold a truly staggering selection of holiday goods. Wally Bronner, a devout man, deliberately spelled the store's name with CHRIST capitalized and filled the grounds with reminders of the religious meaning of the season, a personal touch that still defines the place long after his passing.
Inside the wonderland
Step inside and you enter a warehouse-sized world of trees, lights, and trim, with long lanes devoted to ornaments of every theme, nativity scenes, glass European glassware, personalized decorations, and holiday goods from around the globe. Staff will letter a name onto an ornament while you shop, a keepsake many families collect year after year.
The scale is the spectacle. Trees glitter in every direction, life-size figures and displays fill the aisles, and the store hums with visitors from all over the world even in the middle of summer. It is equal parts shop and attraction, and plenty of people come simply to wander and take it in.
The Silent Night Chapel and the lighted lanes
Outside, Bronner's built a replica of the Silent Night Memorial Chapel, modeled on the small chapel in Oberndorf, Austria, that marks where the beloved carol was first sung in 1818. The quiet white chapel and its landscaped grounds offer a reflective counterpoint to the busy store, with the carol's words posted in many languages.
The grounds are laced with Christmas lanes strung with lights that shine every night of the year, so an evening visit turns the whole property into a glowing display. Between the store, the chapel, and the lights, Bronner's is designed to be experienced, not just shopped, and it welcomes evening visitors to walk the illuminated grounds.
Bavarian Frankenmuth around it
The store sits just outside Frankenmuth, one of Michigan's most distinctive small towns, founded by German Lutheran missionaries in the 1840s and leaning fully into its Bavarian heritage. Its main street is lined with timber-framed, Alpine-style buildings, and the town is famous for its family-style chicken dinners, its glockenspiel, and a wooden covered bridge over the Cass River.
The Saginaw Valley around Frankenmuth is Anishinaabe homeland, long the country of the Ojibwe (Chippewa) of the Saginaw region, whose descendants are enrolled today in the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, centered nearby at Mount Pleasant. Their communities lived and traveled along the Saginaw, Cass, and Tittabawassee rivers for generations before the German settlers arrived.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Frankenmuth
Downtown Frankenmuth
About 2 miles north
A Bavarian-themed main street with German restaurants, a glockenspiel, shops, and a covered bridge over the Cass River.
Frankenmuth Riverboat
About 2 miles north
A paddlewheel-style boat that cruises the Cass River through town, offering a relaxed look at Frankenmuth from the water.
Frankenmuth Woolen Mill
About 2 miles north
A historic working mill where visitors can watch wool comforters being made by hand.
Saginaw
About 15 miles northwest
A Saginaw Valley city with the Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House, a marshland wildlife refuge, and river parks.