Frankenmuth is one of the most popular tourist towns in Michigan and Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland is the most popular attraction. Hundreds of thousands of people pass through the world’s largest Christmas store every year but many mistakes are made on a daily basis. If you are planning on visiting Bronner’s while in Frankenmuth, make sure you know these travel tips first.
Go Early
I head to Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland at various times of the year and have found the best time to shop to be when the store first opens in the morning. The only exceptions to this rule would be during the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas. The store opens at 9:00 a.m. during the week so you can get in at least a few hours of comfortable shopping in before the mad rush begins.
Avoid Weekends
If you want to have the same cluttered and claustrophobic feeling of Christmas shopping at any time of the year, you would want to be at Bronner’s on the weekend. I avoid traveling to Frankenmuth on the weekend as the prices for hotel rooms skyrocket and parking becomes very difficult. Even though Bronner’s does not have a hotel, the traffic from the hotels a few blocks away fills parts of the store to capacity.
Go to Bronner’s First
For years, Michiganders have had a tradition of traveling to Frankenmuth for the day and stopping at Bronner’s while on the way home. The main strip of Frankenmuth has dozens of locations where perishable food can be purchased. The items from Frankenmuth Cheese Haus, the Fudge Kitchen, and the Taffy Kitchen are likely to spoil or melt in a hot car. Instead of worrying about how the food will be in the car, hit Bronner’s on the way into Frankenmuth as your ornaments will not be impacted by most temperatures.
Stick to Your Directions
At over 530,000 square feet of labyrinthian holiday joy, it is very easy to get lost in the CHRISTmas Wonderland. After being in the store a few hundred times during my life, I still occasionally get turned around since racks and aisles are occasionally moved to modify the floor for traffic or particular products. My wife, who is horrible with directions, never wants to stray from my side as she believes she will immediately get lost.
There are three ways to successfully shop Bronner’s without getting lost. You can shop the entire perimeter and then shop the center, shop the center and then the perimeter, or shop by sections. Each “section” of the store is labeled so pay attention to the placards hanging from the ceiling signifying an area of familiar products if you are going to shop in this way. As long as you stick to the plan, you will not wander around for hours looking like a holiday zombie trying to find a way out.
