The Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn is in Frankenmuth Michigan. This picture dates from October 1977.
Like many other locations across the United States, Frankenmuth has a bit of Bavarian Theme to the town. It looks like the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn is the center of this.
The Inn was built as the Union House Hotel in 1888. In 1950 the Zehnder Family purchased the Inn from the previous owner. They immediately drastically improved the building and modernized the equipment and restaurants kitchen. Unfortunately the restaurant was loosing money by 1957 and the Zehnder Family faced the idea of closing it.
Instead of doing so, they expanded the building and gave it a Bavarian Theme. A German Festival was held in 1959, which is known today as the Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival. A 50 Foot Glockenspeil was added in 1967. It is topped with a 35 foot bell carillon and features figures that depict the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The Zehnder’s helped and encouraged other Frankenmuth businesses to remodel their buildings to the Bavarian style also.
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