TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media

Continuous Christmas: Inside The World's Biggest Christmas Shop

18/12/2014

 

Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland is a Frankenmuth landmark - and a holiday legend

Christmas nutcrackers and soldiers at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
Know anyone who collects nutcrackers? They'll go crazy!
Just how holiday crazy are you? Chances are, even if you think you are a Christmas-a-holic you'll still find Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan a little overwhelming. Bronner's has the distinction of being the largest Christmas store in the world, taking up about five and a half football fields. This is a place that is all Christmas, all the time. But is it more madness than magic? Here's what it's like to dive into the depths of a winter wonderland. 
You can personalize your stockings at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
A lot of Bronner's merchandise can be personalized, including these stocking tops.
It goes without saying that this is a place where you can get anything and everything Christmas related. Bronner's sells over 50,000 different products. There are artificial Christmas trees and stockings. There are Santas and snowmen of every imaginable size. There is music, lights, books. I found old fashioned ornaments like tin Victorian tinsel and "angle hair" that I had been seeking for years. You see pictures from our tree below! And then there's the unexpected.  
Asparagus holiday ornaments at Bronner's Christmas wonderland
Holiday asparagus? Why not! There were several asparagus ornaments to choose from.
Unexpected things like asparagus, for instance. I had never even considered the need for an asparagus Christmas ornament but apparently they are in high demand! There was even more than one style of asparagus ornament! This was my first sign that the sheer size of Bronner's wasn't the only unique thing about it - there is literally everything and anything you can imagine in the form of a Christmas ornament. And I really do mean anything. 
Christmas ornaments for video gamers, knitters, and garage sale lovers.
Ornaments for video gamers, knitters, and garage sale enthusiasts.
I have a strong preference for a mismatched, patchwork tree myself so I can appreciate why people would get so excited to see so many unusual ornaments. And it was cool to see so many travel themed ornaments! Suitcases, beach umbrellas, backpacks, palm trees - all ready for your tree. But things started to get a bit over the top. Is there really a need for ornaments for video gamers, knitting fanatics, and garage sale enthusiasts? But that's not all!
Christmas ornaments for couponers
Hmmm.... I'm not sure that this is in the true spirit of Christmas.
The coupon themed ornaments were a bit weird, to tell the truth. And I'm a pro-coupon girl! It just seemed... tacky... for a store that proclaims that they are a CHRISTmas establishment, and included a religious themed flyer in my media bag, can somehow reconcile an assertive display of their faith with cheap bobbles about couponing and garage sales. I'm sure there are people who feel that they are "religious" about couponing but this seemed like a stretch, even for my fertile imagination.
Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
This chintzy ornament just felt tasteless to me.
Also rounding out the 'tacky' category quite nicely were ornaments that pretended to be from dead people. Yes, you read that correctly. These chintzy looking balls said "You may miss me but I"m spending Christmas with Jesus this year". Who exactly would buy one of these? Who would give this as a gift? Worse yet: Who would sell something like this?! It was awkward and alarming all at once.
Jewel tone bird ornaments at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
One of my favourite ornaments: a raspberry jewel toned ornament featuring a bird of paradise in glitter design.
But before I start to sound too much like Scrooge, there were a lot of displays I really did love. There were gorgeous ornaments in jewel tones and bird designs and I found myself wishing I was creative enough to pull off a seamless theme like that. I loved that not everything was red and green and still looked extremely festive. 
Peacock ornament Bronners Christmas Wonderland
I was also very fond of this green and blue peacock ornament!
If you find yourself inspired by a particular color or subject matter, you can steal some crafty ideas from the display trees. I loved the different themes, like Chocolate Mousse, that adorned the trees and the creativity and humor of the collections really shone through. Can you see the doughnut below? Definitely a great idea for anyone who's feeling crafty but needs a bit of a helping hand.
Chocolate Mousse Christmas tree Bronner's Christmas Wonderland
The Chocolate Mousse Christmas tree combined chocolate lookalike decorations with outdoors inspired ornaments.
The relationship between Bronner's and the town of Frankenmuth is a unique one. Frankenmuth is driven by tradition and Christmas is driven by tradition. Bronnner's is driven by Christmas and Bronner's driving more traffic into Frankenmuth than anyone else. It's a circular relationship that works very well. It would be crazy to visit Frankenmuth and not go to Bronner's - it really is the heart of the town, of the community. I loved the colors and creativity and even a bit of the cheesiness. But my Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland experience was a mixed one as it was difficult for me to reconcile the tacky - and sometimes tasteless - ornaments with the faith based philosophy that underpins their business.
Picture
But it's entirely possible that I might just be a little too Bah Humbug for Frankenmuth and Bronner's.  2 million happy visitors can't all be wrong, can they? So I'd love to hear from you!

Have you ever been to Bronner's or a place like it? Do you love visiting holiday themed places or are you a little bit cynical about them? Please weigh in with your opinion! And wherever you are, and however you celebrate, I wish you all a safe, happy, peaceful holiday season. 

PS - Check out our tree pics below! 




Traveling to Michigan soon? These articles will help inspire your trip.

A Day at Dow Garden

Playing at Saginaw's Painterly Pottery
Life's A Bowl of Cherries in Traverse City


Here's some pics of our Christmas tree this year (with a couple of new ornaments that I bought at Bronner's).

Picture
Oliver is not very excited for Christmas
Picture
Our new glass chili ornaments.
Picture
One of two hedgehogs I picked up at Bronner's.
Picture
I love my glass hermit crab - it reminds me of summer trips to the beach!
Fariha @canadianmomeh link
19/12/2014 02:48:37 am

This place looks amazing! I love all your pictures.

Vanessa
19/12/2014 02:51:18 am

Thanks! It was definitely a photographer's dream as you could find literally every color combination imaginable.

Tammi
19/12/2014 04:13:05 am

I absolutely adore Christmas stores, so many treasures. I could spend hours looking around.

Vanessa
19/12/2014 05:21:13 am

I spent hours too and it still wasn't enough time to see everything!

Jennifer link
19/12/2014 04:41:40 am

we try to buy a new ornament every time we travel to a new destination. I would love to visit Frankenmuth and I now I know where I would get my new ornament!

Vanessa
19/12/2014 05:22:34 am

I wish I had started that tradition when we first started traveling! I think it's such a good idea. But we do collect magnets from all the national parks we visit around the world. It's not much but they're affordable and easy to carry souvenirs. But ornaments would have been so much better!

CynGagen link
19/12/2014 07:20:03 am

It's been years since I've been there and I just love it. The nutcrackers are my favourite - I just want to buy them all!

Vanessa
19/12/2014 09:11:15 am

I thought the nutcrackers we cool too. I don't know what it is about them that is so addictive but people go crazy for them!

Stephine
19/12/2014 02:33:36 pm

I think I can get lost forever in that shop!

Vanessa
20/12/2014 09:09:35 am

We passed a lot of people who definitely DID look lost!

Francesca One Girl: One World link
22/12/2014 10:28:58 am

Yikes, even though some were quite tacky, the ornaments at the end are SO cute! I want to visit this store, never heard of it before ^_^

Vanessa
22/12/2014 01:21:45 pm

There's lots of cool stuff in the region so it's well worth making a visit to central Michigan.

Christina S. link
23/12/2014 08:40:52 am

Please don't tell my husband about this store... he would love it! We've been to a similar place called the Christmas Barn in Vermont that had - wait for it - an ornament celebrating your divorce!

Vanessa
23/12/2014 09:58:56 am

Oh no, that is the worst! But maybe also the best because that's kinda funny! Vermont isn't that far from me so I will track it down.


Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors
  • Social Media