Frankenmuth’s Bavarian Village and Zehnder’s are adding even more wet-and-wild fun. A massive expansion of the Bavarian Inn’s indoor water park will make it the state’s largest, at 175,000 square feet. Zehnder’s Splash Village is Michigan’s fourth biggest, at 50,000 square feet.
Scheduled to open in the spring, Bavarian Blast boasts 16 water slides — meaning there’s something for everyone regardless of age, height, or courage level.
There’s also an 85,500-gallon not-so-lazy river, toddler and big kid areas, a thunderous wave pool, and Michigan’s first swim-up bar. This is all in addition to Bavarian Inn’s existing two water slides, four indoor pools, and three whirlpools.
At 51.5 feet and stretching more than 150 yards, a family raft ride is Bavarian Blast’s longest and tallest slide. Super Duper Dragon’s Flight is another raft slide option, while Willy’s Wild Ride is loaded with twists and turns.
Made of translucent fiberglass illuminating enclosed flumes, Rapunzel’s Racers is Michigan’s first dual-racing tube water slide, where riders reach speeds of nearly 20 miles per hour near the finish.
Featuring zero-depth entry and a maximum depth of 18 inches, Puddle Platz is designed for youngsters with five slides, two aqua domes, a water table, and a tot bounce.
Cuckoo’s Chaos is a pre-teen area boasting four more water slides with both open and enclosed tubes, including the Pretzel Twist and Schnitzel Swirl, which spiral riders through plenty of twists and turns.
Bavarian Springs is a spacious indoor/outdoor spa. Poolside private cabanas complete with food and beverage service, comfortable furnishings, televisions, refrigerators, and lockable storage boxes are available for rent.
Bavarian Bootlegger, the 30,580-gallon swim-up bar with large-screen TVs is accessible through an indoor pool and a year-round, heated outdoor pool.
Dining options inside include Fritz’s Frozen Fun, a smoothie bar that offers quick bites, and Chef Willy’s, which features a larger menu. There are four other dining options within the Bavarian Inn complex.
More Fun: There also are three climbing walls, an adventure ropes course high above the floor, and an arcade with 180 games, air hockey, pool tables, miniature golf, mini-bowling, and laser tag.
European-themed hotel rooms can accommodate up to seven people, but staying overnight isn’t a prerequisite for experiencing Bavarian Blast. Day passes are also available.
SPLASH VILLAGE
Featuring three main areas — a splash water park, atrium water park, and outdoor pool area — Zehnder’s Splash Village entices with seven water slides, two lazy rivers, a dump bucket, two hot tubs, a toddler area, water sports, and more.
“We do offer very similar elements (to those) found at other indoor water parks, but strongly feel what sets us apart is doing all those things in a better way,” Zehnder’s marketing vice president, John Shelton, says. “We’re focused on offering the greatest guest experiences, not on having the biggest things. Still, we have plenty of thrills to offer.”
Both the atrium and atrium water parks sport a retractable roof that can be opened during warmer weather. The atrium also houses Splash Village’s two largest slides.
Tantrum Twist takes riders down six stories of sharp turns and sizable dips aboard rafts that accommodate up to four people. The Super Loop Speed Slide is a solo undertaking in which guests step inside a cylinder, stand straight up, and fold their arms to their chest as a trap door opens beneath their feet, dropping them four stories through a 273-foot-long, 360-degree loop to the bottom within seven seconds.
The atrium contains a lazy river along with water basketball and volleyball, and a zero-entry toddler area with a frog-shaped slide. Private seating is available.
Cabanas accommodating up to 10 guests include a credenza with a mini-refrigerator, safe, house phone, towels, flat-screen TV, and food and beverage service. A splash play area has four slides, water cannons, an obstacle course, water geysers, and a mammoth dumping bucket.
The atrium and splash parks both have 20-person hot tubs.
During summer, an outdoor pool area overlooking the Tantrum Twist slide includes lounge chairs, tables, and umbrellas.
Zehnder’s offers day passes for its Splash Village amenities.
Dining options include the Mushroom Grille in the atrium and Elf Hollow Café in the main lobby, as well as a window inside the water park. Both Elf Hollow and the Mushroom Grille offer full bar service.
Visitors will find more than 40 games at Zehnder’s 2,500-square-foot arcade.
The Tower Suite, Splash Village’s most spacious lodging option, opened in January of 2024. The 1,100-square-foot, two-bedroom, three-bathroom suite has room for 10 people plus a kitchenette, dining area, large living room, and three TVs.
A three-phrase remodeling of all rooms began last year and is scheduled to be completed in early 2026. Some rooms will feature new balconies with views
of Bronner’s.
Plan it!
Bavarian Blast Waterpark
bavarianinn.com/bavarian-blast-indoor-waterpark
Zehnder’s Splash Village
zehnders.com/zehnders-splash-village
