With a nod to German heritage, Michael Keller Zehnder takes the Bavarian Inn Lodge from legacy resort to year-round destination with a new 170,000-square-foot waterpark and family fun center
by Becci Knowles
The Bavarian Inn, a Zehnder family legacy since 1950 in Frankenmuth, Michigan, has dramatically broadened its offerings with the new Bavarian Blast Waterpark and additional family entertainment attractions. (A little background: As a top tourist destination, Frankenmuth is a quaint, family-friendly city located about 100 miles north of Detroit and is known for its German heritage and classic Bavarian architecture.)
Now under the leadership of fourth-generation owner Michael Keller Zehnder, the Bavarian Inn Lodge has added this 170,000-square-foot attraction to its already extensive indoor amenities. The waterpark boasts 16 water slides, diverse water play areas for all ages and what’s billed as Michigan’s only swim-up adult bar. This expansion is a strategic move to widen the resort’s appeal and provide a unique guest experience, transforming it into a year-round destination.
The Bavarian Blast Waterpark is designed to immerse guests in a Bavarian-themed festival atmosphere, extending the resort’s established brand of hospitality into its new entertainment arm. The park features a three-story castle, anchoring the immersive theme with its grand scale and traditional Bavarian architectural style, and an open-air roofing system that maximizes natural light, creating a bright and inviting outdoor ambience, even within an indoor setting. The design choice of the latter not only enhances the guest experience but also contributes to energy efficiency by reducing the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours.
Two key players in the waterpark sector, Aquatic Development Group (ADG) and WhiteWater, collaborated on the project, bringing their specialized expertise to the table. ADG served as the waterpark concept developer, wave equipment supplier and overall park specialty builder, responsible for the overall design and functionality of the park, while WhiteWater designed, engineered, and installed the park’s 16 new water attractions, ensuring a mix of thrills and family-friendly fun.
A feature-rich experience
A highlight of the park, designed by ADG, is the three-stage show featuring the resort’s mascot, Willy the Dragon. This interactive entertainment feature captures the spirit of a Bavarian festival, with Willy sounding the alpenhorn before a water blast dramatically signals the arrival of waves in the main wave pool. This integration of live entertainment with the water attractions creates a dynamic and memorable experience for visitors of all ages.
Global creative company Adirondack Studios provided creative design, sampling and mockups, fabrication and installation services for the whimsical characters and environments located throughout the waterpark, including fiberglass characters, aluminum animals, animal water sculptures, brightly colored Bavarian-style birdhouses, and the theming of a two-story castle backdrop to the park’s wave pool.
“Our goal was to provide a variety of experiences for our guests that catered to their many senses, thus creating lasting memories to cherish for generations,” says Zehnder, adding that Adirondack was brought on board following a recommendation by ADG.
Getting it right from the start
Ray Lauenstein, Director of Business Development at ADG, explains that the company’s role in the project began with “taking the owner’s initial ideas and aspirations for Bavarian Blast and fleshing them out into a comprehensive and actionable final concept plan.” This involved a “specialty design-build” approach, including detailed architectural and engineering design of all pools and their water circulation systems. The scope of work included strategically integrating the 16 water slides provided by WhiteWater to optimize guest flow and visual appeal, as well as master-planning operational logistics and back-of-house infrastructure.
Lauenstein emphasizes the complexity of the project, highlighting the need for detailed coordination between guest- facing attractions and essential back-of-house infrastructure. “What you don’t see is truly half the battle,” he says. “It’s all the complex underground work and the sophisticated back-of- house systems.”
He describes the intricate web of decisions, such as balancing the desire to enhance the guest experience with the practicalities of engineering and maintenance. In addition to the three-story tower, swim-up bar, and the wave pool show are other unique points of interest, such as at the mezzanine level where the mat racer water slide ends, providing a focal point as well as potential for future food and beverage options. ADG also worked to incorporate the resort’s branding into the park through thematic touches such as custom-designed lily pads.
WhiteWater wows with slide portfolio
WhiteWater’s contribution centered on creating a varied and engaging experience so that there would be something for every visitor to Bavarian Blast. Onno Meeter, President of Water Parks at WhiteWater, described a slide package that includes themed options for younger visitors, high-thrill experiences for adrenaline seekers, a family raft ride that encourages group participation, and interactive slides that deliver a sense of friendly competition.
Meeter highlights the inclusion of a family raft ride, “specifically designed for groups to experience together, fostering a strong sense of shared adventure and camaraderie,” as well as the exhilarating competing slides, such as the Parallel Pursuit, where riders race head-to-head. These types of slides not only provide excitement but also create opportunities for social interaction and shared memories.
WhiteWater also brought its thematic design expertise to the project, working closely with ADG to ensure the slides complement the Bavarian theme. Meeter explains that the company offers a unique slide customization process called veiling, which involves applying specialized visual treatments directly onto the slide’s surface to enhance a narrative – in this case, one slide with butterfly patterns and another with goldfish. This attention to detail extends the theming beyond the park’s architecture and into the attractions themselves.
Several slides also feature WhiteWater’s AquaLucent effects, an innovative finish technology that adds an element of light and movement for greater visual stimulation and excitement. These effects were selected for adding to the park’s overall atmosphere of fun and festivity. Says Zehnder, the AquaLucents “dramatically enhance the overall guest experience by introducing vibrant and dynamic bursts of color along the ride paths.”
Collaboration is key
The success of Bavarian Blast was the result of effective collaboration between project owner Zehnder and the external teams of ADG and WhiteWater, each contributing their unique expertise to the project. The Bavarian Inn Lodge’s German heritage was a key consideration throughout the project, influencing the design and theming of every aspect of the waterpark.
Meeter credits ADG’s expertise in managing complex and integrated projects, highlighting its ability to translate the client’s vision into reality. He also acknowledges the vital role of Adirondack Studios in bringing the authentic Bavarian theme to life throughout the waterpark, contributing to the immersive environment that sets Bavarian Blast apart.
In parallel, Lauenstein emphasizes the importance of robust project management to ensure that different teams work in coordination. “Different teams can easily end up operating in relative isolation,” he explains, “which can lead to conflicts, duplicated efforts, and inefficiencies.” ADG made a concerted effort to foster open communication and ensure that all stakeholders considered the interconnectedness of the various project elements from the initial conceptual design stages. This proactive approach to project management was crucial in overcoming the challenges inherent in such a large-scale development.
Navigating unique challenges
Like any project, Bavarian Blast presented several challenges, including coordinating indoor and outdoor construction, integrating complex water systems with slide structures, and adhering to the client’s vision and budget.
Lauenstein points out that integrating indoor and outdoor components was a key challenge, particularly ensuring that the water slides and pools that transitioned between these two environments were properly sealed to prevent air leaks, crucial in Michigan’s harsh winters.
Highlighting ADG’s role in navigating the owner’s vision, Lauenstein explains that the Zehnder family had a very clear idea of what they wanted to achieve, and fitting all those desired elements into the available space required innovative solutions. The children’s play area proved challenging to integrate with other design elements. Lauenstein recounts that the initial plans for the area went through revisions “nine or ten times” because of spatial conflicts with other features, such as building access and the location of the hot tub spa. To overcome this, ADG “called time out” and brought in fresh perspectives, ultimately leading to a solution that satisfied the owner’s requirements and worked within the park’s layout. “It was good to have Michael push us on that one and to have WhiteWater maintain flexibility,” Lauenstein says.
Close collaboration between ADG and WhiteWater extended from master planning to on-site installation and commissioning, with the teams working together to ensure correct and safe slide installation and seamless integration with pool structures and water systems. This communication was vital for maintaining the project schedule and meeting safety and guest satisfaction standards. Speaking separately, Lauenstein and Meeter tell me that positive relationships and mutual trust facilitated problem-solving and communication throughout the project.
Lauenstein is keen to emphasize ADG’s ongoing partnership with the Bavarian Inn’s Zehnder family. “For us at ADG, it’s not simply a matter of constructing the park and then walking away,” he says. “We deeply understand the significant long-term investment that the esteemed Bavarian Inn resort has made in this ambitious project, and we firmly aim to be a supportive and reliable partner throughout the entire operational lifecycle of the waterpark.” This includes operational check-ins and a responsive service department, ensuring the success and enjoyment of Bavarian Blast for years to come. •
