German Park in Ann Arbor is a great idea for those summer bucket lists! If you aren’t familiar, German Park is just what it sounds like — a park made for those with German heritage. It was made in 1938 by the German Park Recreation Club. It is now open to the public and can be experienced at three different picnics each summer.
The picnics are currently held on the last Saturday of June, July and August from 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. {Dates are June 29, 2024, July 27, 2024 and August 31, 2024.}
According to the story, 87 years ago, a handful of German immigrants banded together, borrowed $600 and bought land just outside of Ann Arbor to practice their traditional dances and celebrate Bavarian culture.
Since then, German Park has hosted summer picnics with German and American fare, Bavarian and Michigan beer, Oompah bands and folk dancing. It truly is a cultural experience visiting!
Since my daughter studied her German heritage this school year, the timing couldn’t have been better. {Weber is a very traditional German name, and means ‘weaver.’}
HOW TO VISIT
German Park sits on beautiful, wooded acreage just outside the city of Ann Arbor. There is a large parking lot to accommodate vehicles and there were people directing where to park when we arrived when the gates opened at 4 p.m. From there, you will walk up to the fenced-in entrance, where there is a quick security check. There are no food or beverages allowed inside. For 2024, it is $10 – cash only – for entry. There is an ATM on the property should you need it.
Once inside, you can purchase tickets from the ticket booth — $1 = 1 ticket {2023 pricing}. We found the pricing of items to be affordable. Water/pop was 2 tickets, bratwurst/knackwurst was 5 tickets, pretzels were 2 tickets, etc. A full plate dinner, which included all the traditional items, was 14 tickets. Beer started at 6 tickets, and went up to $23 for a souvenir bucket.
Grab a picnic table once you’ve purchased tickets. Very few tables were in the sun, which was so nice on a hot day. Many groups brought tablecloths and beer steins to keep beer cold.
We brought a deck of cards to play games with the kids. There also were some giant sandboxes, where kids kept busy digging for hidden coins in the sand and an open area with various balls for kids to play with. Adding to the family-friendly factor, there also was a diaper changing area next to the bathrooms. It truly was an event for the whole family!
Wander through the property to grab food, play, watch a German band play and see traditional dancing taking place. There also was a vendor booth with collector pins, buttons, glasses and traditional German items. This booth accepted both tickets and credit cards.
GERMAN PARK MENU
The German Park menu features traditional soft pretzels, bratwurst, knackwurst {similar to kielbasa}, hamburgers and hot dogs, German potato salad, sauerkraut, Spatzen {noodles, which can be served with gravy} and a variety of desserts.
The beer list included German biers such as Spaten, Franziskaner, a special German Park-made Kolsch, a rotating selection of Michigan craft brews and Busch and Michelob Ultra. For 2024, they will be introducing a refreshing Radler beer, a German Park Lager, and Nutrl vodka seltzers as well. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available.
The food was SO good!
LOCATION & ADMISSION
German Park is located at 5549 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Admission: $10 for ages 12 and up; parking is free. Food pricing varies. CASH ONLY. Anyone under 21 must have a parent or guardian. Valid photo IDs are required.
Learn more about German Park at their website.
Have you been to German Park? If not, add this unique tradition to your Pure Michigan bucket list stat!
Find more fun in Ann Arbor at this post for kids or this post for date night ideas.
Leave a Reply