I booked a session for my family of 5 - 2 adults and 3 kids ages 5 to 9. After looking at the…read morewebsite I was confused about what the kids would be able to make so I called. Since it was around the holidays they had ornaments so I thought that would be a great idea. Our appointment time was scheduled for 10am and we were told on the reminder to come early. However the building does not open until 10. We were just arriving as the workers did and they were nice enough to let us in a few minutes early since it was very cold out. The staff did a great job of helping the kids pick out their ornament and the. Organizing everyone to start. I found out while there that some of the ornaments are not heated and I felt like that was part of the experience. My suggestions is to make a knife or other item that is heated to get the full experience. I thought it might be too hard but they do a great job walking you through the experience. You can also always help your child with the hammer if needed. It was also cool that my husband and I made the horseshoe knives and when you join the handles together you can see they came from the same horseshoe.

My son and I used to watch Forged in Fire (reality blacksmith show) for years, so when his birthday…read moreapproached, I tried to look for experiences (rather than things). Thankfully there are places like Bavarian Blacksmith that give you a taste without the fiscal input or years of experience one needs to succeed. If you're unsure of what you might wanna make, don't go any higher than the Anvil Experience. This allows you to team with a seasoned blacksmith and hammer out something you might use (marshmallow poker, rail spike knife, etc.). For a few additional dollars, you can find something a bit more practical for every day use--such as the high carbon steel knife (suitable for the kitchen). *If you wanna do the quench that Forged in Fire judges always analyze, definitely go with high carbon steel experience! In the end, BBE gives you the opportunity to try blacksmithing. They provide direction and guidance, however, the finishing touches are all done in-house. I asked if my kitchen knife would be able to dawn a guard (even if it was a paracord wrap), but apparently they do not do guards (despite several of the pre-made knives on sale having one). NOTE: If you prefer a more coastal experience, the organization just opened (summer 2025) Black Flag Forge in Myrtle Beach. While I was surprised to find the two companies were linked, Forged in Fire winner and owner, Josh Weston's, original home forge was in South Carolina. FOR THOSE TRAVELING: Frankenmuth is a tourist focused town. It's pretty obvious from the theme park-like setting of the River Place Shops, but the life size cuckoo clock and chimes at the Bavarian Lodge pretty much seal it. You'll also note that pretty much every shop has the same touristy trinkets as the next. My advice--seek out the unique parts of Frankenmuth (such as the blacksmithing, charcuterie restaurant, sausage shop, etc.) that make it truly stand out.