The Bayern Haus Story — WEIHMUE

Hello and welcome to the

Bayern Haus

Grüß Gott & Servus aus Oklahoma

We're not in the Bavarian Alps. We're in the American Midwest, in Mustang, Oklahoma, about 10 miles (15 km) south of Route 66. In our backyard stands a detached two-car garage that we turned into a Bavarian mountain cabin, where we hang out, host family gatherings, and have friends over.

Because Bavarian cabin construction doesn't exist here in the US, almost everything had to be custom-made. Here's how it came together.

Aerial view of the backyard with the original white garage before the conversion.
Before: the original garage.
The finished Bayern Haus in 2026: a dark wood cabin with a white half-timbered gable, surrounded by a green lawn, garden beds and trees.
After: the Bayern Haus in 2026.

Unsere Geschichte

  1. 1982

    Built as a garage

    The building went up as a second garage, not a cabin. Over the years it became a workshop and then a storage room.

  2. 2021

    We buy the property

    When we bought the house and property, the future Bayern Haus was still being used for storage.

  3. May 2022

    Renovation begins

    We started the conversion work, with the goal of turning the garage into an Alpine cabin as authentic as possible.

    Room under renovation with debris, broken tiles and a ladder. Partially finished kitchen area with exposed insulation and wooden cabinetry. Exposed insulated wall studs, a window and cabinetry during renovation.
  4. June 2022

    The bar takes shape

    The bar was almost finished, and we started laying the tiles.

    Wood-paneled bar area under construction. New flooring being installed beside the bar. Wooden counter with tools and materials during construction.
  5. July 2022

    New windows and pine beams

    The bar was finished, and we put in all-new windows throughout the cabin. We also installed 4x4 pine beams to give it that classic Bavarian Almhütte feel.

    Wooden wall shelves with beer bottles and steins. Wooden walls with a new window and exposed insulation. Close-up of wooden beams and ceiling with exposed light bulbs. Finished rustic bar lit by string lights.
  6. August 2022

    Walls and window paneling finished

    The interior was slowly taking shape. The wood paneling around the windows was done, and so were the walls.

    Window framed in wood during construction. Wooden planks stacked against a wall near the bar. Large window and wooden ceiling. Wood-paneled room with a rustic table and two benches.
  7. September 2022

    A new front door, inspired by home

    The standard garage door had to go, so we built a new wooden door. For inspiration, I used the door of the old fire station in Strössendorf.

    The black door bolt comes from our farm in Strössendorf and is about 100 years old.

    The original white garage door. Side-by-side comparison of the old Strössendorf fire station door and our new wooden door. Black metal bolt on the wooden door. Finished wooden double door with black hardware.
  8. October 2022

    Custom furniture and a wood stove

    To stay true to the Bavarian style, we custom-built the interior furnishings too. Just before winter, we installed a wood-burning stove with a stone wall behind it.

    Hauling a new wooden table across the lawn with a riding mower. Stone wall going up for the wood-burning stove. Custom wooden piece being built on the workbench.
  9. May – June 2023

    Exterior, rooster and shutters

    After a well-deserved winter break, we got back to work in May. We paneled the south and west walls in wood, covered the gable, and put a rooster on the roof.

    We also made and installed traditional shutters with our own logo.

    Rustic wooden table by a window with checkered curtains. The wood-clad cabin exterior with the door open to the living room. Wood-covered gable with a weather vane, chimney and string lights. Shutter clamped on the workbench in the workshop. Wooden shutter with the black Bayern Haus emblem.
  10. September 2023

    The Biergarten begins

    We started adding an outdoor Biergarten. First we dug out the ground beside the cabin, then we leveled it and put in a gravel base.

    Digging out the ground beside the cabin door for the Biergarten. The Biergarten area dug out and marked with string lines. The excavated Biergarten area along the side of the cabin. Gravel base and wooden forms in place for the Biergarten.
  11. May 2024

    A fountain out front

    We added a traditional Bavarian-style fountain to the front, with a stone trough and a metal spout.

    The fountain trough and pillar going up beside the stone wall. The finished fountain with water flowing from its metal spout into the trough. Working on the fence beside the brick patio in front of the Bayern Haus. Stefan in Lederhosen and a Bayern Haus shirt in front of the cabin.
  12. June 2024

    Better seating and more storage

    We improved the outdoor seating and built more overhead storage inside.

    New stained wooden table and bench on the brick patio. New X-leg Biergarten table on the patio beside the cabin. New overhead shelf inside the cabin with lanterns, a Bavaria Filmstadt clapperboard and vintage caps. Overhead shelves holding old hats and helmets above paintings of Bavarian villages.
  13. November 2024

    Election night

    We hosted friends at the Bayern Haus for the US election night, with the cabin decked out in red, white and blue.

    The cabin set up for election night with flag tablecloths, American and Bavarian flags, and string lights. A guest taking a selfie in the decorated cabin before the party. Friends gathered around the table on election night by the wood stove. A Stars and Stripes beer can held up during the party. Snacks in a metal trough on the flag-covered table.
  14. Christmas 2024

    Frohe Weihnachten

    For Weihnachten, we lit up the cabin, the trees and the fountain, and put up a Christmas tree inside. Then we gathered the family in the cabin for Christmas dinner.

    The Bayern Haus at night with Christmas lights along the gable and lit trees in the yard. The backyard at night with the lit cabin, a light-wrapped lamp post and a glowing tree. A small Christmas tree above the fountain, lit in red. A decorated Christmas tree beside the brick patio, with a lit tree in the background. The decorated Christmas tree inside the cabin in front of red buffalo-check curtains and garland. Family gathered at the bar for the Christmas dinner buffet. Pink Advent candles in an antler holder, with family eating Christmas dinner behind. Stefan taking a selfie at the Christmas table with family and the lit tree.
  15. June 2025

    Fireplace, grill and more seating

    We added an outdoor fireplace, an outdoor grill and more seating to the Biergarten.

    A fresh concrete slab poured beside the Biergarten patio. Stefan standing on top of the block structure for the outdoor fireplace. Fire brick lining the inside of the new fireplace. Stone-look tile and a concrete top going onto the built-in bench beside the fireplace. A stained wood mantel on iron brackets above the fireplace. The fireplace with brick trim and tiled benches, nearly finished. The finished fireplace from behind, plastered in warm terracotta. The finished fireplace under a shade sail and string lights. A new wooden sectional with blue cushions in the Biergarten. The Biergarten at night with the fireplace, tables and string lights glowing.

Prost!