A short tour, about 30 minutes, is available at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Cute stop to see how teddy bears are made. The building is colorful & cute from the outside. Photo ops on site.
While the factory is open 7 days a week (except certain holidays), this is a tour that I would suggest try to do during production times. There is no production on weekends, after 4:30 p.m., & during lunch break; which I believe is 12:30 pm – 1:00 pm. So, keep that in mind. The tours can fill up quickly during the summer, so you may have to wait through a tour or two. Tours run every half hour during summer tour times; every hour during winter tour times. I have heard from others that the tour is a lot more fun if you get an experienced tour guide.
One more thing to note: The bears are not cheap – in quality or price! The odds are good that any child you take here will want a bear. So, unless you can afford to spend a chunk of money on a bear, talk to your child about this BEFORE going! Lower priced bears can run around $50 or so, unless they are having some special.
**** I believe you, (or at least children do), get a small gift at the end of the tour – the last I knew it was a pin. *****
_______________________
COST for adults/teens: according to their site in 2012
Adults: $3.00
Kids (12 and under): FREE
TOUR HOURS:
Summer Season (July 1st – Oct. 13th):
Every half-hour, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Winter Season (Oct. 14th – June 30th):
Every hour, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
___________
Bear Shop Hours:
Summer Season (July 1st – Oct. 13th)
9:00 am – 6:00 p.m.
Winter Season (Oct. 14th – June 30th)
9:00 am – 5:00 p.m.
LOCATION:
6655 Shelburne Road
Shelburne, VT
PHONE: (802) 985-3001 or (800) 829-BEAR
WEBSITE: Vermont Teddy Bear – Tour Essentials