Vermont Teddy Bear Factory

The company started small, with bears made by hand and sold locally, and built its reputation on a simple promise: real teddy bears, made in Vermont, meant to last. That local-made identity set it apart in a market full of imported toys.

Central to the brand is its guarantee. The company pledges to repair any of its bears, no matter how old or how loved, at what it calls the Bear Hospital, a promise that turns a toy into a keepsake families hold onto for years.

That combination of Vermont craft and lifetime care is the story the factory tour tells, and it is why so many of the bears become heirlooms rather than throwaways.

On the tour, guides walk visitors through the stages of making a bear, from cutting and sewing the pieces to stuffing and finishing, showing the real work floor rather than a staged display. Seeing the process demystifies how a soft, jointed bear comes together.

The tone is comic and family-friendly, full of jokes and asides, so children stay engaged and adults are entertained. It is a factory tour that knows it is also a show.

Because it is a genuine working operation, what you see depends on the day's production, which adds to the sense that you are watching something real being made.

The most popular part of a visit for many families is the make-your-own-bear station, where you pick a bear, help stuff it to the right softness, and dress it in an outfit before it comes home with you. It gives kids a hands-on stake in the visit.

The shop rounds things out with the full range of bears and accessories, including the company's signature themed and special-occasion bears. Between building and browsing, the end of the tour is a destination of its own.

For a bear that needs mending, the Bear Hospital stands ready, a literal expression of the lifetime guarantee that has long defined the company.

Summer is the busiest season, when families touring the Shelburne corridor and the Burlington area fold the factory into their plans. It is lively and geared for visitors of all ages.

Fall brings foliage travelers through the region, and the warm, indoor fun of the factory makes a good counterpoint to a day of leaf-peeping. Holiday time is naturally busy, with the bears in high demand as gifts.

The factory keeps regular hours through the year, so even in winter it is a reliable, cheerful indoor stop when the weather outside turns cold and gray.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.