Address

6655 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, Vermont 05482

Phone Number

(802) 985 -3001

Date Visited

03/25/2015

Website

Link to Website

Vermont Teddy Bear Company / Factory Tour

Description

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is located at 6655 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, Vermont.

A very large, paved parking lot has 6 handicapped spaces close to the main entrance and several farther back in the lot.

Street level double doors open into the spacious lobby.

The one floor factory has smooth, wide wooden ramps overlooking the entire manufacturing process.

Benches are available all along the tour route if one needs/wants to sit down.

Multi-stall, handicapped-accessible restrooms with baby-changing stations are located near the lobby.

Checklist

    Surface of lot:  paved
    Distance to venue:  not far
    Terrain:  flat
    Places to rest:  several benches outside
    Paths and walkways:  concrete
    Doors:  double doors
    Elevators:  none
    Ramps:  along tour route
    Steps and staircases:  none
    Width of aisles:  very spacious
    Places to sit:  benches along tour route
    Location of restrooms:  ij lobby area
    Type of restroom:  multi-stall, handicapped-accessible with baby- changing station
    Ease of entry and exit:  good
    Baby changing station:  yes
    Available food services:  none
    Friendliness of staff:  extremely pleasant and helpful

Read More

The last time I visited the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, my sister-in-law and I probably spent more than two hours deciding which bears to purchase.  Since each one is a unique, hand-crafted bear we couldn’t decide which faces we liked best.  Although you can order bears on-line, or with the help of a teddy bear counselor on the phone, if you are “in the neighborhood” nothing beats choosing your own and seeing all of the accessorizing possibilities in-person. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is “”the largest maker of hand-crafted American – made Teddy Bears.”” (website)


The factory is a very large, fun-colored building with six handicapped parking spaces close to the main entrance and a few farther back in the lot.  Street-level double doors open into the spacious lobby.


We arrived between tour times, giving us time to look around the large shopping area and whet our appetites for later purchasing.  On the tour “you get a behind-the-scenes view of the working factory and…see first-hand how (they) create (their) beautiful Bears – from cutting and stitching to stuffing and sewing.” (brochure)


Our enthusiastic Bear Ambassador, Britney, gave us an interesting, informative and pun-filled tour of the facilities, from history to technology, which even included a peek into the Bear Hospital, where a “”surgeon was performing a “fix” on a patient.


The tour is easy with smooth, wide, wooden ramps overlooking the entire process. If needed, benches are located all along the way.


The several children in our group enjoyed themselves as well as the adults, even if they didn’t get all of the puns !


After the tour it would have been difficult to leave without a furry friend.  I couldn’t resist purchasing what I hope will be my granddaughter’s first Vermont Teddy Bear !


The entire building is easily navigable, with multi-stall, handicapped-accessible restrooms equipped with baby-changing stations.


The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is definitely a feel good destination that will surely put a smile on your face.


As always, we at Destination Accessible advise you to check a venue’s website, www.vermontteddybear.com, when planning a visit, to “know before you go.”



Location


Nearby

Ben & Jerry's Factory TourGreen Mountain Coffee Visitor Center & CafeLake Champlain Chocolates Factory TourMagic Hat Brewery