Vermont Teddy Bear Factory Tour in Burlington, VT 🧸

Burlington – the largest city in Vermont with a population of 40,000 – sits right on the shores of Lake Champlain. We stayed here overnight and kicked off our morning with a visit to the famous Waterfront Park 🌊. This lakeside park is bustling with water activities in summer, but during our visit, the weather was chilly and overcast. We strolled along the scenic trail, admiring the clean water and serene views… until hail suddenly started falling! 😅❄️ Clearly, it wasn’t a day for outdoor fun. So we drove about 7-8 miles south of Burlington to the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory – the world’s largest teddy bear manufacturer and retailer (once publicly traded, now acquired). 🧵🧸 The tour was surprisingly quiet – just us and one family from Michigan! The guide walked us through the handmade production process: cutting, stitching, stuffing, packaging, and even how to wash the bears. It’s impressive to see real artisans at work, especially in the U.S. where labor costs are high. 👏 That said, this place is definitely more fun for kids 🧒 – the Michigan family brought two little ones who were thrilled! As for us? We wandered around, checked out the prices, and gasped 😲 – even a palm-sized teddy cost $30-50! We settled for taking photos with the giant bears instead. 📸 Since we wanted to avoid non-stop driving, we explored some off-the-beaten-path spots in this small state – a relaxed way to experience Vermont’s quieter side. 🚗💨 #Vermont #Burlington #TeddyBear #TravelUSA #LakeChamplain #FactoryTour #NewEngland #RoadTrip #OffTheBeatenPath 🍂🧸