Boyds Bears Gettysburg
The big red barn and silo of Boyds Bears Gettysburg are not visible from Cunningham Rd., but there are signs and painted bear paws up the driveway to lead you to the right place. I was a bit confused about the paw prints in the parking lot at first, but then we figured out that each section is a different color paw print to help you remember where you parked.
The Humongous Teddy Bear Store
Boyds Bear Country is certainly big! There are three levels of teddy bears and friends, plus a lower level serving food. You can get around easily using the escalators or elevator. The bears are displayed by theme. For example, there was a garden area with bears around an indoor stream, a Christmas section with bears around trees, and several others. Ask for a map at the front desk when you walk in.
I especially liked walking through the little museum area and learning about the history of how Boyds Bears were developed and how the company grew. It was very interesting! Did you know that Boyds is actually a town in Maryland? There's a neat display of all the retired resin bear figurines.
On the third floor are the famous Bear Factory and Teddy Bear Nursery. In the factory, you can build a stuffed animal from scratch. You get to keep the hard hat! Or you can go through the adoption process in the nursery. It's fun for the whole family, but be prepared to pay a fair bit for the experience! There is a clearance section in the barn for thrifty collectors.
A Special Place
Visiting
Boyds Bears Gettysburg and other places with the kids
creates some great memories. It's also a nice stop for senior bus trips. They say that they have live entertainment in the lodge sometimes, but there was nothing on the day we visited. Everyone was busy preparing for the Longarberger Basket Fest!
News: May 2008
The store closed at the end of December 2007 to allow for rennovations to create spaces for outside vendors. Boyds Bear Country reopened on May 10th. I haven't been back yet to see the changes.
Can't make it to Boyds Bears Gettysburg? You can go bear hunting from this page. Clicking on a photo above will open a new window with the Boscov's shopping cart.
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