9 Vermont Factory Tours With Ice Cream, Glassblowing, And Small-Town Charm
Forget boring museum visits and predictable sightseeing stops. Vermont does things a little differently.
Here, your day might start with a scoop of creamy ice cream, continue with a front-row seat to fiery glassblowing, and end in a postcard-perfect small town where everyone seems to know everyone else. These factory tours aren’t just about watching things get made.
They’re about experiencing the quirky creativity, craftsmanship, and charm that make Vermont unforgettable.
One moment you’re learning the secrets behind a beloved local product, the next you’re chatting with artisans, tasting fresh treats, or discovering hidden gems tucked between rolling green hills.
So grab your curiosity (and maybe leave some room for dessert), because these Vermont factory tours prove that the best adventures are often the ones made by hand.
1. Ben & Jerry’s Factory Experience
There is something almost sacred about standing in the place where Cherry Garcia was born. The Ben and Jerry’s Factory Experience in Waterbury, Vermont, is exactly the kind of place that makes you feel like a kid again, no matter how old you actually are.
Located at 1281 Waterbury-Stowe Road, this iconic creamery has been churning out joy since 1985 and now produces up to 350,000 pints per day.
The 30-minute guided tour takes you through the production floor, where you can watch the whole pint-making process unfold through large viewing windows.
Then comes the best part: free samples of ice cream and the famous “chunks” that make their flavors so legendary. The Flavor Graveyard outside is genuinely one of the most creative and hilarious things you will ever see at a food factory.
Tickets are affordable, with adults paying just six dollars, and it is strongly recommended to book online in advance since spots fill up fast. Live production is not always guaranteed, but honestly, the samples and the storytelling alone make it worth every penny.
This is not just a tour, it is a full-on Vermont pilgrimage that every ice cream lover owes themselves at least once.
2. Simon Pearce Flagship Store & Glassblowing Workshop
Watching someone turn a blob of molten glass into a perfectly shaped bowl is the kind of thing that genuinely stops you mid-sentence.
Simon Pearce in Quechee, Vermont, is one of those rare places where artistry and atmosphere combine in a way that feels almost cinematic. The workshop sits inside a beautifully restored 19th-century mill at 1760 Quechee Main Street, right alongside a rushing waterfall that powers part of the operation.
The glassblowing workshop is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 9 PM, and watching is completely free.
You can observe from a catwalk gallery above or get up close at floor level, separated by a safety railing, as skilled artisans shape glowing glass into elegant pieces right before your eyes. The heat, the glow, the precision, it is genuinely mesmerizing in a way that no video can fully capture.
After watching, the flagship store is stocked with gorgeous handcrafted glassware, pottery, and gifts that make for memorable souvenirs.
Everything is made on-site, which gives each piece a story that a mass-produced item simply cannot match. Simon Pearce is the kind of experience that reminds you why handmade things feel so special.
Plan to spend at least an hour here because leaving quickly feels almost rude to the craft.
3. AO Glass
If watching glassblowing sounds cool, actually doing it sounds even cooler, and AO Glass in Burlington makes that dream completely achievable.
Tucked into Burlington’s creative Pine Arts District at 416 Pine Street, this working studio offers hands-on glassblowing classes where you get to roll up your sleeves and make something real. It is equal parts art class, science experiment, and pure adrenaline rush.
Classes run Tuesday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM, making it easy to fit into a weekend itinerary.
You can create holiday ornaments, bowls, vases, or even glassware, all under the guidance of experienced glassblowers who genuinely love what they do. The studio has an open, welcoming energy that makes total beginners feel surprisingly capable.
What makes AO Glass stand out is that you walk away with something you actually made yourself, which is a wildly satisfying feeling.
The Burlington arts scene is vibrant and full of character, and this studio fits right into that creative spirit. Whether you are visiting solo, with a partner, or as part of a group outing, this experience delivers something you cannot get from a typical tourist attraction.
Glassblowing is one of those skills that looks impossible until suddenly, for one shining moment, it is not.
4. Vermont Teddy Bear Factory & Bear Shop
There is genuinely no adult alive who can walk through the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory and not feel a warm, fuzzy wave of nostalgia hit them right in the chest.
Located at 6655 Shelburne Road in Shelburne, Vermont, this beloved factory has been handcrafting plush bears since 1981, and touring it feels like stepping into a storybook that smells faintly of stuffing and happiness.
The factory tour walks you through every step of the bear-making process, from cutting and sewing fabric to the dramatic stuffing station where each bear gets its signature squishable shape.
One of the most charming highlights is the on-site teddy bear hospital, where well-loved bears come in for repairs and leave looking brand new. It is quirky, heartwarming, and completely unique as a factory experience.
The Bear Shop afterward is dangerously fun to browse, with customizable bears, seasonal designs, and accessories that make for genuinely thoughtful gifts.
The surrounding Shelburne area is gorgeous, especially in fall when the foliage is at its peak, so this tour pairs perfectly with a scenic drive. Vermont Teddy Bear proves that a factory tour does not have to be about machinery and efficiency to be completely captivating.
Sometimes the most memorable experiences are the ones stuffed with a little extra heart.
5. Danforth Pewter Flagship Store & Workshop
Pewter might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Vermont souvenirs, but after visiting Danforth Pewter in Middlebury, it absolutely should be.
Situated at 52 Seymour Street in the charming heart of Middlebury, this flagship workshop has been crafting beautiful pewter pieces since 1975, making it one of the oldest continuously operating pewter studios in the country.
Watching the artisans work is genuinely fascinating. Pewter is spun, cast, and hand-finished into everything from ornaments and jewelry to serving bowls and candleholders.
The process is more delicate and intricate than most people expect, and seeing it up close gives you a deep appreciation for the skill involved. The workshop is open to visitors, and the atmosphere feels more like an artist’s studio than a factory floor.
The flagship store attached to the workshop is a treasure trove of handcrafted goods that carry a timeless, heirloom quality. Prices range widely, so there is something for every budget, from small ornament keepsakes to statement pieces for the home.
Middlebury itself is one of Vermont’s most picturesque college towns, full of great food spots and walkable streets. Danforth Pewter is the kind of hidden gem that rewards curious travelers who venture beyond the more famous stops on the Vermont trail.
6. Cold Hollow Cider Mill
The smell alone is worth the trip. Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury Center, Vermont, hits you with the most intoxicatingly sweet apple aroma the moment you walk through the door, and everything that follows is just as good.
Located at 3600 Waterbury-Stowe Road, this beloved mill has been pressing fresh apple cider year-round since 1974, using a beautifully preserved 1920s-era rack and cloth press that you can watch in action.
Seeing that antique press squeeze golden cider from whole apples is one of those simple, satisfying things that connects you to a slower, more intentional way of life.
Cold Hollow is one of New England’s top cider producers, and the quality of what comes out of that old press is genuinely impressive. The cider is fresh, crisp, and tastes nothing like the shelf-stable versions you find in grocery stores.
Beyond the pressing demonstration, the large retail store is packed with specialty Vermont foods, apple butter, jams, maple products, and cider donuts that have earned a near-legendary status among regular visitors.
The donuts are warm, perfectly spiced, and best consumed immediately, ideally while standing outside watching the Vermont hills roll by.
Cold Hollow is proof that some of the best experiences in life are refreshingly simple and require zero reservations. Just show up, breathe deep, and enjoy every single sip.
7. Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks
Maple syrup is basically Vermont’s love language, and no one speaks it more fluently than Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks.
Nestled along County Road in Montpelier at 1168 County Road, this eighth-generation family farm has been tapping trees and boiling sap for over 200 years, making it one of the oldest maple operations in the state. That kind of history is impossible to fake and deeply fun to explore.
The farm is open year-round, which means you can visit in sugaring season to watch sap transform into syrup inside the steamy sugarhouse, or come in summer to walk the wooded trails and browse the farm store.
Exhibits inside explain both traditional and modern sugaring methods in a way that is genuinely interesting, even for people who thought maple syrup was just pancake topping. Spoiler: it is so much more than that.
Tasting pure Vermont maple syrup straight from the source is one of those moments that permanently changes your relationship with breakfast.
The farm store offers multiple grades and flavors, plus maple candies, cream, and other products that make excellent gifts. Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the United States, which adds another layer of charming Vermont trivia to the visit.
Morse Farm is the kind of place that makes you want to move to Vermont and grow things with your hands.
8. Sugarbush Farm
Getting to Sugarbush Farm is half the adventure, and the other half is everything that happens once you arrive.
The farm sits at 591 Sugarbush Farm Road in Woodstock, Vermont, perched on a scenic hillside that offers some of the most postcard-perfect views in the state.
In winter, the road up can be an icy, gravel-crunching experience that feels like a Vermont rite of passage, but it is absolutely worth every careful mile.
Once there, you can tour the cheese-making and aging operation, where wheels of smoked and waxed cheeses sit in a fragrant, cave-like aging room.
The varieties include sharp cheddar, sage cheddar, and a smoky pepper cheese that is genuinely hard to put down. Free samples are generously offered, and fair warning: you will almost certainly leave with more cheese than you planned to buy.
Beyond the cheese, Sugarbush also produces its own maple syrup, and tasting both products together on the farm feels like the most Vermont thing imaginable.
The farm store is stocked with locally made goods, and the surrounding property is beautiful enough to warrant a leisurely walk before heading back down the hill.
Woodstock itself is one of Vermont’s most stunning villages, making this stop an easy anchor for a full day of exploration. Sugarbush Farm is the kind of place that turns a casual visit into a lasting memory.
9. Plymouth Artisan Cheese
Plymouth Artisan Cheese carries a backstory that most Vermont attractions can only dream of.
The cheese factory at 106 Messer Hill Road in Plymouth Notch was originally founded in 1890 by the father of President Calvin Coolidge, making it one of the oldest operating cheese factories in the United States.
History, flavor, and a genuinely remote Vermont setting all arrive in one deeply satisfying package.
The factory still uses the original granular curd method developed over a century ago, which produces a distinctive texture that sets Plymouth cheese apart from anything you will find at a supermarket.
Touring the facility gives you a window into a cheesemaking tradition that has been carefully preserved rather than modernized into irrelevance. Every wheel of cheese here carries a connection to a very specific chapter of American history.
The tasting room is small but stocked with an impressive variety of aged and flavored cheeses, all made on-site using milk from local Vermont farms.
Plymouth Notch itself is a remarkably well-preserved historic village that feels frozen in the best possible way. Combining the cheese tour with a walk through the surrounding Coolidge State Historic Site makes for one of the most layered and unexpected afternoons in all of Vermont.
This is where great cheese and great American history share the same shelf, and honestly, both taste better for it. Which Vermont factory tour are you adding to your list first?