Welcome!
We are delighted to welcome you! Our Waterbury site is the only Ben & Jerry’s factory open to the public. Our very first factory, built in 1985, continues to manufacture upwards of 350,000 pints per day while offering our fans a sneak peek at our humble beginnings. Our small Scoop shop, retail area and tour route have remained fairly unchanged over the years.
Guided tours, which began in 1986, have allowed us to share with millions of guests the evolution of what started as a small local company from the early days in the gas station to the worldwide reach we’ve expanded to since we opened our first Scoop Shop on May 5, 1978!
We can’t think of a better way to enjoy time with family and friends than learning how we make our ice cream then indulging in your favorite flavor or trying one of our euphoric new additions all the while taking in the beautiful mountain views!
*** Production schedules vary and are managed by our manufacturing teams. As a result, we cannot guarantee you will see active production during your tour***
Contact Us & Area Info
-
-
In addition to Ben & Jerry’s, Waterbury is home to The Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Cabot Farmer’s Store, Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea plus a host of restaurants, shopping and lodging for all budgets. For more local information including downtown historic Waterbury visit the Discover Waterbury site.
Other Resources:
Vermont Attractions Association
Tours
Immerse yourself in all things Ben & Jerry’s with a guided tour of our humble beginnings. Browse through our Gift shop then swing by our Scoop shop to indulge in your favorite old flavor or discover a new one.
The 30 minute guided portion of your Factory Experience begins with a quick MOO-vie to learn about our company culture followed by a short walk to our glassed-in mezzanine overlooking the production room floor where your tour guide will explain how we make our pints. To sweeten the deal you’ll also receive a sample of one of our chunks*. The tour ends in our Flavor Room with a tasting of one of our euphoric flavors* and a cow joke, or two! *nondairy, vegan options available.
Our outside grounds offer space to enjoy your ice cream, play on the playground, pay your respects to our Dearly De-pinted in our Flavor Graveyard, snap a few memorable photo ops and take in the lovely mountain views. A great outing for all ages!
***Production schedules vary and are managed by our manufacturing teams. As a result, we cannot guarantee you will see active production during your tour***
Visitor Information
- Factory Experience tickets are released two weeks in advance of any chosen date.
- Pre-purchasing your tickets online is highly encouraged due to limited capacity.
- Day of and walk-in ticket availability will vary each day based on staffing with the potential of NO availability.
- Additional ice cream can be purchased before or after your guided tour outside from the Scoop shop window.
- For group reservation requests of 21 or more people please email at least 2 weeks in advance to inquire.
- As we are a food manufacturing facility there is no glass or pets (with the exception of service animals) allowed inside.
- Large bags are not permitted and cannot be left unattended.
- RV, Coach and Accessible parking located at the top of the entrance driveway hill, with designated drop off at the end of the boardwalk.
- Extremely limited RV and Coach parking available.
- No time for the tour? Guests are welcome to swing by to visit our Scoop and Gift shops, Flavor Graveyard (seasonal) and enjoy the lovely views.
FAQ's
-
Your ticket includes a 30-minute guided tour where you will learn about our company culture, how we make our ice cream, try a sample of our chunks and a sample of our ice cream. Additionally there are plenty of photos ops, a retail shop with all things Ben & Jerry’s, a full service Scoop shop, playground, Flavor Graveyard and lovely mountain views.
-
Ticket prices are: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors 65+, and $1 for Children, age 2-12, plus service fee.
Infants do not need a ticket for the Factory Experience. -
Please visit the home page for updated hours of operation.
-
No. While we do have scheduled downtime the reality of manufacturing is any minute without advanced warning can become downtime thus we do not guarantee you will see active manufacturing.
-
The tour remains the same. To better explain the manufacturing process your tour guide will narrate a video that was filmed on the production room floor. In the manufacturing room you may see a shiny, clean, empty room; a portion of our thorough cleaning process that takes place between flavors; or our maintenance crew working on a repair.
-
Tickets are released 2 weeks in advance and can be purchased online under the BOOK NOW! tab on our website. If available, you may also purchase walk-in tickets onsite at our Ticket Sales and Gift Kiosk.
Due to high demand, we recommend purchasing your tickets online in advance of your visit to guarantee your Factory Experience. -
Yes. Adults, Seniors, and Children, age 2-12, need to purchase a ticket.
-
Due to strict capacity limits, unfortunately we are only able to accommodate those two guests that have a ticket. We recommend checking back on the website for potential openings or cancellations with availability for your entire group.
-
Enter through the main lobby doors located on the patio area. Listen for the cowbell to signal the start of your scheduled visit. Check in with your tour guide as the group proceeds to the first stop on the tour.
-
We recommend checking back on the website for potential openings.
-
Sometimes. If staffing allows each day, we may add additional bookings day-of for walk-in and online purchases. We recommend visiting us early in the day as these tickets sell out quickly!
-
No. We do not have a waitlist or cancellation list. We recommend checking back on the website for potential openings.
-
For group reservation requests of 21 or more people please email at least 2 weeks in advance to inquire.
-
Yes. Since our reopening, we have sold out every day. Please plan accordingly!
-
If you miss your scheduled time, it is unlikely we will be able to reschedule due to advanced ticket sales and capacity limits. A refund will not be provided.
If you are running late, you may reschedule or self-cancel your experience up to 30 minutes before your scheduled time using the link found in your confirmation email. -
Yes, the Factory is ADA accessible.
Accessible parking is marked and located in our upper parking lot. You may also drop off at the end of the boardwalk, at the top of the hill.
For planning purposes, the tour is in 3 parts. Your tour guide will direct you. After the intro/check-in in the tour lobby area the first 2 parts take place on the second floor by way of the elevator (we only have one!) located in the tour lobby. The 3rd part of the tour is located in the Flavor Room. You will take the same elevator back to the lobby then go across and down the hallway to meet up with the group in the Flavor Room. -
Yes. Ask any staff member and they will direct you to where you can pick up a wheelchair for use during your visit.
-
Please call our Gift shop to inquire at 802-337-1201.
-
To self-cancel a Factory Experience reservation, click the link found in your confirmation email.
-
No, unfortunately we do not have space to store luggage, backpacks, etc.
-
Between one hour and one hour and fifteen minutes. We are located on a hill. It takes a few minutes to park and walk into the facility.
-
You are welcome to visit our Scoop Shop, Flavor Graveyard, playground area, outdoor Gift Kiosk and enjoy the lovely mountain views.
-
Yes, but only outside. Pets are not permitted inside the Factory. Dogs must be leashed and supervised.
Please do not leave your dog in the car during the warmer months.
Service dogs are permitted inside. -
Yes. Restrooms are located outside on the paved walkway and inside the tour lobby.
-
No, however for travel around Waterbury and the surrounding area, Hometown Tours & Rides offers local transportation and tours of the Central Vermont region.
-
Please call or visit our Scoop Shop to purchase a ready-to-go ice cream cake.
For custom cake orders, please visit our Scoop shop website. -
Our main retail space is located inside. A second smaller area, stocked full of our bestselling items, is located outside in our Ticket Sales & Gift Kiosk.
-
No. Tickets are only required for the guided tour portion of the Factory Experience.
-
The Flavor Graveyard is an actual graveyard onsite where we have laid to rest our Dearly De-pinted flavors with granite headstones and witty epitaphs. It is located at the top of the property in the upper parking lots, passed the playground area.
-
For the Scoop shop please inform your scooper of the allergy so they can provide the most accurate allergy scooping protocol. For the Factory Experience please inform your tour guide and they will assist.
-
Yes. Nondairy, gluten free and nut free options are available for purchase in our Scoop shop and for sample on tour. For all other allergies we will do our best to accommodate.
-
Printed material can be found in our onsite Info Booth, located in our lower parking lot.
For additional information, we recommend using the links below:
www.discoverwaterbury.com Local area around Ben & Jerry’s
www.vtattractions.org VT attractions all throughout the state
www.gostowe.com Stowe located 10 miles north
www.vermonttourismnetwork.com Group visits to VT
www.vermontbrewers.com/breweries/ VT beer
www.vtcheese.com/ VT cheese
www.vermontgrapeandwinecouncil.com/ VT wine
-
Yes, we do although please note due to weak cell service in the area you may/may not be able access.
