Apparently, ice cream flavors can retire.
Some even get memorial markers.
That should tell you pretty quickly this is not the most serious factory tour in Vermont.
Behind all the jokes, though, there is real ice cream being made. A guided visit gives you a peek at the production floor and a little company history before the obvious reward arrives at the end.
Yes, there is a sample.
And the fun does not stop when the tour does.
You can grab another scoop, wander the grounds, or pay your respects to flavors that did not make it.
I would save that last stop until after dessert.
It feels much less gloomy with a cone in your hand.
How A Vermont Ice Cream Factory Became A Visitor Attraction
Colorful signs, cow-spotted details, and rolling green hills greet you as you turn off Route 100. At Waterbury, the factory grounds have room for more than manufacturing, with paths connecting several places to explore before or after a tour.
Most factories aren’t set up for casual sightseeing. This one is the only Ben & Jerry’s factory open to the public, and guided tours have been part of its story since 1986.
Start with the timing. A reserved tour gives the day a definite anchor, but the Scoop Shop, retail area, and outdoor spaces don’t require a guided-tour ticket.
The playground gives younger travelers somewhere to move around after time in the car. The Flavor Graveyard is farther uphill, beyond the playground near the upper parking area, so save a few minutes for that walk.
On a clear day, the surrounding mountains are visible from the grounds. Grab a cone, look for the cow decorations, and choose whether to stroll uphill or settle in for a few minutes outdoors.
The Story Behind Ben & Jerry’s First Ice Cream Factory In Waterbury
The Waterbury factory opened in 1985 as Ben & Jerry’s first manufacturing facility. Before that, the business had begun on a much smaller scale, with Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opening their first ice cream shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington in 1978.
The factory sits in Waterbury near Route 100, a short drive from the original Burlington shop’s home city. Ice cream production continues at the site today.
Today, the facility has the capacity to make upwards of 350,000 pints a day. That’s a lot of freezer space. Production schedules vary, however, so a high daily capacity doesn’t mean the lines will be running during every visit.
Inside the experience, the history film covers the company’s early years and the business that grew from that first Burlington shop.
The original Ben & Jerry’s shop opened in Burlington, while Waterbury became the company’s first factory. The tour’s history film begins with the Burlington shop before moving to the expansion into manufacturing.
From the mezzanine, you can see the production room where ice cream is made today.
What Visitors Can Expect During The Thirty Minute Factory Tour
Thirty minutes is enough time for a quick introduction to the company and a look at how its ice cream is made. The guided Factory Experience begins with a short film, followed by a walk to the glassed-in mezzanine overlooking the production room.
A guide explains the manufacturing process and the equipment visible below. There’s also a sample of one of the ice cream’s chunks along the way. The final stop is the Flavor Room, where guests receive an ice cream tasting.
Nondairy options are available for the samples. Anyone with a food allergy can speak with the tour guide about accommodations before tasting. The Scoop Shop can also help with options for different dietary needs.
Tickets are required for this guided portion of the visit. Reservations open 14 days ahead, and booking online is the best way to secure a particular time. Walk-in tickets may be available if staffing and capacity allow, but they aren’t guaranteed.
There is an important schedule exception for an October visit. No guided tours are offered October 9 through 12, 2026; during those dates, the mezzanine is available for public viewing instead.
Don’t plan on the usual guided route or its included tastings during that interruption.
For a regular tour date, allow around an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes for the whole stop. The factory is on a hill, and getting from parking to the building takes a little time. Arrive early enough to check in at the lobby before the group begins.
The introductory film and viewing area are part of the ticketed visit, not spaces to wander through whenever you like.
Once you’re through the tour, decide whether the next stop is a cone, a souvenir, or the uphill path to the Flavor Graveyard.
A Behind The Scenes Look At How Ben & Jerry’s Makes Ice Cream
Chunks, swirls, and mix-ins don’t land in a pint by magic. Equipment and carefully timed steps bring the ingredients together, and the tour explains that work from the visitor side of the production room.
From the mezzanine, you’ll look down on the manufacturing area rather than walking among the machinery. Your guide talks through the process of making pints, including the additions that give many flavors their chunky texture.
Production can stop for cleaning, maintenance, or changes in the manufacturing schedule. On some visits, you may see equipment in motion; on others, the room could be quiet or partly cleared for cleaning.
When manufacturing isn’t underway, a video filmed on the production floor helps illustrate the steps.
Look for the production equipment and follow the guide’s explanation of the steps a pint takes before packaging.
A half-hour tour leaves time to browse the gift shop or head outdoors after you have seen the production room.
From The Glass Viewing Area To The Ice Cream Tasting Room
The glassed-in mezzanine overlooks the production floor, keeping visitors separate from the working manufacturing area. From there, the group can look across the equipment arranged on the manufacturing floor, whether the line is active or temporarily still.
The guide explains the machinery and what happens during production, giving everyone a chance to take in the room from above.
You may see conveyors and other equipment at work, or find that the production area is quiet during your visit.
The tour then moves to the Flavor Room for its final tasting. There’s time afterward to choose a separate treat at the Scoop Shop.
Still thinking about another flavor? The Scoop Shop is separate from the tasting and sells additional ice cream. It offers scoops, freshly baked waffle cones, shakes, and sundaes, so the sample doesn’t need to be your last bite.
Make that decision after the tour, when you’ve had a chance to explore the menu.
The Flavor Graveyard Where Retired Ice Cream Flavors Are Remembered
Rest in peace, dear pint. On a grassy hillside, granite headstones mark Ben & Jerry’s flavors that are no longer in the regular lineup. The Flavor Graveyard turns a stroll through the grounds into a collection of ice cream names, jokes, and short epitaphs.
Each marker has its own little tribute. Read a few closely, and you’ll find puns tucked among the names of retired flavors.
The graveyard is near the upper parking area, past the playground, and the walk involves a hill. Start from the outdoor area near the Scoop Shop and follow the path toward the upper part of the property.
Allow extra time if you plan to read the inscriptions rather than just photograph the entrance.
Shoes that handle outdoor paths are a better bet than footwear saved for a spotless indoor floor.
The season matters here. The Flavor Graveyard closes in winter because of conditions on that part of the property. For an autumn visit, check whether it remains accessible before counting on the walk; outdoor access can change with the weather.
Headstones, a hillside, and a backdrop of Vermont scenery make a different sort of travel photo from a typical ice cream counter.
The gravestones provide enough reading material for a leisurely detour, though you can also take a quick look and head back for dessert.
Where To Find Ben & Jerry’s Factory And What To Know Before Visiting
A little planning makes the Waterbury stop easier. Fall operating hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, with the last regular guided tour departing at 6 p.m. Tour schedules can have exceptions, so check the available dates before making the drive.
The guided experience has a separate ticket, while the Scoop Shop, gift shop, playground, and seasonally open Flavor Graveyard can be visited without purchasing a tour.
Tickets are released two weeks in advance. If your preferred tour time isn’t available, the other attractions still offer a reason to stop.
Parking is available on site. Accessible parking is in the upper lot, and the tour route has elevator access. Large bags aren’t permitted inside the facility, so leave unnecessary luggage elsewhere before arriving.
Pets may be on the outdoor grounds when leashed and supervised, but only service animals are allowed inside. Check these arrangements before heading to the tour entrance.
The property sits along Route 100 on the way toward Stowe. Give yourself time to park, walk uphill, and find the tour entrance rather than arriving at the exact minute printed on a reservation.
Ice cream is available at the Scoop Shop, and a waffle cone or sundae can be a pleasant finish after exploring.
Point your map toward 1281 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury, VT 05676, USA. Then decide whether your first stop will be the tour lobby or the Scoop Shop window. Either route can end with a spoon.