Waterbury

Waterbury had 5,331 residents at the 2020 census and was founded in 1763 by charter from King George III. The Central Vermont Railroad arrived in 1849, establishing Waterbury as a major passenger station stop, and Wikipedia's account notes that local businesses typically see the heaviest tourism during October, when fall foliage swells visitor traffic. The town sits between several mountains, including Mount Mansfield, positioning it on the route north to Stowe.

Ben & Jerry's built its production facility in Waterbury in 1985; it opened to public tours in 1986 and, according to Wikipedia's account, remains the only Ben & Jerry's facility open to the public, producing more than 350,000 pints of ice cream daily. The company itself traces to 1978, when childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield — after finding the equipment costs for a planned bagel shop too high, and completing a correspondence course in ice cream making from Penn State's creamery — opened their first ice cream parlor in a renovated gas station in downtown Burlington with a $12,000 investment.

Cold Hollow Cider Mill, a family-owned business in Waterbury Center, has operated since 1974, with cider-pressing activity on the site tracing back to the 1900s. Its own site describes daily cider-pressing demonstrations, a retail store carrying Vermont-made products, café dining, and fresh-baked cider donuts made daily as its best-selling item.

The Ben & Jerry's factory has offered public tours since 1986 and remains, per Wikipedia's account, the only Ben & Jerry's facility open to the public. The factory produces more than 350,000 pints of ice cream daily at the Waterbury site the company built in 1985.

2 breweries within 10 miles of Waterbury, one of them a brewpub with a kitchen.

Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)

14 more Highway Heads places lie within about 180 miles of Waterbury in a straight line — far enough that most are a night away rather than an afternoon.

• North Conway (White Mountains)New Hampshireabout 85 mi
• ConcordNew Hampshireabout 100 mi
• ManchesterNew Hampshireabout 110 mi
• Albany/CooperstownNew Yorkabout 130 mi
• PortlandMaineabout 130 mi
• PortsmouthNew Hampshireabout 130 mi
• FreeportMaineabout 140 mi
• AugustaMaineabout 150 mi
• SpringfieldMassachusettsabout 150 mi
• Basketball Hall of FameMassachusettsabout 160 mi
• BostonMassachusettsabout 160 mi
• National Baseball Hall of FameNew Yorkabout 160 mi
• SalemMassachusettsabout 160 mi
• HartfordConnecticutabout 180 mi

Ben & Jerry's own factory page lists fall hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the last tour departing at 6 p.m., and says tickets are released 14 days in advance, with walk-in availability varying each day and potentially none. We were unable to confirm the current tour ticket price.

Cold Hollow Cider Mill is open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. year-round, closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, according to its own site.

Waterbury sits on I-89, making it a straightforward stop between Montpelier and Burlington and the gateway point for the drive north into Stowe on Route 100.

October is the town's busiest tourism month, per Wikipedia's account, driven by fall foliage; visitors planning an autumn trip should expect heavier traffic at both the factory and the cider mill.

*Fees subject to change, please check benjerry.com for updated information.

Ben & Jerry's Factory

Address

1281 Waterbury-Stowe Rd, Waterbury, VT 05676

Hours

See official site for current tour hours

Price

See official site for current tour pricing

Link

benjerry.com

We checked opening hours, seasonal opening and fees on 2026-09-22. These change without notice — confirm with coldhollow.com, benjerry.com, prohibitionpig.com and vtstateparks.com the week you travel.

Straight-line distance from Waterbury, not drive time.

• Edward F Knapp State (MPV) — 13 miles
• Patrick Leahy Burlington International (BTV) — 22 miles
• Plattsburgh International (PBG) — 41 miles