A Teddy Bear Museum? Does it get any cozier than that? If some of your first friends were plushies, you get their comforting appeal. Back in the 80s, we called them stuffed animals (which sounds kinda ominous now when I think about it). Stuffed Care Bears, Pound Puppies, and Popples…I remember being in love with the “Gotta Get a Gund” line of all kinds of stuffed creatures. Then the Beanie Babies craze came around. But well before all those brands, the O.G. among plush animals was the Steiff Bear.
A Brief History of Steiff
You might not too often about teddy bear history, but the origin story is quite inspiring. Richard Steiff drew up the first sketches in his native Germany and brought to life the teddy bear as we know it today, inspired by President “Teddy” Roosevelt and his actions sparing a captured bear cub during a hunting trip. But what’s even more fascinating is the woman who came before Richard, his aunt Margarete Steiff.
Margarete had contracted Polio as a child, which caused both of her legs and one arm to be paralyzed. Despite these physical limitations, she trained as a seamstress in order to support herself. In 1877 she opened her own store and soon began making children’s toys made of lambswool and felt. What an amazing entrepreneur, particularly at a time when women didn’t receive much encouragement to be business owners.
How the Teddy Bear was Born
The first teddy bear introduced by the Steiff brand in 1902 was made of mohair (doesn’t sound very cuddly!) and had moveable limbs. But it looked more like a bear you’d find in the wild than one fit for a kid’s shelf. It wasn’t until 1905 that Steiff introduced the shape and pose that we know today — a cuddly seated position with outstretched arms. The Steiff bear has remained a favorite of toy collectors and the brand is still producing high-end teddy bears and other critters to this day.
And that brings us to The Den of Marbletown, which houses the Teddy Bear Museum. Located in Kingston, Ulster County in the Hudson Valley of New York, this quaint little collection lives only 90-minutes from Manhattan, but it feels like a cozy other world.
A Passion for Plushies
If upon visiting the Teddy Bear Museum it feels like a labor of love, as if you’ve stepped into a little one’s expansive playroom, that’s probably because it is. The collection is largely made up of one woman’s personal collection, which was passed down to the current owners Steve, Nan, and Gabriella. Originally Nan’s mom’s collection, the museum features many rare and historic aspects of the Steiff brand.
Part guided tour and part self-guided, a hour or 90-minutes should be enough to take in everything in this two story plushie-palooza. I promise you don’t have to be a Steiff collector or stuffed animal afficianado to appreciate the crammed shelves and teddy-infused dioramas. Adults, you won’t feel weird here if you come without kids. And although parents will be up for quite the challenge to keep little hands from pulling down all of the plushies just begging to be grabbed, there are plenty of glass-enclosed displays and a special “Cub Cave” playroom for kids to finally get their hands on some toys to play with.
A big part of the fun of this collection is seeing how many pop culture references you can find. There’s plenty of bears playing pretend donning everything from Santa Claus costumes to an Elton John blazer. Star Wars/Star Trek fans won’t be disappointed. And someone in the trio of curators is without a doubt a Deadhead. How do I know? Beside the “Dancing Bears” sprinkled about, there’s an entire room dedicated to teddy bear interpretations of some of the band’s best loved songs. That in and of itself is a sight to behold.
Some of the highlights of the museum include a bear actually on loan to the museum. It’s known as the “Holy Grail” of teddies and is the 1904 Rod Bear, which is one of the earliest Steiff bears (and oh-so adorable!). Good thing he’s in glass, because it’d be hard to resist giving him a squeeze.
At the end of your tour, you can indulge in some sweets with bubble drinks for sale and some local desserts (we got the molten chocolate cake, which was as good as molten chocolate cake gets). I recommend the bubble strawberry lemonade. Even if you skip the desserts, this is still a sweet experience that’s one of those lovely roadside country gems that are quickly disappearing from the American landscape. Stop by, savor the sights and take a little time to escape to a simpler time.
The Den of Marbletown Teddy Bear Museum
Address: Off Route 209, 1 Basten Ln, Kingston, NY 12401
Phone: 845-687-6441
Operating Hours: Thursday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Days and hours of operation.
Admission Fees: $4 for Adults, $2 for Senior and kids under 18. Children 2 and under are free.
Parking: There’s plenty of parking in the front of the museum.
Website: https://thedenofmarbletown.com/
Accessibility: There are steps leading up to the historic home and interior steps.
Best Time to Visit: It was empty on the weekday afternoon I visited in June.
Weather Considerations: Everything to see is indoors, although there is a garden I didn’t have time to explore!
Nearby: Great farmer’s market that sells donuts down the street:
Special Notes: Photography is encouraged.