You are invited to go on a surprising and fantasy tour through thousands of cute teddy bears and learn about the history and the different types, in an experience unmatched in the world. Bear Museum of Pattaya, also known as "Teddy Island" is a special and strange place at the same time and is mainly a fun and entertaining activity for a day out with the whole family. It is located in the north of Pattaya, at the end of the city's coastline. The exterior structure of the museum is one that cannot be missed: it is designed in the shape of a huge dragon boat, 40 meters high.
The Teddy Bear Museum opened relatively recently, in 2013. The idea came from a Korean guy named Hyun Chul Kim, who traveled a lot in Thailand. He opened the museum claiming that everyone loves bears. Apparently he was right, because the museum has become a very prosperous attraction in Thailand. The museum is extremely popular, especially among Asian tourists, and is part of many organized tours of the city. The complex covers an area of about 2,500 square meters and contains 12 different areas, divided by theme. Each wing is crazier looking than the other:
- The Inca region features bears climbing pyramids and ancient architecture of various cultures in Central America.
- The dinosaur area contains a huge tyrannosaurus, hugged by some cute bears.
- The fossil zone jumps a few million years forward in history and presents the remains of the fossil dinosaur era, along with bears of course.
- In the African region you can see an authentic tribe of bears, with spears, ready to hunt.
- The Thailand region showcases some of the country's well-known architecture and cultural symbols, with the main players being none other than bears.
- In the underwater life section, bears dive into the depths and there are also giant sea bears.
- In the area of the Eskimos, the air is extremely cold (the air conditioner is turned on at really low temperatures!), but the polar bears warm themselves to their pleasure.
- The city of Christmas, Santa Town, is also a snowy area dotted with Santa's helpers who are, you guessed it, bears.
- The outer space wing combines Star Wars decor and furry Jedi warriors.
- The fairy tale area is magical and makes the museum particularly attractive.
- The China area is the largest wing in the museum and features a giant panda bear, 3 meters long.
- The Europe area contains large bears dressed in traditional dresses against a background of landmarks from the continent.
Every exhibit in the museum can be touched, hugged and sometimes you can do an interactive activity with it. The place is large and the exhibits are many, so you will have to set aside at least two hours, if not more, of your day to enjoy all the museum's wings, stop in front of each cute bear and take a picture with it.
If you want to buy a souvenir from the extraordinary experience, there is an inviting gift shop with a large variety of dolls and bears, at reasonable prices.
opening times - The museum is open throughout the week, from 9:00 to 22:00. The last entry is possible at 20:30 (then the ticket counter closes).
Prices - An adult ticket costs 500 baht. An entry ticket for a child costs 300 baht.
How to get there - You can take a short taxi or tuk-tuk ride from the city center. The venue address is 436/49 Moo 9, Beach Road Soi 1.
