Build A Bear Workshops

Hands down the best Build A Bear in Illinois and possibly in the Midwest! Heidi and crew really know how to handle the little ones and know how to have fun! I never stepped into a BAB before My Little Pony started releasing ponies about a year ago — but I have gone back so many times!
FUN FUN FUN place at Oakbrook Mall!
Thank you Heidi!

Amazing!
I wish the Build A Bear locations in LA were this convenient. I came in five minutes before closing and was helped. I stayed in the store until about 9:20PM trying to pick out the best rabbit build a bear I could find.
Yup, got the rainbow bunny, hello kitty dress, pink panties, sketcher sparkle shoes to match the little one’s shoes, and… roller skates! Yup. I opted for the 5 n 1 voice deal with the touch pad on the hand.
I am a fan!

Okay. You know they’re out for your cash when you walk in but hey, it’s for the kids… right? Brought the girls to get teddy bears made today. Well, no bears. But we did come home with one owl and a lamb. They pick out their animal and then its stuffed with a nice little ceremony to put the ‘heart’ into the bear before it’s closed up. Then they can pick out some cute little outfits. Yes, it can get crazy and expensive, but it is fun and the girls are both sleeping with their new friends this evening. That will last until they find a new favorite stuffed animal. Ahhh, kids.

I’m just writing this review in the hopes that it helps someone else. The map for this location makes it look like the BAB is on the south side of the mall by Macy’s, so that’s where I parked.
WRONG!
It’s actually directly opposite there — behind Sears.
If you park near the Sears entrance where you can also see the Lane Bryant and that kids photography shop (closest to where 16^th St. meets 83), walk between those stores into the mall area, and there’s the BAB Workshop.

I had never been to a Build — A — Bear store before, and I will admit that I was slightly overwhelmed by the «BUY BUY BUY!» feeling I got when I walked in the place. My roommate and I went in to buy some bears for her god children’s birthday, and we walked out with two animals and too many precious (and slightly sickening, yes) outfits.
Even though it was a Sunday, the place was not too crowded. In line for the stuffing machine I think some small fries might have cut us, but they moved things along quickly that it didn’t really matter much to me.
The staff was very friendly but in that Disney World sterile sort of way where their words came straight from the 700 page costumer service handbook given upon hire.
I overheard one of the workers say that they rip off the tag and put it in the doll in case it gets lost. Again, I am a newbie to this process so I was confused, don’t you have to rip the thing open to find it? Sounded traumatizing to me.