The Jeju Teddy Bear
Museum opened on April 24, 2001. Here you can find everything you want to know
about Teddy Bears! It contains two galleries, a museum gift shop, and a museum
cafe. Also, on site is a museum bar/restaurant, a wonderful place to meet
friends, family, and lovers. From the outside garden, there is a great view of
Chungmoon Beach.
Teddy Bears have been
loved and cherished since they were first introduced over 100 years ago. They
are named for America's 26th president, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt.
According to legend, President Roosevelt went on a bear-hunting trip, but had
not shot any bears by the end of it. One of his staff members caught a bear cub
and lashed it to a tree for President Roosevelt to shoot. However, President
Roosevelt refused, feeling it was inappropriate behavior for a sportsman such
as himself. The
story spread rapidly, and people soon started to make their own Teddy Bears.
Morris Michtom, an American and Margarete Steiff, a German, were the first
manufacturers to produce teddy bears commercially. The Steiff Co. was the most
successful of the two toy companies. You can see many of Steiff's traditional
bears in the Jeju Teddy Bear Museum
