Press Release

ST. LOUIS (April 2, 2009)-Build-A-Bear Workshop® and Major League Baseball® are taking the field again this season by giving fans across the country furbulous ways to support their favorite teams. Now in the sixth year stretch of its partnership with the Major League Baseball, Build-A-Bear Workshop is offering a line-up of furry fun for fans including Build-A-Bear Workshop Day at the Ballpark and new team-branded merchandise.

“Baseball games and Build-A-Bear Workshop stores are both places where families go to have fun and that is one reason why our partnership with Major League Baseball has been so successful,” said Founder and Chief Executive Bear, Maxine Clark. “We are excited to share opportunities for baseball fans to show their team spirit again this season.”

On Build-A-Bear Workshop Day at the Ballpark, young fans will receive exclusive team-branded stuffed animals (while supplies last, one per child). Each of these furry friends comes with a FREE virtual gift redeemable at buildabearville.com®, the Build-A-Bear Workshop virtual world stuffed with fun. Prior to the game day giveaways, fans of all ages will have the opportunity to win tickets to these games by signing up for sweepstakes at participating Build-A-Bear Workshop stores.

A trip to the ballpark is an experience that children will remember for a lifetime, and the Build-A-Bear Workshop® make your own MLB® Mascot locations allow fans to take the fun home with them. The in-stadium stores are open during all home games and carry a full line of officially licensed Major League Baseball® stuffed animals, branded team mascots and bear-sized clothing and accessories.

In-stadium Make Your Own Mascot locations:

• Make Your Own Phanatic™ at Citizens Bank Park™ in Philadelphia
• Make Your Own Gapper™ at Great American Ball Park™ in Cincinnati
• Make Your Own San Francisco Giants™ Mascot at AT&T Park™ in San Francisco
• Make Your Own Fredbird™ at Busch Stadium™ in St. Louis
• Make Your Own Screech™ at Nationals Park™ in Washington D.C.

Each ballpark store has its own licensed 2009 Ballpark Bear with its team logo on its paw. This season, fans of the St. Louis Cardinals™ can make their own Beary Limited® edition Cardinals™ All-Star Game Bear to cele-bear-ate the 80th Annual All-Star Game at Busch Stadium on July 14. Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies™ can get a Beary Limited® edition Phillies™ World Series Bear at Citizens Bank Park.

New this year, each ballpark location has an Autograph Bear with its team logo on its belly. These bears come with a pen and are perfect for collecting player autographs. New licensed clothing includes team rally towels, striped dresses in team colors, new striped sweatshirts and pink cheerleader outfits. Guests can make their new friends even more special by adding a “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” sound. Also in St. Louis, fans can get a variety of All-Star Game gear for their furry friends, including a Tiny Tees® shirt, hat and #1 Hand.

“Like teddy bears, baseball is part of the American landscape,” added Clark. “With our Major League Baseball Properties officially licensed merchandise and Build-A-Bear Workshop Day at the Ballpark, baseball fans have many creative and personalized ways to support their favorite team.”

Scheduled Build-A-Bear Workshop Game Day Giveaways:

About Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the leading and only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in 1997, the Company and its franchisees currently operate more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop® stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and France, and franchise stores in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. In 2007, the interactive experience was enhanced - all the way to CyBEAR™ space - with the launch of buildabearville.com®, the company’s virtual world stuffed with fun. The company was named to the 2009 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $468 million in fiscal 2008. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company’s award-winning Web site at www.buildabear.com.

Editor’s Note – Photographs of Major League Baseball licensed stadium store merchandise and game day promotional merchandise are available.

TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story, we would ask that you use our full Name: Build-A-Bear Workshop® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals you use the word “make” not “build”.

Build-A-Bear Workshop® is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop® should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb.

Note: Parental permission may be required to access buildabearville.com®. Visit buildabearville.com for details.

Contact:
Jill Saunders
314-423-8000 ext. 5293
314-422-4523 (cell)
jills@buildabear.com

Shannon Lammert
314-423-8000 ext. 5379
314-566-8841 (cell)
shannonl@buildabear.com