Press Release

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 15, 2006--Build-A-Bear Workshop(R) (NYSE: BBW) Where Best Friends Are Made(R) is opening a store at the Saint Louis Zoo on Thursday, March 16. This is the first ever Build-A-Bear Workshop store located inside a zoo. Build-A-Bear Workshop At The Zoo, Where Wild And Wonderful Friends Are Made(TM), will offer ten animals and a variety of outfits, several available exclusively at this location, for kids young and old to enjoy!

Build-A-Bear Workshop is based on the premise that nearly everyone, regardless of age, has a special fondness for stuffed animals. When Guests visit Build-A-Bear Workshop At The Zoo, they enter a jungle-themed environment consisting of eight bear-making stations. Zoo Guests choose their furry friend to make, stuff it just right, add personality with a variety of outfits and accessories, and most importantly give it a heart. Guests can choose from a variety of furry friends, including: Humboldt Penguin, Tree Frog, Asian Elephant and Ring-Tailed Lemur. Guests will also have the opportunity to dress their furry friends in exciting outfits, such as a zookeeper and an engineer.

"Build-A-Bear Workshop focuses on bringing the bear making experience to places families go to have fun," said Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. "The Saint Louis Zoo is a world-class Zoo and we are beary excited about reaching more of our friends with this unique location in our hometown."

"At the heart of the Saint Louis Zoo experience is our ability to connect visitors with animals, in the hope that we'll create advocates for wildlife," said Dr. Jeffrey P. Bonner, President and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo. "Likewise, Build-a-Bear Workshop establishes emotional bonds between children and the stuffed animals they create - right down to the careful placement of a heart and a wish at the animal's core. The Zoo is delighted to be able to offer this Build-A-Bear Workshop experience to our visitors."

About Build-A-Bear Workshop:

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own-stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in St. Louis in 1997, the company currently operates more than 200 stores in the United States and Canada. The addition of franchise stores in Europe, Asia and Australia make Build-A-Bear Workshop the leader in interactive retail. In November 2004, the company expanded its concept from stuffed animals to dolls with the opening of its first friends 2B made(R) stores, in which Guests can make their own dolls. Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE: BBW) posted total revenue of $302 million in fiscal 2004. For more information, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning Web sites at www.buildabear.com and www.friends2Bmade.com.

TRADEMARKS

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

About the Saint Louis Zoo:

The Saint Louis Zoo has been named America's #1 Zoo by Zagat Survey and Parenting Magazine. One of the few free zoos in the United States, the Saint Louis Zoo is renowned for its natural exhibits, diverse collection of animals and dedication to conserve endangered species and their habitats. The Zoo attracts three million visitors each year. For more information, call (314) 781-0900 or visit www.stlzoo.org.

CONTACT: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.
Katy Lachky, 314-423-8000 Ext. 5379 or 314-283-3122
katyl@buildabear.com
or
Saint Louis Zoo
Janet Powell, 314-781-0900 Ext. 233
powell@stlzoo.org

SOURCE: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.