Mennonite Cheese in Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua

The Cheese

Mennonite families came to Chihuahua from Canada in March 1922 and founded two colonies near Cuauhtémoc, Manitoba and Swift Current, spread over dozens of numbered campos. The state tourism office says their cheese, butter and cream became the colonies' best-known products, and queso menonita is now eaten across Mexico and abroad. It is a mild, semi-hard cow's milk cheese.

Quesería Pampas

The Sociedad Cooperativa Bajío de Abajo started making cheese in Campo 1B on 1 June 1950, with 175 members who each put in 1,250 pesos. It began with 1,500 litres of milk a day and now takes in about 27,000. The co-op offers tours of the plant with an explanation of the process. Book ahead with Johan Guenther on (625) 115 2375; the museum can also arrange visits.

Museo y Centro Cultural Menonita

At km 10 of the Corredor Comercial Manitoba, number 1024. The museum recreates a traditional Mennonite house with tools and furniture brought by the first settlers in 1922. It opens Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 16:00 and closes on Sundays. Book your visit on the museum's website. It sits on the paved commercial corridor, so you never need a dirt road: if a map app sends you onto one, stay on the main road and let it recalculate.

Festivals

The Festival de Otoño en los Campos Menonitas is held in late September in Campo 12B, at km 32 of the commercial corridor. The 13th edition ran from 25 to 27 September 2026, with entry at 100 pesos and children under 12 free. In December the Festival Navidad en los Campos Menonitas brings a parade of lights, concerts, fireworks and a Christmas market to the city centre, the corridor and the museum; the 2025 edition drew more than 50,000 people on its opening night.

Getting There

Cuauhtémoc lies west of Chihuahua city, and the colonies spread out along the commercial corridor outside town. There is no public transport into the fields. The museum suggests a licensed tour operator from Chihuahua, a ride-hailing car or a rental. Tours from Chihuahua usually combine the museum, a cheese co-op, a bakery and a viewpoint. The state calls Cuauhtémoc the gateway to the Sierra Tarahumara, so it fits on the way to the Copper Canyon.