Cheese travel
Cheese Factories, Festivals and Trails in the USA
Wisconsin is the place to start, with factories you can watch on weekday mornings and a cheese festival almost every month. Vermont, Oregon and the Marin and Sonoma area of California have the best-known trails, and New York, Ohio and North Carolina have strong festivals. Below are cheese trips in 31 states, from free factory galleries to booked farm tours and cheese caves.
Coming Up
- 14 Nov 2026 Mozzarella Company, Hands-on class, noon to 2pm or 3 to 5pm
- 15 Nov 2026 Austin Mac and Cheese Festival, VIP 11am, general admission noon to 3pm
- 21 Nov 2026 Grilled Cheese Festival, From 11am, free entry
- 16 Jan 2027 Beer and Cheese Fest, General admission 2pm to 6pm, 21+
- 1 Mar 2027 to 30 Apr Georges Mill Farm, Baby goat season (exact dates depend on births) (expected, not yet confirmed)
- 4 Jun 2027 to 6 Jun Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival, First weekend of June
- 11 Jun 2027 to 13 Jun Middlefield Swiss Cheese Festival, Friday to Sunday
- 12 Jun 2027 Beer Cheese Festival, Second Saturday in June (date not yet announced) (expected, not yet confirmed)
Festivals
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Cheese Tours
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Cheese Shops
Cheese Trails
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California
Where to taste cheese in California: Marin French Cheese and Point Reyes Farmstead in Marin, goat dairy tours at Harley Farms and Pennyroyal, and a table of creameries open to visitors.
Oregon
Oregon cheese stops: the free Tillamook Creamery and Blue Heron on the north coast, Face Rock Creamery in Bandon, Rogue Creamery's blue cheese shop, the Oregon Cheese Festival and farm shops to visit.
Washington
Where to see and taste cheese in Washington: Beecher's cheese kitchen at Pike Place Market, the Samish Bay farm shop in the Skagit Valley, Ferndale's creameries and a Whidbey Island sheep farm.
Wisconsin
Where to see, taste and buy cheese in Wisconsin: factories with viewing windows from Theresa to Monroe, curd festivals in Ellsworth, Little Chute and Madison, and the best cheese shops.
Vermont
Where to go for cheese in Vermont: watching cheddar made at Shelburne Farms, Grafton and Crowley, the Cabot stores, Sugarbush Farm's free tastings, farmstands on the cheese trail and a two-day route.
Minnesota
Minnesota cheese stops: farm tours and a CheeseStill at Redhead Creamery in Brooten, cheese classes at France 44 in Minneapolis, farm shops near the St. Croix, and why the Caves of Faribault are closed to visitors.
New York
Where to go for cheese in New York State: the Little Falls Cheese Festival, Lowville's Cream Cheese Festival, the Central New York Cheese Trail, Finger Lakes tasting rooms and cheese classes at Murray's in Manhattan.
North Carolina
Where to taste cheese in North Carolina: the WNC Cheese Trail around Asheville, Looking Glass Creamery, goat dairy tours, the Carolina Mountain Cheese Festival in October and cheese shops in Charlotte.
Tennessee
Where to find cheese in Tennessee: Sweetwater Valley Farm near Knoxville, Nash Family Creamery south of Nashville, Flowers Creamery in Ethridge and the Knoxville Cheese Fest each May.
Texas
Where to see and taste cheese in Texas: farm tours at Veldhuizen in Dublin, cave tours at River Whey near San Antonio, cheesemaking classes in Dallas, Austin cheese tastings and November mac and cheese festivals.
Ohio
Where to see and buy cheese in Ohio: Swiss cheese houses in Amish Country, free factory tours at Pearl Valley, cheese tours at Young's Jersey Dairy, and the Sugarcreek and Middlefield Swiss cheese festivals.
Iowa
Iowa cheese stops: the Maytag Dairy Farms cheese shop in Newton, Frisian Farms gouda near Pella, Kalona's Friday curds, robotic dairy tours at Cinnamon Ridge and WW Homestead's viewing windows in Waukon.
Kentucky
Kentucky cheese trips: the Beer Cheese Trail and Beer Cheese Festival in Winchester, where beer cheese was born, plus Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese in Barren County and Boone Creek Creamery in Lexington.
Maine
Where to go for cheese in Maine: Open Creamery Day in June, when 35 creameries open their doors, the Maine Cheese Festival in September, and farm stores from Westbrook to Deer Isle.
South Carolina
Cheese in South Carolina: Split Creek Farm's goat dairy near Anderson with free self-guided farm visits, Forx Farm Gouda at upstate markets and Charleston's cheese shops.
Michigan
Michigan cheese stops: watch raclette being hooped at Leelanau Cheese near Suttons Bay, buy aged Pinconning cheese on M-13, cuddle cows at De Vor Dairy and eat your way through the Caseville Cheeseburger Festival.
Florida
Cheese in Florida: the free Grilled Cheese Festival at CoolToday Park each November, Dakin Dairy Farms' cheese curds and farm tours near Sarasota, and an Orlando cheese shop with private tastings.
Illinois
Where to find cheese in Illinois: goat cheese farm tours at Prairie Fruits Farm, Marcoot Jersey Creamery near Greenville, the Arthur Cheese Festival in Amish country and cheese classes in Chicago.
Massachusetts
Where to go for cheese in Massachusetts: High Lawn Farm's Farmstead Creamery in the Berkshires, private cheese cave tours at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, and farm stores in Williamstown and Winchendon.
Virginia
Virginia cheese farms you can visit: Georges Mill Farm's honor-system store and baby goats in Loudoun County, Caromont Farm's cheesemaking workshops near Charlottesville, and cheese shops from Alexandria to Virginia Beach.
Connecticut
Where to buy cheese at the farm in Connecticut: Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam, and Hastings Farm in Suffield, where you can watch a robot milk the cows.
Indiana
Indiana cheese stops: the cheese tasting room and dairy tours at Fair Oaks Farms, farm walks and The Loft at Traders Point Creamery near Indianapolis, and Amish country cheese in Shipshewana.
Pennsylvania
Where to go for cheese in Pennsylvania: Calkins Creamery's farm store near Honesdale, Fairview Swiss Cheese in Fredonia, Lancaster County cheese shops and the free Pennsylvania Farm Show in January.
New Jersey
Where to go for cheese in New Jersey: Valley Shepherd Creamery's cheese cave and farm tours in Long Valley, Cherry Grove Farm near Princeton with its viewing window and classes, and Jersey Girl Cheese in Branchville.
Maryland
Where to go for cheese in Maryland: FireFly Farms Market and cheese bar at Deep Creek Lake, with guided wine and cheese pairings, plus the farm store at Chesapeake Gold Farms.
Where to Go
Wisconsin is the deepest cheese state by a long way. Factories such as Union Star, Henning's and Widmer's let you watch the vats on weekday mornings, Monroe has a cheesemaking museum and the Emmi Roth viewing hall, and there is a festival nearly every month from January to September.
In the Northeast, Vermont has the Cheese Council trail map, Crowley, the oldest cheese factory still running in the country, and cheddar to watch at Shelburne Farms and Grafton. New York adds festivals in Little Falls and Lowville and classes at Murray's in Manhattan, and there are smaller hubs for Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
On the West Coast, Oregon has the free Tillamook Creamery and Rogue Creamery's blue cheese windows. California is best around Marin and Sonoma, where the cheese trail links Marin French, Point Reyes Farmstead and Toluma. In Washington, Beecher's makes cheese in a window at Pike Place Market.
The Midwest beyond Wisconsin has more than most people expect: Swiss cheese festivals and Amish cheese houses in Ohio, Maytag Blue in Iowa, the Arthur festival in Illinois, and dairies to tour in Michigan, Indiana and Minnesota.
In the South, North Carolina has the WNC Cheese Trail around Asheville and its October festival, Kentucky has beer cheese, Tennessee and Texas have dairies with tours and cheese caves, and there are hubs for Virginia, South Carolina and Florida.
The Cheese Year in the US
| Month | What's On |
|---|---|
| January | Beer and Cheese Fest, Madison |
| April | Oregon Cheese Festival, Central Point |
| May | Knoxville Cheese Fest; Shelburne Farms starts cheesemaking days |
| June | Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival, Maine Open Creamery Day, Middlefield Swiss Cheese Festival, Beer Cheese Festival in Winchester, Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival |
| August | Caseville Cheeseburger Festival, Curd Fest in Madison |
| September | Arthur Cheese Festival, Lowville Cream Cheese Festival, Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, Ohio Swiss Festival, Green County Cheese Days (even years) |
| October | Little Falls Cheese Festival, Carolina Mountain Cheese Festival, Watonga Cheese Festival |
| November | Austin Mac and Cheese Festival, Venice Grilled Cheese Festival |
Dates move from year to year, so check each festival's own page before you book.
Where to Watch Cheese Being Made
Most US cheese is made early in the day, so arrive in the morning on a weekday. Some of the best windows:
- Tillamook Creamery, Oregon: a free gallery over the factory floor, open daily.
- Union Star, Wisconsin: free 8am tours four days a week, with warm curds at the end.
- Pearl Valley Cheese, Ohio: free Wednesday factory tours.
- Beecher's, Seattle: cheesemakers at work in Pike Place Market.
- Cherry Grove Farm, New Jersey: a cheesemaking window near Princeton, open daily.
- WW Homestead Dairy, Iowa: a viewing hall in Waukon.
For a full list in the biggest cheese state, see Wisconsin cheese factory tours.
Farm Tours and Cheese Caves
Many small dairies run booked tours with a tasting at the end. Good ones include Harley Farms on the San Mateo coast, Fair Oaks Farms on I-65, Sweetwater Valley Farm in East Tennessee and Redhead Creamery in Minnesota. For caves, there is Valley Shepherd in New Jersey, River Whey in Texas on the first Sunday of the month, and Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge.
Single Stops Worth the Drive
Some states have one standout place rather than a whole trail:
- Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville, Georgia
- MSU Cheese Store in Starkville, Mississippi, home of the cannon ball Edam
- Arkansas Cheese Dip Trail around Little Rock
- Heber Valley Artisan Cheese near Park City, Utah
- Surfing Goat Dairy on Maui
Getting Around
Almost every US cheese trip needs a car. Creameries sit on back roads, many open only a few days a week, and some take visitors by appointment only, so call or check hours before you set out. The city exceptions are Seattle, Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, New York, Cambridge, Austin and Dallas, where shops and classes are reachable without driving.
Know your cheeses before you go. Every cheese from United States, what it tastes like and how it's made.
Cheeses of United StatesWhere to Stay in United States
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Questions People Ask
Where can you watch cheese being made in the US?
At the Tillamook Creamery in Oregon from a gallery over the factory floor, at Wisconsin factories such as Union Star, Henning's and Widmer's on weekday mornings, at Pearl Valley Cheese in Ohio on Wednesdays, at Beecher's in Seattle, and at Shelburne Farms in Vermont from May to October.
When are the big US cheese festivals?
June is the busiest month, with the Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival, the Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival and Maine Open Creamery Day. September brings the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival, the Ohio Swiss Festival and, in even years, Green County Cheese Days. Little Falls in New York holds its festival in early October.
Which state is best for a cheese trip?
Wisconsin has the most factories open to visitors and the most festivals. Vermont is the most compact, with a trail of more than 30 makers. For a short trip from a big city, the Marin and Sonoma creameries are about an hour north of San Francisco.
Do US cheese factories charge for tours?
Many viewing windows and self-guided visits are free, including Tillamook and Union Star. Small farm tours and cheesemaking classes usually charge and need booking.