Cheese travel
Cheese in Ohio
Ohio cheese means Swiss cheese, brought by Swiss settlers to the hills of Amish Country. The best day out is in Holmes and Tuscarawas counties, where Bunker Hill near Berlin and Broad Run near Sugarcreek sell local Swiss and colby, and Pearl Valley in Fresno gives free factory tours on Wednesday mornings. Near Dayton, Young's Jersey Dairy shows cheese being made through windows in its dairy store.
Coming Up
- 11 Jun 2027 to 13 Jun Middlefield Swiss Cheese Festival, Friday to Sunday
- 30 Sep 2027 to 2 Oct Ohio Swiss Festival, Thursday evening to Saturday
Factories and Dairies to Visit
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Cheese Tastings
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The Cheese Regions
Amish Country: Holmes, Tuscarawas and Coshocton
Swiss cheesemakers settled the valleys around Sugarcreek, Berlin and Walnut Creek, and the Amish dairy farms still supply them. Pearl Valley Cheese in Fresno, run by the same Swiss family since 1928, gives free factory tours every Wednesday at 9:30am. Bunker Hill Cheese, a mile north-east of Berlin, has made cheese since 1948, and Broad Run Cheesehouse outside Sugarcreek pairs its cheese counter with a winery tasting room. Sugarcreek holds the Ohio Swiss Festival every autumn.
Geauga County
Middlefield, 35 miles east of Cleveland, sits in one of the largest Amish settlements in the country. Rothenbuhler Cheesemakers runs its Cheese Chalet shop here, and the Middlefield Swiss Cheese Festival returned in 2026 after 35 years away.
South-West Ohio
Young's Jersey Dairy near Yellow Springs makes farmstead cheese and ice cream and runs guided tours at the production windows. In Cincinnati, Urban Stead makes cheese in the city and pours drinks in its tasting room at weekends.
When to Go
Factories make cheese on weekday mornings, so Pearl Valley is best Monday to Friday between 8am and noon, and its tour runs on Wednesday. Most Amish Country shops close on Sunday. June brings the Middlefield festival and Young's Cheese Anniversary Weekend; the Ohio Swiss Festival fills Sugarcreek at the end of September or start of October.
A Day in Amish Country
Start at Pearl Valley in Fresno for the 9:30am Wednesday tour. Drive north to Bunker Hill outside Berlin for samples and Heini's cheese fudge, stop at Walnut Creek Cheese for lunch, then finish at Broad Run Cheesehouse near Sugarcreek with a wine flight at Hans' Place. Sugarcreek to Fresno is under an hour.
Getting Around
You need a car. Amish Country is about 90 minutes south of Cleveland and two hours north-east of Columbus. Watch for horse-drawn buggies on the back roads, especially after dark.
More Places to Buy Cheese
| Stop | Town | What you can do | When open | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rothenbuhler Cheese Chalet | Middlefield | Shop of a Swiss cheesemaker, with Geauga County maple syrup and imported foods; 15815 Nauvoo Road | Mon to Sat 9am to 4pm | rcheese.com |
| Walnut Creek Cheese | Walnut Creek and Berlin | Large Amish Country food store with a cheese counter, the Mudd Valley Café and free Thursday samples in the Test Kitchen (April to December) | Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat 7:30am to 5pm (Berlin to 4pm) | walnutcreekcheese.com |
| Blue Jacket Dairy | Bellefontaine | Farmstead cheese shop at 1434 County Road 11; also runs team-building cheesemaking sessions | Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm, Sat 9am to 2pm | bluejacketdairy.com |
Where to Stay in Ohio
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Questions People Ask
Where can you see cheese being made in Ohio?
At Pearl Valley Cheese in Fresno, which runs free factory tours on Wednesdays at 9:30am, and at Young's Jersey Dairy near Yellow Springs, which has production windows in its dairy store.
Why is Ohio known for Swiss cheese?
Swiss immigrants settled the Amish Country valleys around Sugarcreek and brought their cheesemaking with them. The Ohio Swiss Cheese Association still sponsors the Ohio Swiss Festival in Sugarcreek.
Are Amish Country cheese shops open on Sunday?
Mostly not. Bunker Hill, Broad Run, Walnut Creek Cheese and Pearl Valley all close on Sundays.