Henning's Wisconsin Cheese Store and Museum

The Museum

The family opened the store and museum in 2008, realising a plan of Everett Henning, son of founder Otto Henning. The collection covers early 1900s gear: an old cheese vat, a press, a cream separator, butter-making equipment, butterfat testing kit, a can washer, cheese forms and the wooden rake and shovel once used in the vat. A cheesemaking video runs in the room, and the windows look straight into the factory.

The Store

Warm cheese curds come out Monday to Friday. The counter has samples, a wide range of cheese and spreads, breaded curds for frying at home, Wisconsin and California wines, frozen brats and sausages, and souvenirs. Henning's is known for its mammoth cheddar wheels.

Hours and Closures

Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm, Saturday 8am to noon, closed Sunday. It also closes on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the store posts other closures on Facebook. For the best view of the vats, arrive before mid-morning.

Getting There

The factory is in the countryside outside Kiel in Manitowoc County, about 25 minutes from Sheboygan and an hour from Green Bay. You will need a car.

Nearby

Plymouth, the self-styled Cheese Capital of the World, is about 20 minutes south, with the Cheese Counter and Dairy Heritage Center downtown. LaClare Family Creamery and Widmer's are within an hour.