Factory or dairy visit
Wisconsin Cheese Factory Tours
Come on a weekday morning. Widmer's in Theresa makes cheese Monday to Friday from 7 to 10am, Henning's in Kiel on weekday mornings, and Union Star near Fremont gives free 30-minute tours at 8am on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In Monroe, the Emmi Roth viewing hall has a free short tour at 10am on weekdays. All of these are free.
- Best time
- Weekday mornings
- Free tours
- Union Star, Willow Creek, Emmi Roth
- Museum
- Monroe, May to October, $5
East: Fox Valley and Lakeshore
Widmer's Cheese Cellars, Theresa: a viewing area in the shop, with cheese made Monday to Friday from 7 to 10am. Shop open Monday to Saturday 7am to 5pm, and Sundays from June to October.
Henning's Wisconsin Cheese, Kiel: watch through the museum windows on weekday early mornings. Open Monday to Friday 7am to 4pm and Saturday 8am to noon.
Union Star Cheese, near Fremont: free guided tours at 8am on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Its sister factory, Willow Creek in Berlin, runs free tours at 9am on Monday and Wednesday.
LaClare Family Creamery, near Malone: goat cheese made behind viewing windows, usually Monday to Friday, with a café and a self-guided tour that costs nothing.
South-West: Monroe and the Wisconsin River
Emmi Roth viewing hall, Monroe: open with the Alp and Dell store, Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Cheese is made on weekdays and some Saturdays, and a short guided tour runs Monday to Friday at 10am.
National Historic Cheesemaking Center, Monroe: a restored early-1900s farmstead factory. Thursday to Sunday, May to October, 10am to 3pm; $5, under 16 free.
Arena Cheese, Arena: a viewing area on weekdays; cheese and curds are made Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Store open daily 8am to 6pm.
Cedar Grove Cheese, Plain: factory tours if you call ahead for days and times.
West: Ellsworth and Menomonie
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery: the Menomonie plant has self-guided viewing windows, with cheese made Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The Ellsworth store has no windows but gets fresh curds at 11am every day.
Milwaukee
Hill Valley Dairy: a cheese shop and cocktail bar in full view of the production room in Walker's Point.
No Tours at the Moment
Renard's in Door County has paused factory tours during an expansion, though its store is open daily. Carr Valley's factory shops in La Valle, Mauston and Fennimore are open, but the company no longer advertises its viewing windows. Decatur Dairy in Brodhead says it cannot offer tours.
Cheeses to Taste Here
More in Wisconsin
All of Wisconsin
Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival
Little Chute, Wisconsin
Little Chute's CheeseFest, first weekend of June since 1988.
Next: 4 Jun 2027
Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival
Ellsworth, Wisconsin
Free festival in the Cheese Curd Capital, last weekend of June.
Next: 25 Jun 2027
Green County Cheese Days
Monroe, Wisconsin
Monroe's Swiss cheese festival, every other September since 1914.
Next: 15 Sep 2028Widmer's Cheese Cellars
Theresa, Wisconsin
A small-town factory shop with a window onto the brick cheese vats.
Henning's Wisconsin Cheese
Kiel, Wisconsin
Weekday-morning cheesemaking behind glass, with a free museum of old equipment.
Union Star Cheese Factory
Fremont, Wisconsin
Free 8am factory tours four days a week, with warm curds at the end.
Questions People Ask
When is the best time to see cheese being made in Wisconsin?
Weekday mornings. Most factories make cheese early and finish by late morning; Widmer's, for example, only makes cheese from 7 to 10am, Monday to Friday.
Are Wisconsin cheese factory tours free?
Most are. Union Star, Willow Creek and the Emmi Roth viewing hall run free tours, and the windows at Widmer's, Henning's, Arena, LaClare and Ellsworth's Menomonie plant cost nothing. The National Historic Cheesemaking Center charges $5.
Which Wisconsin cheese factory tour is best for children?
LaClare Family Creamery, which pairs its cheesemaking windows with goats, a silo for them to climb and a café.
Official site: widmerscheese.com/retail-store/. Dates, hours and prices checked 22 October 2026; confirm on the official site before you travel. See all cheese factory tours.