Feel the presence of a strong cheesemaking heritage and experience the great stories our friendly staff is willing to share, bring you an area that was and a traditional that still thrives! The focus of the National Historic Cheesemaking Museum recognizes the importance of the dairy farmers, cheesemaking and all other phases of the industry from the farm to the market.
Monroe, known as the “Gateway to Cheese Country” and the “Cheese Capital of the U.S.A.”, is a small historic community in south central Wisconsin rich in heritage, tradition, technology, and the hard work of dairying and cheesemaking. An area rich in “Cheese, Beer and Wine” conveniently located just 45 miles southwest of Madison, Wisconsin and 95 miles northwest of Chicago, Illinois.
Envision the manual labor from its humble beginnings in a single farmstead factory in the mid 1850’s, to the first Wisconsin limburger cheese factory in 1868, and to a time in the 1900’s when more than 300 factories dotted the countryside. Discover the leadership and innovation that Monroe area cheesemakers have provided throughout the years, molding Wisconsin into the country’s premier quality cheese producer.
At the National Historic Cheesemaking Center Museum, the past comes alive with tours led by knowledgeable veteran cheesemakers and docents. Then, enter ….”an era that was, that will never be again” as you step inside the Imobersteg Cheese Factory, restored and located on our campus, where each year a 90 pound wheel of Swiss cheese is made right before your eyes, as it was done over 100 years ago.