Fresh curds. Aged cheddar. Artisan wheels. Roadside cheese shops. In Wisconsin, cheese isn't something you simply put on a plate. It's something worth building a trip around.
Wisconsin's cheese culture stretches from large cheesemakers to small creameries, specialty shops, farm-country stops and restaurant menus loaded with local favorites.
For travelers, that means cheese can become part of the itinerary. Stop for fresh curds, explore a cheese shop, try something aged, then take the back roads to the next town.
Start with curds, move into artisan cheese and leave room in the cooler.
Fresh, salty and unmistakably Wisconsin. This is the place to start.
Explore aged, washed-rind, blue, alpine-style and other specialty cheeses.
The kind of Wisconsin road-trip stop where leaving empty-handed is difficult.
Cheese curds are young pieces of cheese separated from the whey during cheesemaking. When they're especially fresh, they can have the famous squeak Wisconsin cheese fans look for.
Eat them fresh from the bag or order them battered and fried. Trying both is a perfectly reasonable Wisconsin travel plan.
Explore Wisconsin Cheese Country →Use these as a starting point rather than the end of the shopping list.
Fresh curds are one of the most recognizable Wisconsin cheese experiences.
Try younger cheddar, then compare it with sharper versions aged for years.
Colby originated in Wisconsin and remains part of the state's cheesemaking story.
Rich and distinctive blue varieties show another side of Wisconsin cheesemaking.
Another cheese with Wisconsin roots and a history tied to the state's dairy industry.
Wisconsin's Swiss cheesemaking heritage remains part of the state's cheese culture.
Look for flavored, smoked, washed-rind and small-batch varieties while exploring.
Can't decide? A mixed selection is an easy way to turn the trip into a tasting.
Wisconsin cheese works surprisingly well as a reason to get off the interstate.
Browse the coolers, ask what's local and find something you wouldn't normally buy at home.
Check local cheese shops and creameries for fresh curds during your trip.
Restaurants, taverns and supper clubs put their own spin on one of Wisconsin's favorite appetizers.
Compare fresh cheese with a mature cheddar or another longer-aged variety.
Cheese country is a good excuse to trade the fastest route for Wisconsin farm roads and small towns.
The most practical piece of Wisconsin cheese-trip equipment may be sitting in your trunk.
Different parts of Wisconsin offer different combinations of cheese, scenery and things to do.
Use Madison as a base for food, markets and drives into surrounding dairy country.
Combine Wisconsin cheese with breweries, restaurants and a Lake Michigan city weekend.
A useful starting point for exploring food traditions across northeast Wisconsin.
Add cheese shopping to a weekend of shoreline drives, small towns and Wisconsin food.
A southern Wisconsin getaway can easily include farm-country and cheese-shop stops.
Cabins, lakes and roadside food stops make cheese shopping easy to add to the itinerary.
Turn the drive to the Dells into part of the trip with Wisconsin food stops along the way.
Build cheese shops, small towns and scenic back roads into a longer Wisconsin drive.
Pick a region, find a few cheese shops or creameries and connect them with small towns, local restaurants and scenic roads. You don't need twenty stops. A few good ones and somewhere interesting for lunch can make the whole day.
Explore Wisconsin Road Trips →Cheese doesn't have to travel alone.
Make cheese part of an old-school Wisconsin night out.
Friday NightTwo Wisconsin food traditions are better than one.
Explore MoreKeep going with breweries, local favorites and destination dining.
Make a WeekendBuild the eating into a larger Wisconsin escape.
If you're planning to buy cheese during a longer road trip, bring an insulated cooler and ice packs. Check storage instructions for anything you purchase and keep perishable food appropriately chilled.
Wisconsin produces a wide range of cheeses, with cheddar, cheese curds, Colby, brick, Swiss-style cheeses, blue cheese and many artisan varieties among the names travelers may encounter.
Curds are young pieces of cheese formed during the cheesemaking process. Very fresh curds are especially prized and may produce the characteristic squeak when eaten.
Yes. Colby cheese traces its origin to Colby, Wisconsin, where Joseph Steinwand developed the style in the late nineteenth century.
Yes. Cheese shops, creameries and food destinations can be combined with small towns, scenic drives and other Wisconsin attractions to create a day trip or weekend itinerary.
They're two different experiences. Fresh curds highlight the cheese itself, while fried curds turn them into a warm, crispy Wisconsin appetizer. Trying both solves the problem.
A cooler is useful when traveling with cheese or other perishable foods. Follow the storage guidance provided with the products you purchase.
Fish fry, supper clubs and Wisconsin road trips are waiting.