arena cheese factory

This is my favorite cheese store in the area. It's almost 45 minutes from my house, but if I am driving through the area, I always make a point to stop! I am a fan of the colby jack, muenster, brick, and aged cheddar, but they have many more varieties! You can watch the cheese being made in the factor as there are large glass windows in the shop, which is kind of cool. A great place to stop on your way to Spring Green.

On our way back to Ohio from LaCrosse, we had several disappointing visits to alleged cheese shops and had about given up hope of getting the elusive fresh squeaky cheese. We stopped here on a whim and we were so happy we did! Curds, CoJack, all manner of cheddar from mild to extra sharp, pepper jack, morel and leek cheese, and my favorite black and green olive cheddar. There were samples and we were ecstatic as we discovered the French onion was not for us. The staff was friendly and the retail store neat and tidy. There were also monster packages of cheese for restaurants or the like. And there was good WI sausage. Pay them a visit, you won't be sorry!

Sadly, the cheese factory wasn't in operation when we visited. The retail store was opened though and we wandered around tasting a couple of cheeses. We enjoyed the cheese curds and Colby Jack. Service is ok. We had spent an entire day visiting other cheese factories in the area and found the employees at these establishments much more helpful and willing to share what they knew. Arena Cheese seemed rather commercialized and less personable in comparison. Call ahead to find out when the factory is in operation. They have a glass window you can stand at to observe the cheese making process.

Arena Cheese Factory is one of those places you just can't stop returning to once you've experienced it the first time. There are lots of cheese factories in Wisconsin, and most are excellent. Arena is certainly in that category. They have a viewing window through which you can watch cheese being made. Always lots of free samples to try in selecting your cheese to buy. They have a great variety of incredible cheeses at good prices. Also quite a range of other Wisconsin products, including the iconic Wisconsin cheese heads (everybody should have one!). They have some of the best squeaky cheese curds anywhere, for only $3.25 a bag. Kids will love the big mouse sitting out front.... great for photos. You can't miss the place, right on Highway 14 in Arena. Look for the mouse!