Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center Self-Guided Tour

The Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling through California’s Central Valley. The center offers a variety of delicious cheese samples, self-guided tours, sandwiches, and cheese products for purchase. As the world’s largest producer of natural American-style cheese and whey products, Hilmar Cheese Company is a renowned name in the industry. While the company’s headquarters is in Hilmar, California, it also has manufacturing plants in Turlock, California, and Dalhart, Texas. However, only the Hilmar location houses a visitor center for all cheese lovers!

The Hilmar Cheese Visitor Center, a popular tourist stop along State Highway 99, was established in 1998. It offers free self-guided tours and guided tours for schools and groups. The tours include hands-on exhibits, a movie, and a behind-the-scenes look into the cheese manufacturing facility. Furthermore, free samples of many different kinds of cheese produced by Hilmar are generously supplied to all visitors. If you find a flavor, you can purchase it at the store with cheese baskets, gift packs, and assorted cheese-themed souvenirs.

The Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center offers a deli cafe that serves soups, sandwiches, salads, cheese chowder, and cheeses. You can even order a grilled cheese sandwich made with fresh cheese from the factory. The prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious. Hilmar Cheese Company Factory Tours are available anytime between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. However, please note that the upstairs exhibit area may be closed for private events on Saturday or Sunday after 11:30 a.m.

Hilmar Cheese Company was established in 1984 and began production in 1985. The factory processes over 19 million pounds of milk daily from more than 245 dairies and 160,000 cows. The cheese company produces a variety of cheese types, including Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepperjack, Colby, Colby-Jack, flavored Jacks, Mozzarella, and specialty cheeses for food service, ingredients, retail, and the restaurant food trade.

Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center 9001 Lander Avenue Hilmar, California 95324 USA (209) 667-6076

To reach the Visitor Center, if you are coming from Highway 99 at Turlock, head south on Lander Avenue (Highway 165) for four miles, and you’ll find it on your right. If you are coming from I-5, go north on Highway 165 through Los Banos and continue for 35 miles until you reach Hilmar.

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