hilmar country plaza

Our son attends the nearby UC, and the local literature recommended a tour of the "worlds largest cheese factory". We expected something along the lines of a winery or other similar tour. What we got was a couple of walls describing the cheese making process (written at the 3rd grade level) and a window viewing a very small part of the factory. Unless you are taking very small kids and have lots of time on your hands, don't bother.

Hilmar Cheese is a Co-op creamery in Stanislaus County which has a substantial dairy industry. The Cheese factory makes many varieties of excellent cheeses that are for sale in the gift shop. While in the gift shop, you can learn about cheese making from the self guided tour and look equipment used to turn milk into cheese. Order something from the deli, all of it is delicious, and sample some of the cheese while you wait. After your meal, have some of the outstanding ice cream and a gourmet coffee. The grounds are pretty and there is an excellent photo opportunity by the landscaped waterfall. The gift shop sells a variety of gourmet food items, cheeses products, wine, clothing and other gift items. During the holidays, Hilmar Cheese does a high volume of mail order gifts sent from their facility or you can select what you want and deliver them yourself.