Tillamook Cheese Factory

Shortly after I moved to the northwest, I went to the Oregon coast with some of my friends and on the way there, we stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. I had never even heard of Tillamook Cheese before (I'm hooked now, and it's VERY hard to find where I live now). It was a fun experience. It ended up being a fun little stop on the way to the coast on several trips after that! At the Visitor's Center, you can do a self-guided tour where you look at various exhibits that outline the history of the company and then you can watch them make and package the cheese. I LOVE cheese, but I never realized (or really thought about) how much work goes into the whole process of making cheese! I think kids would enjoy this, too. At the end, they have all kinds of free samples, and you have to try the "squeaky cheese" (cheese curds to anyone new to this whole experience!). We always stopped and had lunch in the cafe there. The prices are reasonable and they make a "mean" grilled cheese sandwich (I'm not just saying that, either!). They have a cute little gift shop and I have found some unique gifts through the years. Before you leave, you HAVE to try some Tillamook ice cream served in a yummy waffle cone. My favorite flavor is the strawberry cheesecake, but there are plenty of other options to choose from! more

Tillamook cheese factory is much more than you'd expect. Naturally, when one thinks cheese factory, they think of a rather dull processing plant, filled with thousands of illegal immigrant utter milkers. That's where you're wrong. Tillamook cheese is the Willy Wonka of dairy products. Upon entrance you're bombarded with an array of concession booths and fudge packing stands. Cheese stores, with authentic cheese memorabilia. Cheese museums filled with cheese history and cheese knoweldge. It's also an ICE CREAM factory. You can watch the workers make and process cheese with jolly smiles on their faces. This is THE dairy factory for the ages. more

The Tillamook Cheese Visitor’s Center is a great learning experience for young and old. Located on the Oregon coast, it is a beautiful area to explore. They offer a self-guided tour of how cheese is produced and packaged. Sample the cheeses in all their stages of development. There is a cheese shop, ice cream parlor and café. We enjoyed watching the factory perform from the large windows up above and my children were entertained by the interactive displays. more

The Tillamook Cheese Factory is a must-do stop every time you are driving the Oregon Coast. There is a cute little tour where you can watch the cheese being packaged. You can sample all the cheeses, and look through the cute gift shops. They have foods from all over Oregon, plus lots of cute knick knacks. There is a deli if you need to stop for lunch. Or, my favorite, just fill up on ice cream! more

This place is great! Awesome, you can have a self guided tour watching them make cheese. They have section where you can taste some of the cheese there. They have a cute little gift shop where you can buy things not only about the cheese factory but about Tillamook too. They have the best tasting pepperoni. You've gotta try it. They have great tasting ice cream there too. more

There is a walkthrough tour for you and the kids, which leads into a retail store selling different qualities (including the harder to find ones) of Tillamook cheeses by the block, bag, slice, or variety bag. Little or big; great for the cheese lover. They also sell locally made beef jerky, jams, and jellies. After you’re done with the store, you walk right into the restaurant area, selling sandwiches, soups, and ice cream. more

If you find yourself on the Oregon Coast, or are looking for an interesting excursion from Portland, check out the Tillamook Cheese Factory. The visitor center offers informative displays and video presentations on all the steps that go into making cheese. Of course, the highlight is being able to see the factory assembly line, and the overhead viewing areas give you a great vantage point. The tasting room gives you a chance to try all the different cheeses, and don't miss the chance to get a fantastic ice cream cone on the way out. I never knew I was so interested in cheese before a visit to the Tillamook factory! more