Wisconsin's Family-Owned Destination-Worthy Cheese Shop Is An Impressive European-Inspired Castle

Wisconsinites are lovingly referred to as cheeseheads for a reason. While "America's Dairyland" no longer produces the most milk in the U.S. (that would be California), Wisconsin remains the nation's leader in cheese production. So it's the perfect state, and maybe the only acceptable one, to stumble upon a regal cheese castle.

Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha, Wisconsin's foodie city on Lake Michigan, is a 46,000-square-foot cheese shop and novelty store designed in the image of a European castle. The interior is delightfully decked out with stone walls, antler chandeliers, and other castle musts, and home to pounds upon pounds of cheese, snacks, and wacky souvenirs. Nothing says I've been to Wisconsin like an "Eat Cheese or Die" t-shirt. (Dave Grohl has one.)

Located just over the Wisconsin-Illinois border, the Mars Cheese Castle is about an hour's drive north of Chicago, and only half an hour south of Milwaukee. If you're driving through the Midwest, this is a popular place to stretch your legs, grab a quick bite, and load up on as much local cheese as possible before hitting the road again. You should probably get a picture in front of the Midwest's only roadside medieval castle; there won't be another for at least several hundred miles.

One of America's many unique roadside attractions, the Mars Cheese Castle delivers on its name, selling a variety of Wisconsin cheeses. This is the place to stop if you love cheese; the store sells over 700 kinds of it. First opened in 1947 in a smaller location in Kenosha, the Mars Cheese Castle became a true castle in 2011, expanding its space to store the sheer amount of goods sold. In addition to cheese, you'll find baked goods, deli meats, spreads, beer, and wine. Past visitors recommend trying the cheese bread from the castle bakery — anything with cheese really seems to be the best choice here.

Locals can easily skip the grocery store and live off of their Cheese Castle haul for a few days. If you're just passing through, the Mars Cheese Castle is like a museum: You have to stop in the gift shop on the way out. This is the best place in Wisconsin to buy a fun t-shirt that says something like "I heart day drinking" to follow up the Bloody Mary and beer chaser you had inside. Isabel the talking cow lives in the gift shop, along with other quirky photo opportunities.

You can order more than just a Bloody Mary at Mars Cheese Castle, which also operates as a roadside restaurant. Now, this may not be the fanciest place to grab a bite to eat in Kenosha, which has quite the food scene, but it may be the most fun. The interior of the Mars Cheese Castle is just as campy as you hope a roadside attraction will be. There are thrones, suits of armor, medieval-era portraits, castle-inspired architecture like yetts, metal light fixtures, and wooden beams.

On the menu, you'll find easy roadside fare like sandwiches, burgers, bratwurst, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, and snacks. If you're driving through in the early morning, Mars Cheese Castle also serves breakfast. For something really quick, you could assemble a meal from items found in the store. Milwaukee and a Wisconsin town known for being the "Malibu of the Midwest" are both a straight shot north of the castle, making it a great place to stop and gather some snacks for your next trip.