Inside Mars Cheese Castle, a massive roadside attraction in Wisconsin filled with free samples, cheese, and beer
The Mars Cheese Castle is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin.Keith Langston
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Mars Cheese Castle is a giant roadside attraction that looks like a medieval castle.
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It sells all kinds of Wisconsin cheeses, as well as other locally made treats.
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Inside, you can order food and drinks or chow down on an array of free samples.
While traveling in Wisconsin with friends, some locals told us to check out the state’s famous Mars Cheese Castle. We initially didn’t plan on going, but after seeing the giant sign next to the highway, we decided to stop in.
I later learned that it has been in business since 1947 and is popular with locals and tourists alike. The original owners were named Mario and Martha. Apparently, because both their names started with “Mar,” when people would visit the shop, they’d say, “I’m going to stop by the Mars.”
Here’s what it was like to visit the unique roadside attraction.
The building actually looks like a giant castle, making it an impressive sight from the highway.
Mars Cheese Castle building was quite impressive.Keith Langston
What really got us in the door was the building’s castle design.
If we drove by and the shop just looked like a grocery store, we probably wouldn’t have stopped. But since we saw a turret, a flag-topped steeple, and an entryway that looked like a drawbridge to a medieval castle, we were immediately intrigued.
The inside also had some castle-like features. The dining hall had wooden benches and an arched, wood-beam ceiling, and other parts of the building had stone walls with mounted shields and armor.
It’s filled with hundreds of different types of cheeses, all made in Wisconsin.
The cheese at Mars Cheese Castle is made locally in Wisconsin.Keith Langston
The castle is famous for selling local Wisconsin cheeses — the state is often referred to as America’s Dairyland and is known for its cheese.
The castle had a huge variety, from standards like Swiss, Parmesan, and Gruyère, to more adventurous flavors like chipotle cheddar and mango pepper…
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