Green County 2023 Visitor Guide

Monroe

City of Monroe — Sinfonieta typeface

Monroe Chamber monroechamber.org 608.325.7648

Start your cheesy visit to Monroe with a stop at the National Historic Cheesemaking Center. You can walk right into an original one-kettle farmstead factory where giant Swiss wheels were made using old world techniques, tools and traditions.

Main Street Monroe mainstreetmonroe.org 608.328.4023

In the early years, factories here churned out Limburger, Brick, Block Swiss, and Wheel Swiss. Today you can sample hundreds of varieties. Chalet Cheese Cooperative is the only Limburger producing factory in the US. Exclusive to Monroe is Emmi Roth World Champion Grand Cru – available at Alp and Dell Cheese Store. Maple Leaf Cheese Store stocks local favorites including Odyssey Feta from Klondike Cheese. Tours are available at Minhas Craft Brewery. Check out their collection of memorabilia from breweries around the world. Across the street is Minhas Kitchen and Winery. The Minhas Distillery also recently partnered with rocker Gene Simmons (bassist for the band KISS) to create MoneyBag Vodka. Stop in at Bullquarian Brewhouse, a two-barrel nano brewery in downtown Monroe. The Bullquarian calendar is full of live music events. For the best of the area's music, visual, and performing arts – it's Monroe Arts Center. MAC hosts a popular outdoor summer concert series. Enjoy “wine with a view” at Hawk's Mill Winery west of Monroe near Browntown. There's a tasting room and outside deck, a big lawn, and pavilion. Bring your chairs and enjoy live music on many weekends. Their location next to Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area (map on page 55) extends the scenic view. If you're looking for green space, one of the best ways to explore is by bike, ATV, or UTV. See the map on page 37 for trail maps. Most streets in Monroe are now also open to ATV and UTV traffic. Monroe is a great place to live, work, and visit. Main Street Monroe fills the calendar with fun things to do – like wine walks, parades, car shows, and outdoor concerts. The Monroe Chamber of Commerce puts the spotlight on businesses and supports “shop local” by hosting the annual State Line Home Expo. Stay awhile: camping at the Green County Fairgrounds, three motels, and a unique farm-stay adventure with horses and a friendly herd of Brown Swiss cows. Speaking of Brown Swiss cows, if you'd like to see them on parade you'll want to plan ahead for the next Green County Cheese Days Festival on September 20-22 in 2024.

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