At Wisconsin’s Mars Cheese Castle, the curds are squeaky and kitsch is king
In March 2021, Mars Cheese Castle celebrated its 10-year anniversary in its current building (above), located along I-94 in Kenosha.
The cheese shop and bakery, located along I-94 in Kenosha, has been serving up its baked goods and chocolate cheese fudge since 1947
By Darienne Stiyer
May 14, 2021
On the drive north from Chicago to Milwaukee, there is one roadside sign that stands above the rest—literally. At a whopping 80 feet tall, the Mars Cheese Castle sign towers over Interstate 94. On the off chance your interest isn’t piqued by the looming sign, the building situated next to it should do the trick.
Mars has long been a destination stop for travelers driving along I-94 and has attracted some high-profile customers throughout the years. John F. Kennedy, Johnny Cash, and basketball coach Al McGuire are among the more famous visitors who have stopped by the Wisconsin cheese shop. In May, 2001, the rock band Weezer even held a record signing event at the Castle. When I visit, cars parked in front of the Castle sport license plates from all over the Midwest: Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. One car bears a California plate.
Located in Kenosha across the interstate from a sprawling Amazon Fulfillment Center, the Mars Cheese Castle is hard to miss no matter where you’re arriving from. It is designed to be exactly what the sign proclaims it to be: A medieval chateau among 21st-century warehouse buildings. Its sandy stone facade, complete with a guardhouse, flag-festooned turrets, and a drawbridge-inspired entrance, acts as a beckoning beacon to roadtrippers from all over the country. In the state where cheese is king, the Mars Cheese Castle certainly looks the part.