Located less than an hour from Madison lies a bucolic slice of land that’s the perfect representation of Wisconsin’s state’s natural beauty. Green County and its well-loved hamlets — which include New Glarus, Monroe, and Brodhead, among others — is known for its gentle rolling hills and roots in Swiss culture. Despite being the picture of tried-and-true Wisconsin traits, there are surprising quirks and curiosities tucked in throughout the area, things that will make your visit genuinely memorable.
Transportation has never been this off-the-beaten-path! Between the trains and planes (and the automobiles to get there), you’ll certainly experience some wonderment if you add these activities to your itinerary.
The Toy Train Barn in Argyle was once your typical Wisconsin dairy barn, but now, lives out a second act as a veritable paradise for railroad enthusiasts. As soon as you walk in the door, get ready to flash back to your childhood. It’s decked out in model trains galore, all punctuated with equally tiny towns. Check out the diminutive drive-in movie theater and zoo and push buttons and switches with glee, alongside your kids, of course. And, weather permitting, you can even take a one-mile joy ride on a custom-built Zephyr train.
If you’ve ever had the unique desire to fly off into the wild blue yonder in a vintage biplane, you can make that happen in Brodhead with Gypsy Air Tours. Make like a bird and go for a ride in a fully restored 1930 Waco Taperwing — the kind of plane Howard Hughes may have taken out for a spin. Flown by an expert pilot, you’ll experience the exhilaration of an open cockpit, and get to wear goggles just like the pilots of yore.
These biplane tours take off from a spot that’s also geared toward aviation fans. At the Brodhead Airport, you’ll find the Kelch Aviation Museum, which just opened in 2021. The museum focuses on what’s called “the golden age of aviation,” otherwise known as the period between WWI and WWII. Sporting a Smithsonian Institute feel, mixed with F. Scott Fitzgerald pomp, many of the antique airplanes in the museum’s collection were owned by Alfred Kelch, who is credited as the inventor of the orange traffic cone.
It’s not that shocking that Green County has some dairy-related destinations (after all, it is Wisconsin!), but it’s a safe bet that you’ve never experienced dairy quite in these ways.
Did you know that Monroe is home to the only limburger cheese-producing plant in the whole United States? Yes, it’s that cheese, the one that’s frequently attributed with a dis-stink-tive scent. But you need to give this cheese a chance — when in Rome, right? Known for its robust tangy flavor, it goes perfectly with a frosty stein of beer or a couple slices of dark rye. And where should you go to get it? Chalet Cheese, complete with a store filled with swiss, cheddar, and naturally, their nationally renowned limburger. It’s no wonder that the Cheese Days Festival sells T-shirts that say, “Limburger: The Cheese That Made Monroe Famous.”
To keep the gouda vibes going, head over to Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, also in Monroe. This is where you’ll find a delicacy you may not find anywhere else — a limburger cheese sandwich. Savored on dark rye with brown mustard and red onion, it’s unquestionably a sandwich with personality. And you won’t even need to bring breath mints — it’s conveniently served with an Andes Candies Mint on the side. The locale also has its own color. Originally a cheesemaker’s supply store with shelves lined with cheesecloth and rubber boots, the story goes that the owner began giving his best customers mugs of beer and cheese sandwiches, items that are still on the menu today. The interior is a feast for the eyes, brimming with bygone décor, old signs, lively murals that can even be found in the bathrooms, and ceilings festooned with dollar bills.
Then there are the Dairy Queens. Nope, Green County doesn’t have an unusually high number of restaurants where you can grab a Blizzard. Instead, the Dairy Queens are high-school-age young ladies who serve as agricultural ambassadors to promote the cheese and dairy industry, along with area agriculture. Decked out in sashes and crowns, these gals make lots of public appearances, oftentimes gracing crowds with their charm and agricultural knowledge at festivals and events. And if you see them, you’ll want to make a beeline, because they frequently pass out cheese samples to the obliging masses. Later, many of these ladies go on to have careers in agriculture, including marketing and journalism.
If you want to simply feel some awe when traveling around Green County, you should consider stopping at the Historic Green County Courthouse. Built in 1891 and located in downtown Monroe, it was once a working courthouse. Now it’s an office building for various county departments, but they happen to be housed in a pretty swanky exterior. Often likened to castles seen in Disney movies, complete with round towers and spires, it’s not out-of-the-ordinary for little ones to come in and ask where the queen is. After appreciating the building’s “royal” qualities, have some fun in the former courtroom where visitors can try on a real judge’s robe (you know you want to post those pictures to Instagram) and bang a gavel. Take a peek at the judges’ portraits dating all the way back to the 1830s. Listen to the 1940s jazz music that plays from the outside sound system and fills the Square with old-fashioned melodies. Ask the kiddos to spot prehistoric snail shell fossils embedded in the black marble tiles on the main floor. And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll score a visit with the building’s resident friendly ghost.
And last, but not least, this one goes out to all you menfolk. Head to New Glarus’ Glarner Stube restaurant to see the largest urinal in the Midwest. Yup, you read that correctly. This extra-large latrine in the men’s bathroom really must be seen in-person to be appreciated. Once you’ve finished gawking, Glarner Stube, which in English means “The Living Room of New Glarus,” holds its own special kind of charm. Draped in rich woods and known for its Swiss tchotchkes that dot the walls, it’s famed for its irresistible fondue.