SCHOOL TOURS

“Cheesemaking University” School Tours

Dress like a cheesemaker, farmer, or veterinarian - a great photo!

Push the buttons on the dairy model to learn how farmers recycle.

New! Dairy Related Field Trip Grants Available through the Agricultural Awareness and Literacy Foundation. Learn more.

Come Tour With Us
Join us for the most fun and educational field trip in the Central Valley.

To schedule a school tour call 209.656.1197 or e-mail tours@hilmarcheese.com 

• Standard's Correlated Tours and Integrated Science Educational Activities - Explore hands-on, interactive exhibits that involve students and reinforce reading, math and science skills, nutrition concepts and careers.
• Cheese Theatre featuring an animated, "edutaining" show on how cheese is made. 
• 6 new hands-on exhibit areas for smaller groups to rotate. 
• Organized, safe and fully accessible.
• Public, private and homeschool groups welcome by reservation only. 
• All Guests Receive
  • Hairnet
  • Cheese Sample
   
• Paid Students Receive
  • "Daisy's Dairy ABC's" Standards-Correlated booklet 
  • Ice Cream
  • Souvenir
   
• School Tour Start Times - 9:30am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm and afternoon times available, Monday through Friday.
• School Tour Months - January through November (December is our Holiday Extravaganza and we do not offer schools tours then).
• Group Size - Maximum of 120 students + chaperones rotating through the program.  Minimum of 10 paying participants.  Groups fewer than 45 students may be combined with other small groups.
• Teachers And Chaperones Are Free - We appreciate 1 adult for every 5 students.
• What To Eat - Student Menu For Pizza And Sack Lunches and Deli Cafe Menu For Teachers and Chaperones.
• Where To Eat
  • Our adjacent Hilmar Cheese Park offers a shaded picnic area
  • Hagaman Park (4 miles south) covered picnic area and play area. West River Road, Stevenson, CA 209. 385.7426
  • Hilmar Community Park (2 miles south) covered picnic area and play area. Falke Street, Hilmar, CA 209.380.1777 (limited restrooms)
   

Available “Cheesemaking University” Tours

• Pre-K To Adult: Education Tour With Ice Cream Cup 
• K To Adult: Tour And Ice Cream Making Activity 
• 4th Grade To Adult: Tour And Cheesemaking Experience  

Pre-K To Adult
Free Educational Tour  

Flexible tour adjusted to be age appropriate for your group.  Students see the Cheese Theatre show and watch employees package “the Big Cheese,” 640-pound crates of cheese. New interactive exhibits use multiple senses, activities and skills to learn about the technology on today’s dairy farms, how farmers care for cows, careers in agriculture, recycling and the health benefits of dairy. All guests receive complimentary samples of Hilmar cheese.

• Tour Duration - 30-45 minutes guided tour adjusted to be age-appropriate 
• Cost - Free or $1.50 per student with standards-correlated booklet, souvenir, and ice cream cup

K to Adult
Tour And Ice Cream Making Experience 

Educational tour plus actual hands-on ice cream making.  Each student makes his/her own ice cream during a lesson that integrates science, math and reading while developing listening and direction following skills. A food safety theme is emphasized.  Each student will enjoy his/her own personally created ice cream sample.

• Tour Duration - 90 minutes
• Cost - $3.00 per student with standards-correlated booklet, souvenir, and self-made cream.

Academic Content Standards Correlation, Open Court & Houghton Mifflin 

4th Grade To Adult
Tour And Cheesemaking Experience 

Educational tour plus actual hands-on cheesemaking.  Student teams will follow the scientific method to make cheese measuring volume, weight, time and temperature. The lesson integrates reading, writing, critical thinking, teamwork and decision making to achieve results.  Food safety is emphasized along with nutrition concepts.

• Tour Duration - 90 minutes 
• Cost - $3.00 per student with standards-correlated booklet, souvenir, and ice cream cup

Academic Content Standards Correlation, Open Court & Houghton Mifflin