
Get a behind-the-scenes look at Kohler on a factory tour. (Kohler Co.)
Get a fun, behind-the-scenes look at nine beloved Wisconsin brands and companies through factory tours.
While some factories may have relocated production overseas within the last decade, many are still rooted in Wisconsin and happy to open their doors to the public.
Once you see how a product is made on the factory floor, including the labor and attention to detail that’s required, it’s more likely you’ll become a die-hard customer.
From coffee to motorcycles, sinks, toilets, ice cream, beer, and household cleaning products, here are some of Wisconsin’s best factory tours. Don’t forget to make a reservation, as these tours often sell out. It would be a major buzz kill to drive to the factory and not be able to tour it!
1. Kohler, Kohler
Across the street from Kohler Design Center and the posh American Club resort in the cute company town of Kohler is the Kohler factory, where its retired workers lead the tours—and who better? They know the ins and outs of heating up cast iron and applying enameling, among other jobs.
Be sure to wear comfortable, fully-enclosed walking shoes as the free tour spans three miles, taking you to the Pottery, Brass Building, and Foundry buildings. Tours launch daily at 8:15 a.m., with reservations required, and end at the Kohler Design Center at 11:30 a.m. Participants must be at least 14 years of age.
2. Stone Creek Coffee, Milwaukee
Tucked into a downtown building near the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, this long-time coffee brand pulls back the curtain during an intimate tour at its Factory Café, which roasts coffee beans for its retail stores in the Milwaukee area. Ninety-minute tours of the roasting facility and cupping lab are hosted on Sundays at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and paired with coffee and bakery samples.
Tickets are $8 per person and can be purchased here. Participants also receive a discount in the adjoining café.
3. Harley-Davidson, Menomonee Falls
Since 1903, Harley-Davidson’s corporate headquarters have been in Milwaukee. “Walk the Line: Engines Manufacturing Tour” is a walking tour of its Powertrain Operations Plant where motorcycle engineering happens.
Tickets are $50, with $28 tours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in January and February. However, members of Harley Owners Group pay just $45! For $20, you can take the one-hour H-D Class, Engines 101, or you can bundle the tour and the class for $55 (Fridays only).
Guests should wear closed-toe shoes with no more than a one-inch heel during the tour. Only those 12 years of age or older are allowed on the tour and children must be accompanied by parents. Purchase tickets here.
4. Trek Bikes, Waterloo
There are two ways to tour this bicycle manufacturer, which has been in Waterloo since 1976. A free tour of the headquarters is open to the public on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. If it’s a warm day, be sure to bring a bicycle, as Trek manages a 300-acre, single-track bicycle park nearby. The Trek Factory Experience is another way to learn more about Trek, although it’s for a more limited pool of people: those who purchase a custom Trek Project One Ultimate bike. These customers work with an in-house designer to customize a bike and then pick it up at the headquarters, giving it a “test ride” with the people who designed and built it.
5. Sassy Cow Creamery, Columbus
While technically on a farm, not at a factory, a tour of Sassy Cow Creamery is still an immersive look at how this family-owned dairy milks cows and folds their milk into ice cream and bottled milk using a mix of machinery and manual labor. Viewing windows allow you to watch the process of bottling milk in action.
In June, July, and August, 45-minute tours of the farm ($8 per adult, $5 for children ages 5-17) are on Thursday and Friday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., at the top of each hour, as well as every other Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon, also on the hour. Tour admission includes a pint of milk.
Be sure to drop by the retail store for a scoop of the creamery’s ice cream, available in 28 flavors.
6. SC Johnson, Racine
This globally recognized producer of household cleaning supplies is headquartered just south of downtown Racine. It was founded by Samuel Curtis Johnson, Sr. in the early 1900s. Frank Lloyd Wright designed two structures that are viewable on the factory tours: the Administration Building and the Research Tower.
There are four different tours: SC Johnson Campus Tour (90 minutes), SC Johnson Campus with Waxbird Commons (two hours, including Waxbird Commons, which opened in 2021), the Wright Tour (two hours), and Frank Lloyd Wright/Jr. Architect Experience (70 to 90 minutes, the second Friday of the month). All tours include the two Wright-designed buildings and are free.
7. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee
It’s no secret Milwaukee’s a city founded by beer barons during the mid-to late-1800s, and that includes Miller Brewing Company, which dates back to 1855. Although the company is now owned by Molson Coors, tours of the brewery ($20 per person for 70 minutes) continue at the original historic facility three miles west of downtown Milwaukee. Included are beer samples and visits to the Brew House, Bavarian Style Miller Inn, packaging area, and distribution center. The tour also visits historic caves, which appeared on the 21st season of “Top Chef” in “Top Chef: Wisconsin.”
To make a reservation up to two weeks in advance, visit this link. Factory tours are available Thursday through Sunday, with start times between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
8. Wisconsin Wagon Company, Janesville
On an hour-long tour ($5, payable the day of the tour) of this toy-wagon manufacturer, you’ll see the manufacturing process. One of its designs, the Janesville Coaster Wagon, dates back to 1915 when it was first manufactured by Janesville Products Company. Tours are offered on weekdays by appointment, Call 608-754-0026 to book.
9. Hillestad Pharmaceuticals, Woodruff
Tours of this vitamin manufacturer, in business since 1959, are held on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Some of the steps seen on a tour are weighing nutrients, mixing raw materials, pressing into tablets (followed by a coating process) if they are vitamins or protein supplements, and then packaging.
In addition to vitamins, the company manufactures herbs, skin creams, lotions, and protein tablets, all using natural sources and materials. Walk-ins are welcome, and a reservation is not required.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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