Tillamook Creamery: New and Improved!

I should be clear: I have not previously written about the Tillamook Cheese Factory. 

However, when you grow up in this area, there are things that are fixtures. That includes the Enchanted Forest and Wildlife Safari, and it includes the Cheese Factory (which will still always be the Cheese Factory, even though "Creamery" is the proper name).

Having been there on school trips and family trips, it's easy to notice the differences post-renovation; it is better!

A lot of that is being bigger. Well, the size of the property is probably not changed.

I suspect this space for shipping is mostly the same, but now there is a view and signage. The change to the visitor space is more important.

The self-guided tour is still there, where you can look down onto the factory floor through large windows.

Follow the hoof prints, because there is more of an emphasis on the cows.

That includes interactive play and information, but the increase in information is carried throughout the tour.

You could always look down at the equipment. Now signage will tell you that this contraption is the Blue Octopus and what it does.

I don't remember a lot of signage from my childhood visits, but now there are detailed signs, diagrams, and video.

The best change has been the separation of different areas. In the past I never sampled anything because it was in the same line for buying food, and that line was always long.

The expanded food court is still busy, but now cheese tasting has its own room.

If you end up in a long line, there are pictures, fun facts, and quizzes displayed in milk buckets, but even on this busy day, there was not really a line.

One thing that probably helps is that it is primarily self-serve now, though there is a staff member overseeing the samples and available for questions. My advice? Go for the cheese curds!

Then, if you find something you really like, you can find some pretty good prices on all of the products in the gift shop, which also has plenty of merch.

Much of that is centered around the microbuses used for the Love Loaf tour. There is a model near the entrance that makes for a very popular photo opportunity. Count on a line for that.

They have also added fun visitor opportunities, like monthly drawings for a year of free ice cream or a year of free cheese.

On our visit, there was also a raffle going on for this loaf hive. (Bread isn't the only food that comes in loaves.)

All in all the tour has become a better experience while remaining free (though with lots of tempting things to buy).

COVID: Plan on it being crowded. It is wise to mask. (I only took mine off to sample cheese curds.) There is outdoor dining space for safe eating, but it is pretty normal for there to be a strong breeze.

Accessibility: As traditional as going up the stairs is, there are elevators and the paths are clear and smooth. Navigation should not be difficult.

There are regularly placed benches (sometimes they look like cheese), but the parking lot itself is vast, so a drop-off may be advisable.

https://www.tillamook.com/visit-us/creamery