We make a lot of stuff in Wisconsin – from beer to motorcycles – but unless you work on a production line, you might not know just what goes into creating them. Taking a factory tour is a great way to find out. Here are five of our favorites from around the state.
Harley-Davidson
W156 N9000 PILGRIM RD., MENOMONEE FALLS
On Harley’s “Walk the Line” tour of its 849,000-square-foot Powertrain Operations Plant, visitors can witness Harley engines proceeding down the state-of-the-art assembly line. As workers put together the engines and transmissions, guides explain how these hearts of the Hogs are constructed, tested and inspected before being sent to a vehicle assembly plant. Mon-Thurs 9 a.m., 1 p.m.; Fri 9 a.m.; 1.5 hours, $50.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Trek Bicycle
801 W. MADISON ST., WATERLOO
Trek’s factory tour feels like a secret, as the company website makes no mention of it. But show up at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday and you’ll get the inside story of how the company was born during a chance meeting on an airplane, see Trek bikes that won the famed Paris-Roubaix race, and peek into the test lab, where engineers are known to drop anvils on bike frames. The tour’s home stretch visits Trek’s Project One Studio, where workers assemble and paint customized rides. Wed 10 a.m.; 1 hour, free.
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing
124 E. ELM ST., CHIPPEWA FALLS
This engaging tour whisks visitors through more than 150 years of Leinie’s legacy. Guests walk through the old brewery to learn about the brewing process and see the stables where the company’s beer-delivery horses lived in its early days. Raise a complimentary pint either before or after the tour. You can join the separate Pilot Brewery Tour at the nearby Leinie’s Lodge to see where the brewery makes its special small-batch brews. Dates and times vary; 1 hour, $17.
Stone Creek Coffee
422 N. FIFTH ST.
The Milwaukee-based cafe offers weekly tours of its Downtown factory. Half of the tour is devoted to Coffee 101, with guides explaining the steps that take a bean from a tree in the tropics to your cup. Then it’s off to the sweet-smelling bakery, the cupping lab and the roasting room. The tour wraps up in the basement, where 70-kilogram burlap bags of beans are piled nearly to the ceiling. Naturally, coffee is included. Sun 11 a.m., 1 p.m.; 1.5 hours, $10.
Mepps
626 CENTER ST., ANTIGO St.
One of the country’s leading manufacturers of fishing lures, Antigo-based Mepps produces more than 4,000 varieties. Every lure is handmade, and on the tour, guests watch employees assemble them from beads, thread, blades and bits of squirrel tail – the latter something of a Mepps secret weapon. Guides might also share a bit about the company’s history, a story that involves World War II, a French engineer and nylon stockings. May-Dec.: Mon-Thurs 9:15 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m.; Jan.-April: Mon-Thurs 10:15 a.m., 2 p.m.; 30 minutes, free.
