Caves of Faribault

Legend holds that the first Blue cheese was born in the natural caves of France where ideal humidity and temperature conditions allowed native blue-green molds to flourish. Since 1936, that tradition has lived on at the historic sandstone Caves of Faribault — home of America’s First Blue Cheese.

Located on a tall sandstone bluff overlooking the Straight River in the small town of Faribault, The Caves of Faribault natural sandstone caves were carved in the 1850s into the St. Peter’s sandstone that formed in the last glacial age. This sandstone allows water to travel both horizontally and vertically and has a natural capacity for absorbing ammonia, making it ideal for affinage — the ancient art of maturing and aging cheese.