The Old Perron Cheese Factory Museum

Experience a unique journey in Canada at this 1895 cheese factory, a historic monument. Participate in making your own artisanal butter and discover the story of this iconic site of industrial heritage.

Dive into the heart of Quebec’s history and experience the unique opportunity to make your very own artisanal butter!

Housed in an authentic cheese factory dating back to 1895 in Saint-Prime, the Musée de la Vieille Fromagerie Perron brings more than a century of Quebec’s rural history to life. In this unique building, where the cheese factory occupies the ground floor and the cheesemaker’s residence is upstairs, visitors are immersed in the world of four generations of the Perron family. Original production equipment, archival photos, and everyday household objects together reveal how a small village cheese factory shaped the rhythm of community life—from dairy farms and workers to family meals prepared just steps from the production area. Through its exhibitions and activities, the Museum highlights the close connections between agriculture, industry, commerce, and family life. It explains how milk from nearby farms was transformed into cheddar that traveled far beyond Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, gaining international recognition while remaining firmly rooted in local know-how. The preserved cheese factory illustrates the evolution of production techniques and industrial standards, while the reconstructed apartment sheds light on domestic life, gender roles, and the transmission of skills and traditions. Workshops, tastings, and educational programs invite visitors to experience this heritage with all their senses, linking past and present in a living story of work, family, and the pride surrounding a regional product.