Babcock Hall Dairy Store

The Babcock Hall Dairy Plant and Store have a long and rich history on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Built in 1951, the plant is the oldest university dairy building in the United States. It is named after Stephen Moulton Babcock, a UW researcher in the  department of Agricultural Chemistry, and inventor of the first reliable butterfat content milk test (1890). He also worked alongside UW bacteriologist Harry L. Russell in developing the cold-curing process for ripening cheese (1897). By producing signature products for the university and community, the Plant and Dairy Story help support the UW Food Science Department’s mission of research, teaching and outreach. Most know Babcock Hall for its ice cream, but the plant also produces award-winning cheeses and bottles locally produced milk. Please stop by the Dairy Store at 1605 Linden Drive in Madison, WI, to enjoy our dairy specialties as well as breakfast and lunch items.