Choco-Story Brussels facts for kids

Choco-Story Brussels is a super fun museum in the heart of Brussels, Belgium! It's all about delicious chocolate and where it comes from, the cocoa bean. This museum used to be called the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate.

It opened in 1998 thanks to Gabrielle Draps. She was married to Joseph "Jo" Draps, who started the famous Godiva chocolate company. At the museum, you can watch how chocolate is made and even taste some. You can also join a workshop to create your own chocolate bars and lollipops!

History of Choco-Story Brussels

How the Museum Started

The Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate first opened its doors in July 1998. It was the idea of Gabrielle Draps. Her family had been making Belgian chocolate for a long time. She was married to Joseph "Jo" Draps, who founded the well-known Godiva chocolate company.

The museum was first located in a very old building from 1697. This building was called De Valck. It was at 9–11, Rue de la Tête d'or, which is very close to Brussels' main square, the Grand-Place/Grote Markt. The museum had three floors filled with interesting exhibits.

New Name and Location

In 2007, Gabrielle Draps' daughter, Peggy van Lierde, took over running the museum. A few years later, in May 2014, the museum got a new name: "Choco-Story Brussels." This happened because the Van Lierde-Draps family teamed up with the Van Belle family. The Van Belle family already owned another chocolate museum called Choco-Story Bruges.

In 2019, Choco-Story Brussels moved to an exciting new building. This new place is much bigger, with 1,800 square meters (about 19,375 square feet) of space for exhibits! You can find it at 41, Rue de l'Étuve, which is close to the famous statue of Manneken Pis.

Images for kids

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  Facade of the De Valck building, the museum's former home

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  Chocolate tempering machine

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  Tasting the chocolate

See also

In Spanish: Choco-Story (Bruselas) para niños

• List of museums in Brussels
• History of Brussels
• Culture of Belgium