Schokoladenmuseum Köln facts for kids
| Schokoladenmuseum Köln | |
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| Established | 1993 |
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| Location | Cologne, Germany |
| Visitors | 650,000 (2023) |
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The Chocolate Museum Cologne (also known as the Imhoff Chocolate Museum) is a super cool place in Cologne, Germany. It was opened by a man named Hans Imhoff on October 31, 1993. You can find it on the Rheinauhafen peninsula, which is a neat area in the city.
This museum takes you on a journey through the whole story of chocolate. You'll learn how chocolate started with ancient groups like the Olmecs, Maya, and Aztecs. Then, you'll see how chocolate is made today.
The museum is very popular, with about 650,000 visitors every year! It's one of the top ten museums in Germany. What's even more amazing is that the museum pays for itself. It doesn't need any money from the government to run.
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How the Chocolate Museum Started
The idea for the Chocolate Museum came from Hans Imhoff. He was a chocolate maker from Cologne. His company, Stollwerck AG, was a very old and important chocolate company. When they moved to a new building, Hans Imhoff noticed they had many old chocolate-making items.
He thought these items should be shown to everyone. So, he decided to build a museum just for chocolate! At first, some people weren't sure if it was a good idea.
To test his idea, Hans Imhoff held a special chocolate exhibition in 1989. He even had a chocolate fountain there! Lots of people came to see it. This showed him that a chocolate museum would be a big hit.
The museum was built in a new area called Rheinauhafen. It was designed by an architect named Fritz Eller. The building looks a bit like a modern ship. The Chocolate Museum officially opened its doors on October 31, 1993.
For a long time, the museum worked with the Stollwerck chocolate company. But in 2006, a famous Swiss chocolate company called Lindt & Sprüngli became the museum's new partner. Because of this, the museum's name changed a little. Today, it's simply called the Cologne Chocolate Museum.
Who Runs the Museum?
The Chocolate Museum Cologne is managed by a company called Schokoladenmuseum Köln GmbH. Since 2006, the famous Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli has been their main partner. Lindt & Sprüngli helps with many of the exhibits you see.
Before Lindt & Sprüngli, the museum's partner was the Cologne chocolate company Stollwerck. That's why the museum used to be known as the Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum.
What You Can See and Do
The museum has lots of cool things to explore. It covers the entire history of chocolate, from ancient times to how it's made now. The exhibition area is huge, about 4,000 square meters!
Here are some of the main attractions:
- Chocolate Production Line: You can see a small factory inside the museum. It shows you exactly how chocolate bars are made using real machines. You can watch the whole process!
- Tropical House: There's a special glass room called a tropicarium. It's about 10 square meters big. Inside, you'll find real cacao trees growing. These are the trees where chocolate beans come from!
- Giant Chocolate Fountain: This is a super popular spot! There's a huge chocolate fountain that's 3 meters (about 10 feet) tall. A museum employee dips wafers into the flowing chocolate and gives them out to visitors. It's delicious!
- Museum Shop: Near the entrance, there's a big shop. You can buy all kinds of chocolate products there. Since Lindt & Sprüngli is the museum's partner, you'll find many of their chocolates and pralines in the shop.
The museum also has some very old and valuable items. These include beautiful porcelain and silver cups from the 1700s and 1800s. People used these to drink chocolate a long time ago. You can also see old chocolate machines, molds for shaping chocolate, and even historical chocolate vending machines.
Where is the Museum and Why is it Important?
The Chocolate Museum is right in the middle of Cologne. It's located on the Rheinau peninsula, which is a cool spot by the river.
With 650,000 visitors each year, it's the most visited museum in Cologne. It's also one of the top ten most visited museums in all of Germany! The museum is special because it earns enough money to run itself. It doesn't need any help from the government. It's also used for special events, which helps it stay successful.
See also
In Spanish: Museo del Chocolate Colonia para niños
