Plan a visit to Cologne

The museum

A real piece of Cologne! Embark on a journey through the 5,000-year cultural history of cocoa and chocolate. With us, you can immerse yourself in the fascinating world of sweet temptation and enjoy a varied journey of experience. The chocolate fountain, our golden landmark, is filled with 200 kilograms of the finest Lindt chocolate.

A dream became reality

Hans Imhoff, a passionate chocolate maker

Hans Imhoff (1922-2007) dreamed of a chocolate museum with a fountain in which chocolate bubbled incessantly.

In 1972, Hans Imhoff took over the Stollwerck factory in Cologne’s Südstadt district. There he happened to discover containers with broken machines, packaging materials and old files – scrap metal – ready for removal. He immediately realized that he had found a treasure. He had it examined, refurbished and restored; the foundation for a museum was laid. However, it was many years before the chocolate museum opened. Hans Imhoff used this time to research the cultural and industrial history of chocolate. During this time, he built up his collection and constantly expanded it.

After his wife Gerburg Klara Imhoff found the best location for the Chocolate Museum in 1992 with the old main customs office in Cologne’s Rheinauhafen, Cologne’s new landmark was born.

The Chocolate Museum was opened on October 31, 1993 after a construction period of just 13 months. It became a success in German museum history that was never thought possible: with over 650,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most visited cultural institutions in Cologne. The Chocolate Museum is self-supporting and generates its running costs independently – an exceptional phenomenon in the museum world.

Hans Imhoff Founder Chocolate Museum Cologne

Modern meets historical

In agreement with the conservation authorities, it was clear from the outset that the old and new complexes should be clearly differentiated. The choice fell on a transparent building with an abundance of aluminum and glass that frames the old main customs office. In addition to exhibition rooms, a production hall also had to be designed for the glass chocolate factory. It was built at the tip of the Rheinau peninsula like a large ship’s deck.

The two-level hall with a total area of more than 1,300 square meters has also given the entire complex a beautiful promenade deck, to which two large open staircases lead from the outside. Visually, they underline the impression of the museum building as the “first ship” in the Rheinauhafen. The tour through nine exhibition areas on 4000 square metres, spread over 4 levels, is a journey through the cultural history of cocoa and chocolate: starting with the ancient American cultures, such as the Maya and the Aztecs, through the Baroque era and industrialization to the individual refinement of fine chocolates today.

We provide insights

The most comprehensive presentation of the history and present of cocoa and chocolate in the world covers more than 4000 m². Here, the diversity of the 5000-year cultural history of cocoa is shown, as well as modern chocolate production from the cocoa bean to the praline.

A walk-in tropical house, natural history information on cocoa, exhibits from the pre-Columbian cultures of America, an important collection of porcelain and silver from the Baroque period and numerous old machines from the industrialization era await visitors. In the glass chocolate factory and the chocolate atelier, you can experience how chocolate products are made both industrially and individually by hand.

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Inclusion in the Chocolate Museum

“Inclusion literally means belonging, the opposite of exclusion. If everyone – with or without a disability – can be included everywhere, at school, at work, in their neighborhood, in their free time, then that is successful inclusion”. (Sascha Decker, Aktion Mensch)
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Mission Statement Chocolate Museum

In 2018, the Chocolate Museum turned 25 years old and we are very proud of its great development. We took over the management of the company together in January 2016 and look forward to continuing this success story.
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