House rules for the Schokoladenmuseum Köln GmbH

Dear Visitors to the Chocolate Museum,

We warmly welcome you to our museum and wish you an enjoyable visit. We would like to bring a few house rules to your attention that are intended to make your visit as pleasant as possible.

Courtesy and respect, towards other visitors as well as towards our staff, are of utmost importance to us.

Therefore, please conduct yourself in such a way that does not inconvenience other visitors. If there are any temporary disruptions in any of our services, especially those affecting children, we ask for your understanding. Our youngest visitors deserve special attention from us to ensure that they enjoy the exhibitions.

These house rules apply to all museum visitors. By entering the museum premises you agree to abide to the rules and any other instructions to ensure the safety of the museum’s operation:

Museum visitors

(1) We welcome all child, youth and adult visitors.

(2) Parents or adults accompanying minors to the exhibitions are responsible for their conduct. Running is not permitted in the museum.

(3) The use of music players and sports equipment such as inline skates or skateboards is also not permitted.

(4) Power sockets within the museum are not to be used for private devices.

(5) Persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be admitted to the museum.

Smoking ban

(1) The museum is a smoke-free institution in accordance with the German law on the protection of non-smokers. This means that smoking is not permitted anywhere in the museum, including the café and the museum foyer.

Safeguarding the exhibits and rules of conduct in exhibition spaces

(1) To prevent damage to the exhibits, please do not touch any exhibits unless they are otherwise marked.

(2) Pets may not be taken into the museum.

(3) Teachers, group leaders and guardians are asked to ensure that children and youths in their charge conduct themselves appropriately and remain in their group.

(4) Do not do or allow anything that is detrimental to the safety and order of the museum. You will be liable for any damage caused by your conduct.

(5) Passageways and emergency exits must be kept clear. Emergency exits are only to be used in the event of an emergency. If an alarm sounds, please follow the instructions of the staff and leave the building immediately.

(6) Food and beverages brought in by visitors cannot be consumed in any of the exhibition spaces, in the shop or in the café.

(7) For reasons of safety, it is prohibited to sit on wall mountings, window sills, installations or machinery.

Photography and filming

(1) Photography and filming for private purposes is permitted as long as no tripods are used.

(2) Commercial and research photography, as well as photography for news coverage, requires written permission from the museum.

Permission is provided by the museum’s media and public relations department, who can be contacted at the following email address: marketing@schokoladenmuseum.de

Service personnel

(1) Service personnel are responsible for ensuring that the house rules are observed. We therefore kindly ask you to follow the instructions of the service personnel. Anyone failing to comply with the house rules or the instructions of the service personnel can be asked to leave the premises. Visitors who repeatedly fail to comply with the house rules and/or the instructions of the service personnel may be banned from the premises.

(2) In the event of being excluded from the premises of the museum, any admission fee already paid will not be refunded.

(3) Any complaints, suggestions or tips can be submitted to any member of the museum staff.

(4) Any lost objects found in the museum should be handed over to the service personnel in the museum foyer. Lost property will be handled in accordance with legal provisions.

We appreciate your understanding and wish you a pleasant, interesting and informative visit to our museum.