Choco Factory Museum Makes a Sweet Debut in Athens

It’s chocolate galore at the Choco Factory Museum in Athens, which recently opened its doors over the weekend at the Helexpo Center in the northern suburb of Maroussi.

With touch ’n’ taste as its motto, the Choco Factory Museum follows in the successful footsteps of its predecessor in Thessaloniki.

More than 10,000 chocolate buffs flocked to the museum last week thanks to the reduced admission fees for the unemployed and for families, and had the chance to see the whole chocolate-making process as well as participate in the packaging and… tasting, of course.

At the same time, hundreds of children had the opportunity to participate in themed activities on Monday during special school trips.

Besides the obvious: eating chocolate, visitors to the museum — both young and old — can learn more about the history of the cocoa plant, where it all started, the role of cocoa in Aztec culture, and through simulated activities have the opportunity to experience the real conditions of the Amazon jungle where the cocoa tree grows.

Other events include visiting Europe’s largest chocolate waterfalls, biscuit- and caramel-making, a small farm experience, a visit to the factory’s quality control department, choco art sessions plus many on-the-spot experiments with chocolate.

The Choco Factory Museum at the Helexpo Maroussi Center runs through to February 21.

Opening hours: 9am-7pm daily, Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday 11am-7pm. Admission at 7 euros, family rates at 20 euros (per four-member families). Special 5-euro rates for unemployed and 5-euro discounts off family rates if one parent is jobless (applicable only on Tuesdays and Thursdays).