Schokoladenmuseum Köln GmbH

The Chocolate Museum Cologne is located in the Rheinauhafen on the Rheinau Peninsula in Cologne and presents the cultural history of cacao and chocolate in comprehensive fashion. The exhibition building houses the world’s most extensive presentation on the subject; a glass chocolate factory in the permanent exhibition demonstrates modern industrial production.

The idea for the museum grew out of a large company-history collection that had been preserved during a production-site move. After a successful trial with an anniversary exhibition in 1989, the decision was made to construct an independent museum as the first building in the newly developed Rheinauhafen district. Historic buildings on the site were combined with a newly built structure completed in October 1993; the museum opened on 31 October 1993. Construction costs amounted to 53 million DM. In the following years there were changing industrial partnerships and two name changes; since 2017 the institution has borne the name Schokoladenmuseum Köln.

On around 4,000 m² of exhibition space visitors can see, among other things, a walk-in tropical-house vitrine (a glass cube measuring 10 m to a side) with Theobroma species, miniaturized production installations, historic machines, moulds and vending machines. The collection includes porcelain and silver bowls from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as pre-Columbian drinking vessels. The glass factory was redesigned in 2020 and supplemented by a walk-through infographic.

Since 2023 the revised permanent exhibition "Weltreise des Kakaos" has presented multiple aspects of production, social issues and nature conservation in the context of the 17 sustainability goals of UNESCO. In 2024 "Schokolade ist ein Gefühl" opened; ten stations address emotional associations such as love, luxury and festivity. The cultural-historical centrepiece remains the "Zeitreise des Kakaos"; the comprehensively revised presentation since 24 June 2025 illuminates 5,000 years of cacao history, from ritual beverages through luxury goods to mass distribution, addresses colonial contexts and displays exhibits on the work of female factory employees as well as the changing roles of women.

As a certified out-of-school learning site for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the museum provides information on the working and living conditions of cocoa farmers (female and male), the ecological consequences of cultivation and the unresolved problem of child labour. In November it was recognized by the UNESCO World Action Programme for ESD. With around 4,000 guided tours per year and approximately 706,000 visitors, the museum is one of the most visited in Germany; a historic swing-bridge access dating from 1888 leads to the museum and is to be renovated in 2026 with Kulturinvest funding.