Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil

About the museum

The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil opened to the public at the end of 2002 and is run by the Politistiko Idryma Omilou Peiraios (Piraeus Group Cultural Foundation). It is housed in the building of the former Electricity Company of Sparta, a typical Greek industrial building of the interwar period, which the Municipality of Sparta granted to the Foundation. The building was radically renovated: only the main, northern façade was kept, incorporated into a contemporary structure with visual axes towards the neighbouring olive grove and Taygetos. In 2004 the museum won the first prize of the Architecture Awards of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture in the category “Public Works”.

The exhibition takes the visitor through the culture, history and technology of the olive and olive production in the Greek lands, from prehistoric times to the early 20th century. It presents the earliest evidence for the olive and oil: rare fossilised olive leaves 50,000–60,000 years old from Santorini, the oldest finds proving the presence of olive trees in Greece, and exact replicas of 14th-century BC Linear B tablets. The olive is shown from different perspectives: economy, diet and uses, religious worship, art and technology.

On the lower floor the development of olive oil production from antiquity to the proto-industrial period is traced, with exact replicas of a prehistoric, a Hellenistic and a Byzantine olive press, a wooden double press with a windlass from neighbouring Xirokampi, an olive press from Lefkada documenting the use of animals until the 20th century, and models of motorised olive presses. A separate section is devoted to soap-making, both domestic and industrial.

Highlights

• Fossilised olive leaves from Santorini, 50,000–60,000 years old
• Replicas of Linear B tablets with the first written evidence for the olive
• Replicas of prehistoric, Hellenistic and Byzantine olive presses
• Wooden double press with windlass and an olive press from Lefkada
• Moving models of motorised olive presses
• Section on soap-making

Permanent exhibition

• Μόνιμη έκθεση του Μουσείου Ελιάς και Ελληνικού Λαδιού – The olive and olive oil in economy, diet, worship, art and technology, with replicas of ancient olive presses, models of motorised presses and a section on soap-making.

Founded

2002

Operated by

Πολιτιστικό Ίδρυμα Ομίλου Πειραιώς

Admission & discounts

Free admission: 18 May, 5 June and the last weekend of September.

Free admission is also granted, upon presentation of proof, to teachers, journalists, guides, unemployed persons, members of large and three-child families and holders of the European Youth Card, among others.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum has a lift and an accessible toilet, a wheelchair available for loan, and a leaflet in Braille in Greek and English. Guide dogs are admitted free of charge.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Children can see three ancient olive presses (prehistoric, Hellenistic and Byzantine) and large moving models of motorised olive presses. The museum runs educational programmes with games and activities for schools and the wider public, such as “A Day in a Hellenistic Olive Press”, where pupils make oil the ancient way.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi for visitors. The museum has a snack bar and a shop, and an automated external defibrillator.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit