Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil

Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil

Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil, in Sparta (Peloponnese), transports you to the culture, history and technology of the olive and olive oil production in the Greek realm, from prehistoric times to the early 20th century. The Museum's objective is to highlight the ineffable relation of the olive with the identity of our country and, more generally, the Mediterranean basin. The olive and olive oil are presented here from different optical angles: the economy, nutrition and the olive's uses, religious worship, art and technology. The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil offers you the opportunity to see the very first testimonies about the presence of the olive tree and the production of olive oil in Greece: Rare fossilized olive leaves, 50,000-60,000 years old, from the island of Santorini, the oldest findings offering proof of the presence of the olive tree en Greece Linear B Tablets of the 14th century BC (exact replicas), with the first written testimonies about the olive and olive oil.
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles294 reviews
Excellent
183
Very good
92
Average
16
Poor
1
Terrible
2

Fergs85
Thornton-Le-Dale, UK1,086 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2022
Like the House of the Mosaics, this is another relatively recently added attraction for the visitor to Sparta. Olive Oil may not seem like an obvious subject for a museum, but when you visit you really do get a strong statement as to just how fundamental olive oil has been to life in the Mediterranean for thousands of years. We liked the fact that the museum depicted the technology behind the processing of olive oil, alongside its rich contribution to culture and religious beliefs – so the story of olive oil has many dimensions. The museum building is compact but spacious, light and airy: it tells a clear story of how olive oil became such a fundamental product and industry not just across the ancient world but right up to the present day. Excellent.
Written 2 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jfarrell3042014
Ventura, CA28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
It was pouring down rain and we were on vacation - what better idea than visiting an indoor museum . From the moment we walked in and were handed a pamphlet I felt we’d made the right decision in coming . The information was written in Greek and English and we walked around the numbered boards and artifacts . Excellently presented and we felt like we knew more about the origin of Olive growing , production and manufacturing from days gone by until present age. Would highly recommend going if you’re in the area.
Written 3 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dusti L
Montgomery, AL18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Family
The museum’s educational component is impressive, including art and even models of olive oil producers. The interpretive information is available in English. Check out the great collection of amphorae and production equipment outside! This is also located in a quiet, pretty neighborhood.
Written 1 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

andrew h
Leicester, England, United Kingdom63 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Solo
I wanted to go here from the moment i heard about it. But lacking a car an taxis drivers beeing hit an miss with their pricing i decided to walk. About 3.5h later with legs like lead i walked through the door. The history of Greek olive oil is fasinating. Theres a fair amount to see and all the information is broken down into small but interesting segments. Some of the historic equipment they have on display is so well kept i bet my last pound each and everyone could still fully work and churn out gallons of freash olive oil.
As a lover of Greek history its one of the best places to go.
Written 2 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kells
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Couples
Beautiful museum and a great place to visit if you're interested in olive oil. Nice layout and a beautiful design that make it enjoyable to explore. The exhibits are very informative, giving you a clear understanding of how olive oil is made and its importance. It's a must-see spot if you’re in the area.
Written 10 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maria N
Heraklion, Greece145 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Couples
Really cute museum. Downtown of Sparti. Really nice stuff always smiling. Interesting exhibition. Very affordable ticket for everyone. It’s good for disabled people too. Big space and an elevator!
Written 18 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eric v
Leiden, The Netherlands14 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Family
A modern and interesting museum with lots of explanations in English (and Greek of course) that we and our 6, 13 and 16 year old kids liked. As I ur 13 year old daughter wrote in the guestbook: “I really enjoyed the museum.And I really enjoyed how the information was written, because it was written in a way that I was capable of understanding what the texts were explaining. Also the way the building is designed is beautiful”.
The museum would add even more value if they would provide more interaction like tasting varieties of olive oil.
Written 9 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JennyD61
Sydney, Australia163 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We visited this museum one very wet day in October when walking around Mystras was out of the question, after seeing recommendations in some TA travel forums. It turned out to be a very interesting and well designed modern museum, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The Museum opened at the end of 2002 and is housed in the renovated building of the electricity company of Sparta.

There are two floors to the museum. On the upper [entrance] floor there is a display following the history of olives in Greece, from the earliest fossil olive leaves through the history of the use of the olive throughout history in Greece. The display covers aspects such as use of olives and olive oil for nutrition, health care, lighting, religious rituals etc. The displays are well put together, with a combination of original materials and reproductions of ancient texts, art and artefacts, with excellent and well explained information panels about each of these aspects.

The lower floor concentrates on the history of olive oil production from Byzantine times until today. It features a variety of olive oil presses, including several large working models in the outdoor area. There is also a small cafe on the lower floor.

We spent a couple of very enjoyable hours here, and now have a much better understanding of the central role of the olive in ancient Greek culture. It is certainly worth a visit even if the sun is shining!

Please note that the correct URL for the Museum's website is:
http://www.oliveoilmuseums.gr/ecportal.asp?id=55&nt=18&lang=2
Its full name is Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in Sparta.

There is also information about the Museum with some photos here:
http://www.greecetaxi.gr/index/greek_olive_oil_museum.html
Written 30 November 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GingerSoy19
Toronto, Canada56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019 • Friends
This is the most attractive and interesting museum about olives and olive oil that you could imagine. No complaints and great gift shop.
Written 2 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

leighjam
Oxford, UK37 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2015
its extremely well laid out and very educational. top marks for that part. I just wish they would actually sell some of the products . I had to buy quality oil from Athens! Bizarre
Written 5 August 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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