Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production in Greece — Attraction in Municipality of Western Lesvos

The Museum is housed in the old communal olive press of Aghia Paraskevi on the island of Lesvos. The buildings and the mechanical equipment have been restored in an exemplary fashion. Thus, you can observe how the equipment functions and how the factory evolved from steam power to diesel engine operation. At the same time, you will acquaint yourselves with daily life at the «People’s Machine». In the main building, you will familiarize yourselves with the basic stages of olive-oil production: crushing the olives, compressing the olive pulp and separating the olive oil from the water. You will also see the flourmill, which functioned in a complementary manner during the summer months when the olive press was out of use. In the old storage rooms for olives, you will discover the work cycle relating to the production of olive oil: The cultivation and care of the olive tree The production of sub-products (olive-pomace, kernel oil, soap) The marketing and distribution of olive oil in Greece and abroad Professions and activities linked to the production of olive oil. Lastly, you will learn the history of the «People’s Machine», the communal olive press of Aghia Paraskevi and realize how pioneering for its times the process of communal property was and what its repercussion was on the region’s social fabric and...

We stopped here in November 2024 for a visit. This is a vast place, with many buildings and exhibits. We spent well over two hours here. The exhibits are very well done with both Greek and English placards for each exhibit. Local and national history are covered, as well as detailed engineering explanations about the equipment and the pressing process. All of this in the context of the history of Lesvos. Ample, very clean restrooms. Gift shop and cafe on site. Parking is street parking or a lot a bit farther away. We would have spent even more time here at the special exhibition, but we had to catch a ferry. Well worth the price of admission. Huge outdoor courtyard if your kids need to run off some energy. If the gift shop had local olive oil we would have...

My husband and I decided to visit this museum, especially since we saw very good reviews. We were disappointed. There is a room with some machines, which were put into operation (to demonstrate that they worked) only after an organized group came. For two people, it was probably not profitable to start them. In addition to this room, there are several rooms with photographs and several other closed rooms. The entrance fee (€4/person) is much too high for what it offers. No olive oil tastings are offered - it's just a museum. I don't understand why it has such...