Visit Barkeater Chocolates, the Haunted Chocolate Factory in the Adirondacks

Willy Wonka may have had an incredibly bizarre chocolate factory, but have you ever heard of a haunted chocolate factory? Now you have! Let me introduce you to Barkeater Chocolates, located in an old 1800s house which is said to be haunted by several spirits. Next time you’re driving through the Adirondacks, make a stop in North Creek to sample some chocolate and say hello to the ghosts.

The History of Barkeater Chocolates

Deb and Jim Morris established Barkeater Chocolates within a café in 2008. Why did they start a chocolate company? Because they loved chocolate, of course! With a passion for good, quality chocolate, the Morris family always found it difficult to source their beloved sweet snacks locally. So they decided to create their own! Named after the mountains around them, “Barkeater” is just the English translation of the Mohawk term “Adirondack”.

As the business continued to grow, word got out that they could use a larger space to both produce and sell their chocolate. When the opportunity came for them to purchase the old Sterling House on Gift Road in North Creek, they jumped at the chance to expand. With the new location, they would be able to have more space and their own store. Little did they know, they would be moving their chocolate business into a home that was already occupied. Not by other people, but by the spirits of those who died on the property over the past century or two…

The Ghosts

The house was originally built in 1884 as a small family home. The home would be passed down from generation to generation until 1947. But throughout that time, the house would be the site of scandal, murder, disappearance, and death. Among the spirits that haunt the place are a little boy who died in a suspicious car accident, and both the elderly husband and wife who died in the home. There have also been rumors of the father who first owned the home committing questionable acts in the home, though nothing has been proven.

Both the Morris family and the previous owners have experienced odd things in the house. Footsteps walking through the house and up the stairs when no one else was in the building. Unexplained voices and sounds. Heat fluctuations… The house got very hot so many times they had to tape the thermostat to stop whomever was changing the temperature.

Multiple paranormal investigators have come to the house and have confirmed the presence of spirits. The name “William” or “Bill” regularly comes up. If you are interested in investigating for yourself, Deb has ghost detecting tools available for guests to use!

Looking for more haunted history? Check out these haunted places in and around Cooperstown, or the haunted history stops in Oswego. Or if you’re really brave, visit Rolling Hills Asylum, the most haunted place in New York.

The Chocolates

Enough about the ghosts, what about the chocolate?! Well, I can tell you first hand that the chocolate is delicious. And is is very clear the amount of passion and dedication that Deb and her family put into the business. Deb is well educated on the history of the cacao beans and chocolate making. In fact, she’s happy to share all about how the cacao beans are grown in tropical climates and how they make their way to New York State to become the delicious treat we all know and love.

Barkeater Chocolates sources their cacao beans from a family on the Ivory Coast, and then all the recipe development and chocolate creation is down at their haunted factory in North Creek.

What kind of chocolate do they sell?

A little bit of everything! They first specialized in truffles – everyone’s favorite thing to order at a candy shop. But they’ve expanded to include a wide range of sweet treats. You’ll find peanut butter cups, chocolate bars of all flavors, chocolate bark, solid chocolate shapes, flavored hot chocolate… The list goes on. They even sell chocolate soap and chocolate-scented candles!

Visiting the Chocolate Factory

The chocolate factory is more than just a shop. Visitors can sign up for various experiences before going to the factory. You can choose from the private chocolate making experience or the haunted factory chocolate session. The first experience includes details about the chocolate-making process and allows guests to create their own sweet treats to bring home. The haunted experience tells the stories from the house’s spooky history, and ends with making chocolate ghosts!

Make sure you add Barkeater Chocolates as one of your stops next time you’re traveling along the Haunted History Trail of New York.