What is Willy Wonka's factory called?
Quick answer
Willy Wonka owns the Wonka chocolate factory, the magical candy factory in Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Closed to visitors for years, it reopens when Wonka hides five Golden Tickets in his chocolate bars. Inside, the factory is run by tiny workers called Oompa-Loompas.
Key facts
- Book
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
- Author
- Roald Dahl (1916–1990)
- Hero
- Charlie Bucket
- Sequel
- Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (1972)
The five Golden Ticket winners
| Child | Flaw | Fate in the factory |
|---|---|---|
| Augustus Gloop | Greedy | Sucked up the chocolate river pipe |
| Veruca Salt | Spoiled | Thrown down the garbage chute by squirrels |
| Violet Beauregarde | Gum-obsessed | Turns into a giant blueberry |
| Mike Teavee | TV-obsessed | Shrunk by Television Chocolate |
| Charlie Bucket | Kind and poor | Wins the factory |
Inside the factory
- The Chocolate Room, with a chocolate river and waterfall
- The Inventing Room, home of the Everlasting Gobstopper
- The Nut Room, where trained squirrels test nuts
- The Great Glass Elevator, which can move in any direction
Inspired by real chocolate rivalries
As a schoolboy at Repton, Dahl and his classmates were sent boxes of new chocolates by Cadbury to taste-test. He also heard of rival chocolate makers spying on each other’s recipes. These memories inspired Wonka’s secretive factory.
On screen
| Film | Year | Wonka played by |
|---|---|---|
| Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory | 1971 | Gene Wilder |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | 2005 | Johnny Depp (directed by Tim Burton) |
| Wonka | 2023 | Timothée Chalamet, a prequel |
The 1971 film’s title used Wonka’s name, partly because Quaker Oats financed it to launch a real Wonka candy bar.
Roald Dahl
Dahl, born in Wales to Norwegian parents, was a WWII fighter pilot and spy before becoming a writer. His other books include Matilda, The BFG and James and the Giant Peach.
Real chocolate
Chocolate’s rich flavor comes partly from roasting cocoa beans; see why toast turns brown. For another magical world in children’s books, see where Alice goes in Alice in Wonderland.
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