Best Cars Museums in Bologna

Bologna is undoubtedly one of the great treasures of northern Italy. But its impressive monumental heritage and gastronomy are not its only attractions. If you are a fan of motor racing and speed, here you will find some of the best car museums in Europe.

Have you ever heard of Italy's Motor Valley? Visiting it is one of the best ways to enjoy Bologna, because you can visit not only museums, but also the factories of some of the most historic brands in the automotive world. Would you like to know which ones they are? If so, read on and let's get started!

If you are passionate about super-luxury cars, at the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum you can find out much more about the brand and, above all, its founder. The museum exhibits everything from the tractor model with which he founded his first company to some of the company's most iconic sports cars.

But the museum also has some other attractions, such as a helicopter prototype or the reconstruction of Ferruccio Lamborghini's first office and some personal objects that allow you to get much closer to the figure of the founder of the brand.

Useful information

• Address: Provincial Road 4, Galliera n. 319.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00. Saturdays from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:30. Closed Mondays, Sundays and Christmas. It is always advisable to check if there are any changes before visiting the museum.
• Price: around €10 for reduced admission and around €15 for general admission.

The Prancing Horse brand is one of the most iconic in the world of motoring, so if you are a motoring enthusiast, you cannot leave Bologna without visiting the Ferrari Museum in Manarello. It offers a fabulous journey through the past, present and future of the brand.

In its rooms you will see very special models, classics that have made history or vehicles that have won Formula 1 world championships. There are even prototypes on display that will make you want to get behind the wheel of any of them. The best thing? In this museum you can almost make your dream come true. I say almost because you won't be able to drive a real car, but you will be able to drive a simulator.

And if you feel like it and still have time, you can make the most of it and extend your visit. As in other automotive museums in the Motor Valley, you can take part in a panoramic tour of the facilities where the vehicles are made.

I also recommend a visit to the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena, where you can learn much more about the founder of the brand. Of course, both museums are located a few kilometres from Bologna.

Useful information

• Address: Via Alfredo Dino Ferrari, 43, Maranello.
• Price: about 22 € for the museum only. With factory visit and simulator, the price rises to about 65 €. Discounts are available for students and the over 65s, while children under 5 and the disabled are free. There is a pass to visit the Ferrari Museum in Manarello and the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena for approximately €25.
• Opening hours: Both museums are usually open Monday to Sunday from 9.30am to 7pm from April to October. From November to March the closing time is one hour earlier. The museums are closed on 25 December and 1 January.

In addition to the one in Bologna, Lamborghini has another museum outside the city, but in the Motor Valley. And it's well worth a trip to see it. At the Lamborghini MUDETEC Museum, you'll see models that will make you envious to death. Models such as the historic Miura, the Aventador and the Urus. Cars within the reach of only a lucky few.

What's more, this space offers an added attraction, because it is also a Museum of Technology. What does this mean? You will be able to discover all (or almost all) the secrets of how these cars are made on their production lines.

And not only that, if you're curious to know what it's like to drive one of them, you can discover it in a driving simulator.

By the way, during your visit you're sure to discover one of the brand's curiosities: the reason why it was created. Its origin is none other than the rivalry between Ferruccio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari. The story is most curious, but I will not reveal it to you in order to add a little more excitement to one of the most interesting museums in Bologna.

Interesting information

• Address: Via Modena 12, Sant'Agata Bolognese.
• Opening hours: usually from Monday to Sunday from 9:30 to 18:00, except on special closing days.
• Price: about €15 for general admission, with factory tour and simulator the price rises to about €75. Students, seniors and people with disabilities have special discounts.

If in addition to cars you like motorbikes, set aside some time for a leisurely visit to the Ducati Museum. In its rooms you can explore the history of the brand from its beginnings to the present day through four exhibition routes: Ducati Moments, Origins, History and History in competitions.

Of course, you will also see some of its most iconic models on display. Don't miss the Siluro 100, which broke 46 speed records on the Monza circuit, and take a look at the 750 GT, which was Ducati's first Superbike; or the 500 Pantah, the first with a steel trellis frame.

The best thing is that the exhibition route doesn't just show bikes that have made history. The Ducati Museum also exhibits special models for other reasons. One that is particularly symbolic is the Ducati Desmosedici, on which Casey Stoner won the brand's first Moto GP championship.

Is that not enough? There's more. If you want to enjoy a complete experience, you can also visit the factory. A guided tour will show you part of the facilities and you will see up close how the brand's motorbikes are designed and assembled. Without a doubt, one of the most interesting souvenirs you will take away from your visit to Bologna.

Useful information

• Address: Via Antonio Cavalieri Ducati, 3, Bologna.
• Opening hoursNormallyopen from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 18:00. Closed on Wednesdays. It is always advisable to check that there are no changes before visiting.
• Price: from 12 € museum only. With factory tour, from €22. Children under the age of 11 and people with disabilities have free admission.

Bologna is a perfect starting point to discover all the treasures of the Motor Valley, starting with the two museums mentioned above, but continuing with others that are very close to this city and have nothing to envy them.

Maserati Factory

Although the Maserati factory is not located in the city, the brand was created in Bologna. And it was here that all the cars were built during its early years. In fact, the brand's logo itself is a reminder of the trident of Neptune. What does it have to do with the city? The fountain representing this deity is one of the most famous monuments in Bologna.

Why am I talking about a factory and not a museum? Because the factory can be visited, but the pieces of what was once the brand's museum are not to be found here. In any case, the tour of the factory is very interesting. You will discover a factory equipped with the latest technology. Visits include the laboratory, the assembly line and the paint shop, among other areas.

In any case, don't think you'll be left wanting to see some of the Maserati models. You can always stop by the showroom and dream of enjoying some of the cars you will be able to see and touch. And if you want to admire historic pieces, you must visit the Umberto Panini Collection, which acquired the pieces from the old museum before they were auctioned off.

Useful information:

• Address: Via Divisione Acqui 17, Modena.
• Price: about 50 €. Seniors over 65, children under 17 and students get a discount. Children under the age of 6 are free.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 15:30, except special closing days.

Horacio Pagani Museum

Passionate about the automotive world, Horacio Pagani worked for years for Lamborghini. In the early 1990s he decided to produce his own designs. If you have seen images of his models: the Zonda, the Huayra or the Codalunga, you already know that they are vehicles with elegant and ultramodern lines.

At the Horacio Pagani Museum, you can admire some of the brand's most representative models up close. And, as with their big brothers, you can also visit the factory to see how these exclusive vehicles are designed and assembled.

During the visit, you will discover, for example, how some elements are made almost by hand, as is the case with the upholstery. In short, although it is not one of the best-known car museums in Bologna and the surrounding area, it is well worth a visit.

Useful information:

• Address: Via dell'Industria 26; San Cesario Sul Panaro.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm (museum only).
• Price: about 18 € museum only and about 55 € if you include a guided tour of the museum and the factory. Seniors over 65 and under 18 have special prices. Children under 12 are free.

Other museums and private collections to visit near Bologna

If you are a true motoring enthusiast, my advice is to organise a trip of several days to Bologna. If not, you will be left wanting much more. The reason? All the museums and factories I have mentioned are just a small sample of what you can visit. The city is located in the heart of the Motor Valley and you can plan several day trips from Bologna to discover them.

What other museums and collections can you visit? The Nigelli Collection, one of the most interesting collections of vintage motorbikes in Italy; or the Mauro Pascoli Vespa Collection in nearby Ravenna. Other options: the Saussolo Collection of Vintage Cars and Motorcycles or the National Motorcycling Museum, among others.

The good thing about visiting a region where the engine of its economy is, precisely, the automotive industry, is that you have endless plans to enjoy. If, as well as seeing car and motorbike museums or visiting factories, you want to release a little adrenaline, I suggest a plan: get into a sports car and do a few laps of a racing circuit.

You can do this at the Autodromo di Modena. There you can drive a sports car and experience firsthand what it's like to step on the accelerator and almost, almost fly. If you visit the Ferrari Museum, for example, you can buy a combined ticket for the museum and the circuit, so that the experience is complete.

Whether you decide to visit one, two or several of the car museums in and around Bologna, there are some important things to bear in mind to make the most of your visit:

• In many of them the visits, especially if they include a tour of the factory, need to be booked in advance. So I recommend you book in advance to avoid running out of tickets.
• Don't forget that the visit to each museum alone can take you at least two to three hours. If you are also interested in doing the tour of the factories, you will need a full morning or afternoon.
• Generally speaking, museums are open all week, but the closing days do not coincide. In some cases they are closed only on the Christmas holidays, but in others there are some additional days. It is best to check on the website.
• Bologna is an important transport hub in the region, so you won't have any problems getting to the museums by public transport, both by train and bus. However, you should bear in mind that in some cases you will have to change trains and this can take some time.
• To visit the greatest number of museums and collections in comfort, it is best to opt for guided tours. The most popular are the ones that include the Ferrari Museum and the Lamborghini Museum.

As I said before, the museums have a very long opening hours, they close very few days. That's why you can include them among the things to do in Bologna in summer, spring or even in winter holidays. Moreover, it is a great plan to do with children because visiting any of the museums will be an adventure for them.

However, there are some dates when you can especially enjoy everything related to the motor in Bologna and in the other towns that make up the Motor Valley. The reason for this is that it hosts a host of activities and events for motoring enthusiasts.

The most important of these is the Motor Valley Fest, which in just a few editions has become an unmissable event for lovers of all things motor-related. What awaits you there? Of course, exhibitions of the latest novelties of the most important brands in the valley. There are also conferences, competitions and contests. Of course, the dates vary from one edition to another, so you have no choice but to keep an eye out.

There are other interesting events, such as the Italian Speed Festival, the Campioni in Piazza or the Modena Cento Ore. Any of them is a perfect excuse to travel to Bologna and immerse yourself in the exciting world of motor racing.