For car enthusiasts, a trip to the Ferrari Museum in Northern Italy is a must. Around 25 minutes drive from Modena and one hour from Bologna, the town of Maranello has been the home of Ferrari’s factory since the 1940s when founder Enzo Ferrari moved operations there from Modena after the factory was bombed during World War II.
Before we got to the museum, we drove past the gigantic Ferrari headquarters which houses the Ferrari factory with its test race track nearby. We could hear the sound of burning rubber on the circuit as we pulled up to the car park opposite the Ferrari Museum.
It is possible to go on a shuttle bus tour of the factory and race track but you are restricted to staying on the bus. In-depth tours are reserved for Ferrari owners only – by appointment! As we are not yet Ferrari owners (maybe one day, ay), we were happy to just visit the Ferrari Museum. Promising our daughter we would be seeing Lightening McQueen (from Pixar’s Cars), she shared in our enthusiasm for at least ten minutes of us getting there.
It waned quite swiftly after viewing the first few cars so we whizzed through it rather quicker than I would have liked but even with a restless three year old, we were able to absorb the impressive history and workmanship of the famous sports car brand.
So without further ado, here’s a glimpse at some of the cars we saw (that’s what you want to see, right?).
The exhibition began with a range of Ferrari’s significant rally and Forumla 1 cars throughout the ages including this very strange-looking F1 car from 1981 (the Ferrari 126C) which Gilles Villeneuve drove. It was fascinating to see how they have developed over the years.
This is Michael Schumacher’s 1998 F300 car which helped him get second place in the World Championship behind Mika Hakkinen.
In the photo below, Mrs T poses by the vehicle British driver Mike Hawthorn drove to won the 1958 World Championship. Despite him being the UK’s first F1 world champion, I didn’t know much about Hawthorn but after doing a bit of research found a very sad story. Despite winning the championship in 1958 he retired from racing after being affected by the death of his fellow driver and friend Peter Collins two months before. Hawthorn then died in a road accident six months later. He was suffering from a serious kidney illness at the time. He was only 29. Tragic.
The Ferrari Museum also had a hall of fame paying tribute to all the cars and drivers who had won World Championships with Ferrari.
It was poignant seeing the achievements and images of Michael Schumacher. I paused for a quiet moment in respect for the great driver who has been seriously ill since a skiing accident in December 2013.
The Ferrari Museum isn’t just about its racing accomplishments though, it had road cars from almost every era. I rather liked this 1960s number.
Despite Ferrari’s trademark red cars, Mrs T insisted she preferred the yellow ones!
Although you can tell this was taken when she had begun to lose interest…
One of my favourite sections was the custom-made cars. A room full of speed, luxury and excess. This was my favourite.
And the hubby quite fancied this one…
This pimped up car was commissioned by long-time Ferrari client, Eric Clapton. Look at the windows…even the front screen was blacked out.
There is also a F1 simulator you can experience, a pit stop challenge and you can have your photo taken in an F1 car too – but they are all extra. We eventually gave into our daughter’s demands and headed to the cafe – a pleasant space selling panini’s, snacks, coffees and beers.
Then there was the obligatory walk through the souvenir shop which sold everything from t-shirts and Ferrari branded iPad covers to a rather large children’s section where you could get baby grows, bomber jackets and even Ferrari dummies!
I was quite keen to get this Ferrari scooter for Mrs T – come on – how cool is that?
But in the end we went for a remote controlled Ferrari which at 25€ wasn’t too extortionate (and might get more use than clothing). She has really enjoyed playing with it but possibly not as much as her father!
Need To Know
– The Ferrari Museum is open daily from 9.30am – 7pm during the summer months until 6pm in the winter.
– It costs 13€ to visit and tickets are available on the day. We arrived around 11am in early April and there was no queue.
– You can buy combination tickets for some of the other Ferrari sights – all information on the website
– A shuttle bus runs between the Ferrari Museum in Maranello and the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena. There is also a bus from Modena train station to the museum (12€).
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Oh this looks fab our boys would just love it, we took them to see the Jaguar private collection this year and they were in their element x
Oh, then they would love it there! x
Oh wow, how cool is that? I’m afraid I would have insisted on having my photo taken in an F1 car. Feeling quite hopeful that my daughter would let me hang about for a decent amount of time too – she has just spent five minutes looking at the pictures and choosing her favourites, although that might have something to do with the convenient fact that the Ferrari logo is a horse. Deeply disappointed only Ferrari owners get the full tour though.
Mama Herself recently posted…Tram Parade, Moscow 2016
Haha! I love it…the prancing horse definitely helps… sounds like she has expensive tastes and, yes, the full tour would end up being very pricey!!
I do love red!:) I only need to win the lottery and buy myself one of these hunks:)
Tanja (the Red phone box travels) recently posted…Snapshots from Stockholm (April 2016)
Haha! I know, me too
What a sad story about Mike Hawthorn. This museum looks like a really fascinating slice of life – and great if you’re a motor enthusiast, of course.
Nell@PigeonPairandMe.com recently posted…I’ve been shortlisted in the BritMums BiBs Brilliance in Blogging Awards!
I know! Really sad. It was a great place to visit – really enjoyed it! X
This is 15-year-old Mr Tin Box’s dream day out. What am I saying? He’d be there in a shot now! 🙂 #MondayEscapes
Claire at Tin Box Traveller recently posted…MAD Blog Awards – I’m a family travel finalist
Haha! You guys should go! xx
My 12-year-old would just love this! I much prefer the style of the older versions. I’m definitely not a Ferrari kind of girl! #MondayEscapes
Clare Thomson (Suitcases and Sandcastles) recently posted…Airbnb: Is it worth the hype?
A remote control ferrari for only €25? That’s a bargain. The museum would be my hubby’s idea of heaven. He’s a real petrol head, although I can also appreciate the Italian form… I would be gagging to drive one though! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
Ting at My Travel Monkey recently posted…The Top Five Beaches in Devon
I thought it was a good price too! It’s a shame you can’t drive them for real – that would be a great add on!
OMG – In the custom made section did they say who the care where made for? I dont think there is much more special than a one off prancing horse.
Time to look in the classifieds for a cheap old Ferrari so I can get on the full tour perhaps… 🙂
Hi David, I think just the Eric Clapton car but I didn’t look at all of them…they were pretty special. Surely you can pick up a relatively cheap old Ferrari? Thanks for stopping by.
Had a look and best price I can find for a genuine Ferrari is £28k… So not that cheap I’m afraid. I was expecting to be able to pick something up for around 10k but if it is possible I cant see anything (that’s worth actually having) for that sort of money. Will continue to dream! 🙂
Haha. Oh dear…well, was worth a look!
I haven’t visited for years, but loved the few times I did. Didn’t know you could do a tour of the track, that’s definitely something I’ll be adding onto my to do list next time I visit!
Have promised my husband (and 2 sons) we’ll visit this museum at some point, really useful to hear your review. Great photos!
Thank you. Glad it was helpful. It’s an impressive place.
I’ve wanted to go here ever since we went to Ferrari world in Abu Dhabi. It sounds amazing how they put the cars together and it’s a bit like a work of art, with so much care to detail!
Notmyyearoff recently posted…Things I’d love to do in 2017
They are totally works of art, of a kind. Loved your post on Ferrari World…I’d really like to go there!
If you bought the scooter would you qualify for a factory tour?
Catherine’s Cultural Wednesdays recently posted…BOOK REVIEW: THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry
Haha – I could have given it a go Catherine.
That 1981 racing car looks so retro now! One thing I like about the Ferrari brand is the colours – they really jump out at you from this post. And the scooter’s ace! Thanks for linking up with #CulturedKids
Nell (the Pigeon Pair and Me) recently posted…Exploring London on a Duck Tour
Haha – I know – it’s interesting to see how far the technology and design has come in the past 30 years or so. Kind of wish I’d got the scooter! Thanks for hosting #culturedkids
This sounds fun, just the kind of place my husband would love ti visit. #culturedkids
Thanks! It was a brilliant place to visit.