Whilst on a road trip in Europe we made a stopover in Stuttgart so that we could visit the Porsche Museum, well we were driving a Porsche Boxster at the time so it seemed a natural diversion!
We took the Sbahn train from Marienplatz to Porscheplatz which stops directly outside the
museum, I suppose we shouldn’t have been surprised that Porsche have their own station! or there is a carpark if you choose to drive to the museum.
Admission: 10 euro (adult). Exceptionally good value.
The museum is fully accessible for everyone, there are lifts to take you between the floors & exhibitions, they also offer guided tours for the sensory impaired and people with dementia.
The museum is closed on Mondays.
We had been looking forward to our visit and we were not disappointed, the entire Porsche site at Zuffenhausen covers a jaw dropping 670,000 square metres, it looks amazing!
Before we even stepped inside, we were struck by the engineering elegance and almost futuristic design of the museum building!
Porsche have been expanding their collection of cars since the 1950’s, it now boasts around 700 cars including 200 racing and rally cars. Up to 95 cars are on display over an area of 5600 square metres along with smaller exhibits and models. Displays are changed at regular intervals.
The cars are not merely museum pieces, some of them can be seen in action at well-known motorsport events including the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
As you would expect from a company with the status of Porsche the museum offers an unforgettable experience with superb displays and exhibitions of the past and present; bright, spacious and stylish.
Even the escalators which give you a view of Porscheplatz as they transport you up to the exhibits, are worthy of mention!
The cars are not roped off or behind barriers so you can get up close to appreciate the beauty of these amazing pieces of engineering. There is usually at least one car open for visitors to sit in and feel the style that only comes from a Porsche.
There are information boards and photographs relating to all the exhibits along with rolling video shots so you can see and hear some of the cars in action.
We found one or two surprises; how many people know that Porsche designed tractors! They worked in
association with a German and an Austrian company who both used the design of the Porsche engine between 1937 and 1956 when production was transferred to Porsche and the tractors were called Porsche-Diesel. Production ceased in 1963. Tractors that were produced between 1956 and 1963 bear the Porsche name.
Other facilities at the museum:
Coffee Bar – in the foyer. Our coffee break was enhanced by being able to look through the glass partition into the Museum Workshop and watch the mechanics working on the vehicles, I suspect that this may be unique to Porsche!
Christophorus Restaurant – offering Mediterranean cuisine whilst enjoying a view of Porscheplatz, also used for events.
Boxenstopp (Pit Stop) – a bistro near the main entrance
Museum Shop – where you can pick up momentoes of your visit
The museum exudes all the style and elegance that is synonymous with Porsche!
If you are a motorsport fan, of an engineering mind or simply appreciate style and elegance of buildings and their interiors then this is for you!