A close look at the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena and the Ferrari Museum and Factory in Maranello, an honest review of both, and help in deciding which one to visit on your trip to Italy’s Motor Valley!
If you’re like me and have car enthusiasts in your family, you’ll want to make a stop at one (or both) of the Ferrari Museums in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region.
We recently visited the area and my boys had a blast visiting the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena and the Ferrari Museum in Maranello. We hadn’t planned on visiting both, but based on the information we had, we couldn’t decide which one was best. So, we decided to check both of them out and report back so you can make the best decision for you and your group!
See our list of the Top 10 Car Museums in Italy
Enzo Ferrari Museum vs Ferrari Museum Maranello
Want a quick look so you can decide which museum is best for you?
| ENZO FERRARI MUSEUM | FERRARI MARANELLO MUSEUM | |
| Cost (adult, 2022) | 22€ | 22€ |
| Focus/Theme | Enzo Ferrari, history of the company and brand | History, Ferrari today, F1 |
| Setting | Futuristic, airy building and Enzo Ferrari’s former home. | Smaller, more closed. Next to the factory and Fiorano racetrack. |
| Simulators | Yes – GT | Yes – F1 |
| Factory Tour | No. | Yes, but on the bus. Visits factory campus and racetrack. |
| Extras | Wall printed with Ferrari models, archives | Trophies, Formula 1 car display, racetrack video, toy Ferrari models, materials display |
| Gift Shop | Small gift shop | Large gift shop |
| Amenities | Toilets, cafe, restaurant | Toilets, cafe |
| Location and Accessibility | Easy – car or train. In Modena center. | More remote. Arrive by car. In Maranello, about 20-30 minutes outside of Modena. |
| Parking | Small lot in front of the museum | Disc parking across the street from the museum |
Good To Know: You can visit both Ferrari museums (Ferrari Museums Pass – Museo Ferrari Pass) at a discounted price. An adult pays 34€ to visit both (instead of 44€). You must enter both museums in a 48-hour period.
Which Ferrari Museum is Better?
Overall, we think the Ferrari Museum in Maranello is the better of the two museums. It has more Ferraris on display, there is more variety in the museum displays, and it’s entertaining for all levels of car enthusiasts – from die-hard Ferrari fans to those with only a basic interest in cars.
The Enzo Ferrari Museum is best for those interested in the history of the Ferrari company and brand and the personality behind it (Enzo Ferrari).
The Ferrari Museum in Maranello is the best choice for families and F1 enthusiasts.
We think our visit to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello was worth it and we’d happily return but would skip a second visit to the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena.
If you’re planning on visiting both Ferrari Museums, we recommend visiting the Enzo Ferrari Museum first, followed by the Ferrari Museum in Maranello.
Good To Know: Although we loved visiting the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, we were all disappointed in the Ferrari Factory Tour. You don’t actually get to go into the factory (more below).
Enzo Ferrari Museum
The Enzo Ferrari Museum (Museo Enzo Ferrari) is in the center of Modena, and the museum is composed of two parts:
- A modern, yellow, spacious pavilion (designed to look like the hood of a car from the outside) that showcases Ferrari models through the years and shows a short film on the life of Enzo Ferrari (displayed on one of the huge walls).
- Enzo Ferrari’s birth home and his father Alfredo’s workshop, which contains exhibitions and exhibits on Ferrari motors, logos, and the life of Enzo.
Good To Know: The museum was formerly called Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari.
Enzo Ferrari Museum – Getting There
Easy to access by train. It’s a quick 10-minute walk from the Modena train station (Stazione di Modena). You can also drive your own car and park in the free parking lot in front of the museum.
Enzo Ferrari Museum – First Impression
It’s got a futuristic, unique look and the building style makes you want to go in right away.
Enzo Ferrari Museum – Buying Tickets
You can buy tickets online or purchase them on-site. The museum doesn’t usually have long lines at the ticket counter.
Enzo Ferrari Museum – What’s Inside?
- Spacious display of Ferraris through the ages
- Wall with printed Ferrari models
- Special exhibit in Alfredo Ferrari’s workshop
- Exhibits on engines, logos, the Ferrari brand, and Enzo Ferrari
- Film about Enzo Ferrari
- Ferrari you can sit in, and have your photo taken (extra cost)
- Archives
Enzo Ferrari Museum – Time to Visit
We spent about 45 minutes visiting both sites, but those more interested in Enzo’s life will want to spend more time.
Enzo Ferrari Museum – GT Simulators
Ferrari fans can see and feel what it’s like to drive a Ferrari! This is a thrilling experience but know that there are restrictions. Our four-year-old was so disappointed, even though we’d already warned him he needed to be 150 cm tall.
Enzo Ferrari Museum – Visiting with Kids
Strollers – You can bring your stroller in and access all parts of the museum. Strollers are a great way to keep walking babies and toddlers contained!
Diaper Changes – There is a changing table in the bathroom.
Snacks – You can get snacks in the cafe inside the museum building.
Touching Vehicles – The museum has a strict ‘no touching the Ferraris’ policy, so you’ll need to watch small kids closely. There are no barriers, just lines on the floor.
Ferrari Museum Maranello
The Ferrari Museum in Maranello is in the center of Maranello, which seems to be dedicated to the prancing horse. The town is full of Ferrari shops, restaurants, and test-drive centers.
Ferrari Museum Maranello – Getting There
Easy to access by train. It’s a quick 10-minute walk from the Modena train station (Stazione di Modena). You can also drive your own car and park in the free parking lot in front of the museum.
Ferrari Museum Maranello – First Impression
Beautiful building with glass windows and a large prancing horse on the wall at the front entrance. It’s not as impressive as the bright yellow ‘car hood’ of the Enzo Ferrari Museum, but we like our photos here better (taken with the Ferrari logo at the front).
Ferrari Museum Maranello – Buying Tickets
You can buy tickets online or purchase them on-site. It’s best to purchase your tickets online because this museum gets more crowded and the ticket line is long.
We had our combo tickets, so we were able to ‘skip the line’ and head right in to see the museum.
Ferrari Museum Maranello – What’s Inside?
- Historical timeline of Ferrari cars
- Ferraris through history, up to present-day
- Scuderia Ferrari exhibits (F1 Ferraris, F1 trophies, F1 driver bios like Michael Schumacher)
- Toy models of annual Ferraris (this was one of our favorite parts!)
- Life-size models of steps in the frame-making process (like hand-pounding the metal to the desired shape)
- Large video screen of the Fiorano racetrack from a driver’s point-of-view.
- Materials and colors for personalized Ferraris – design your dream Ferrari!
- F1 racing simulators
- Ferraris you can sit in. You can also have your photo taken (for a fee)
- Large gift shop at the exit, but you can also exit without going to the gift shop.
- Amenities: Small café with coffee and panini, toilets.
Good To Know: You can go to Giorgio Giochi (a toy store) for die-cast Ferraris and other Ferrari souvenirs.
Ferrari Museum Maranello – Time to Visit
We spent a little over one hour visiting the Maranello museum. I can see spending even more time if you like reading all the panels and really taking in the exhibits (and you don’t have kids with you).
Ferrari Museum Maranello – Ferrari Factory Tour
You can take a ‘factory tour’ of the Ferrari Factory in Maranello, which has been Ferrari’s main factory since 1947. It’s a 45-minute tour on a bus and you drive in and around the Ferrari factory campus. We saw:
- the Formula 1 sport center (the most secretive building for Ferrari)
- the Ferrari-themed ‘Il Cavallino’ restaurant (by acclaimed chef Massimo Bottura)
- the prancing horse statue at a roundabout
- the entrance to the Ferrari factory (the only place you can get out, to take a photo)
- the Fiorano racetrack; we were fortunate to see a Ferrari driving on the track
- a few new Ferraris driving around campus
We were disappointed in the factory tour, as we thought we’d see some of the inside of the factory (even through a window). We were able to stop in front of the building where they add the engines to the frames, and that was by far the most interesting part of the tour for all of us.
Was it worth an extra 15€ – for us, no.
Good To Know: If you can, avoid going on the factory tour on Sunday – there’s not much happening on the Ferrari campus.
Good To Know: You can reserve car seats for the bus. The bus has seatbelts.
Good To Know: The right side of the bus gets the best views in general, but the left side gets the best view of the place where the frames are added to the engines.
Ferrari Museum Maranello – F1 Simulators
The simulators in the Maranello museum are different from those in the Enzo Ferrari Museum. Maranello has F1 simulators, and the Enzo Ferrari Museum has GT. The F1 simulators look much more exciting – you sit in a racecar body and the video screens wrap around you more than the GT simulators at the Enzo Ferrari Museum.
We saw people using both and my boys wanted to try them out! Unfortunately, they aren’t anywhere close to tall enough (see the official website for restrictions).
To give you an idea of the difference between GT (left side) and F1 (right side):
Ferrari Museum Maranello – Seeing Ferraris Outside the Museum
Our kids loved seeing the many Ferraris around town:
- Visitors who drive their own Ferraris to the museum and around town
- Ferraris available for test drives for a fee
- Ferraris that have been assembled and are being tested before being delivered to the client. These were our favorites because they’re the newest and the test drivers rev the engines!
Ferrari Museum Maranello – Visiting with Kids
Strollers – You can access everything with your stroller. There are stairs but you can use the elevator.
Changing Diapers – There is a changing table in the gift shop bathroom (but not in the bathroom inside the museum).
Snacks – You can get sandwiches and light snacks in the cafe attached to the museum.
Playground – There is a small but nice playground across the street from the museum, next to the parking lot.
Touching Vehicles – The museum has a strict ‘no touching the Ferraris’ policy, so you’ll need to watch small kids closely. There are no barriers, just lines on the floor.
You may want to read about Visiting Italy’s Car Museums with Kids
We love visiting the Ferrari Museums in Italy’s Motor Valley – it’s one of our favorite things to do in Italy with kids. We hope this info has helped you decide which one (or both) you want to see!
If you’re visiting the area, you may want to check out:
Modena with Kids
Best Things to Do in Parma
Parma with Kids
Emilia-Romagna with Kids
Ferrari Museums FAQ
As you’re just sitting in a bus and you don’t get to see any of the production process (minus some Ferrari frames sitting outside), we didn’t feel the visit was worth the additional cost.
There is a private shuttle between the two museums (30 minutes). There are only a few shuttles each day and you must pre-book it. See the details on the Ferrari Museum website
The Lamborghini Museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese (MUDETEC) is a must-see for any Lamborghini fans. It’s small but packs a punch with its variety of Lamborghinis and interactive digital displays. Our kids also loved sitting outside and watching and listening to the Lamborghinis being tested on the main road in front of the museum.
They’re the same place – the Museo Enzo Ferrari was formerly called Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari.
