How to visit the Ferrari Museums in Modena and Maranello, Italy

If you’re a Formula 1 enthusiast or a dedicated petrolhead, a visit to the Ferrari Museums in Modena is likely already on your bucket list. Nestled in the picturesque region of Emilia-Romagna, just a stone’s throw from Modena, you’ll find not one, but two incredible museums dedicated to the iconic Ferrari brand.

Now, as someone who loves a weekend getaway and whose husband is a passionate motorsports fan, the prospect of visiting these Ferrari attractions and historic Modena sounded like an exciting weekend for both.  We combined it with a stay in Bologna, turning it into the perfect long weekend getaway.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll equip you with everything you need to plan your own unforgettable trip to the Ferrari Museums in Italy. We’ll help you decide which museum to visit, how to travel, how to book, and share essential tips to enhance your experience.

Come with us to discover how to visit two Ferrari Museums in one day.

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So, let’s start by looking at the difference between Modena’s two Ferrari museums.

Firstly, you have the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena.  This is the smaller of the two Ferrari museums and the easiest to visit.  It’s in the centre of Modena, so extremely accessible.  In fact, you could walk there from Modena train station in less than 10 minutes.

The Ferrari Museum in Modena is a celebration of the life and work of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the famous Italian sports car brand.  It is established in Enzo’s former home, which has been extended to include a state-of-the-art exhibition room.

Next on your itinerary should be the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, just a 30-minute drive from Modena.  Maranello is not only home to this iconic museum but also served as the first headquarters of Scuderia Ferrari, making it a historic meeting place for customers, technicians, mechanics, and racing drivers alike.

The Maranello Ferrari Museum is a dream destination for any motorsport enthusiast or Formula 1 fan.  Here, you’ll find an extraordinary display of stunning Ferrari cars spanning decades, alongside an impressive collection of F1 trophies, memorabilia, and keepsakes that showcase the brand’s rich heritage.

This museum is located within the original Ferrari factory, where the preparation, tuning, maintenance, and transport of cars to racing tracks all took place. For lucky Ferrari owners, the museum offers exclusive factory tours.  If you don’t own a Ferrari, don’t worry—you can still join the excitement with the Panoramic Bus Tour that takes you through the historic factory.

For those seeking an adrenaline rush, racing fans can also pay an additional fee to experience the F1 simulator or take a thrilling Ferrari test drive.

Fortunately, visiting both Ferrari Museums in Modena in a single day is extremely easy, so you won’t have to choose between them! Whether you’re based in Modena, Bologna, or even traveling from other parts of Europe, you could do a day trip to both.

In this guide, we’ll provide you with all the tips and information you need to make the most of your visit to both Ferrari Museums in Modena in one exciting day.

The closest airport to Modena is Bologna’s Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ). We flew from London Gatwick to Bologna in just 2 hours and 15 minutes. From the airport, we took the convenient Marconi Express shuttle service to Bologna Central Station.

This electric monorail operates eight times an hour and takes only about 7 minutes to reach the city centre.  You can easily buy tickets by tapping your contactless card, with a single fare costing just €12.80—it’s that simple!

The Marconi Express is the fastest way to travel from Bologna Airport to the central railway station.  From there, you can catch a direct train to Modena city centre, which takes approximately 30 minutes.  You’ll find several ticket vending machines with instructions in English, making it easy to buy your tickets.

If you’re traveling from elsewhere in Europe, the Modena train station is conveniently located on the Milan-Bologna line.

Once you arrive in Modena, the Enzo Ferrari Museum is just a 10-minute walk from the train station, making it easy to kick off your Ferrari adventure!

The second Ferrari museum in Italy is located approximately 11 miles from Modena, in the town of Maranello.  The easiest way to reach the Maranello Ferrari Museum is by taking the convenient shuttle bus, which takes about 30 minutes.  This shuttle operates a loop between Modena Station and both Ferrari Museums, making transportation seamless.

You can purchase your shuttle bus tickets in advance online, at the Enzo Ferrari Museum, or directly on the bus. You can use your contactless card for all.  The first shuttle departs Modena Station at 10:40 am and leaves the museum at 10:45 am.

You should be aware, that the shuttle bus does get busy, so you won’t be guaranteed a seat.

Alternatively, you can take the local bus to Maranello.  Simply catch bus #815 from Modena’s bus station, which will take you to the Maranello IPSIA stop. The bus journey takes about 45 minutes.

Obviously, if you have your own car it’s easier to drive to Maranello.  There is a small car park directly in front of the museum, as well as another one across the street.

If you plan to visit both Ferrari museums (Maranello and Modena), you will save money by buying a combined Ferrari pass.  However, this has to be used to visit both museums within 48 hours.

You can buy this on the day at the museums, or in advance online.

• 10.45:  Shuttle from Enzo Ferrari Museum, Modena (or 10:40 from Modena Station)
• 11:15:  Arrival at the Ferrari Museum, Maranello
• 11:30:  Self-guided tour of the Ferrari Museum, Maranello
• 13:30:  Panoramic Factory Tour  (11:30, 12:30 or 13:30)* or lunch in Maranello
• 14:45:  Shuttle bus return to Modena Station or Enzo Ferrari Museum
• 15:00:  Self-guided tour of the Enzo Ferrari Museum

*If you want to do the Panoramic Factory Tour at the Maranello Museum, you should book it in advance.  There are only three tours a day at 11:30, 12:30, and 13:30 and they sell out quickly.  The tours are an additional €27 pp.

The factory tour will take you around the Fiorano Track and inside the factory and takes 45 minutes.  Visitors on the tour must remain on the bus.

The Enzo Ferrari Museum opens at 9.30am (9.00am in summer), making it possible to visit there first before going to Maranello.  However, we opted to start our day at the Maranello Museum to avoid feeling rushed.

As we’d stayed overnight in Modena, we walked to the Enzo Ferrari Museum and arrived early to wait for the shuttle bus at 10.45am.  There is also later shuttle at 15:15.

The shuttle bus was busy, but we were lucky enough to get seats.  Upon arriving at the museum, we did a self-guided tour, allowing us to explore at our own pace and fully immerse ourselves in the world of Ferrari.

As you’d expect, the museum is impeccably organised and brimming with stunning super cars.  The tour begins by exploring Ferrari’s legendary supercars and finishes in the Victory Hall, where the museum pays tribute to the remarkable achievements of the Ferrari F1 team.  I really enjoyed it, so you don’t need to be a racing enthusiast to appreciate the experience.

Throughout your visit, you’ll discover the rich history of the Ferrari brand, including the evolution of its iconic logo and the story of its F1 motorcars.

To be honest, our tour through of the Maranello Museum was quicker than expected, lasting just over an hour. While there is a gift shop at the end, we found the prices to be very steep, so gave it a miss and headed straight to the café instead.

Top Tip:  If you have booked the shuttle bus for your return trip, you may have quite a bit of time to kill if you’re not doing the Panoramic bus tour.  Although the museum has a small café, the food selection is fairly limited.  However, there is a really good restaurant about 10 minutes’ walk away.

If you’re short of time, you could book a taxi to get back.  You can book them from the reception at the museum.  However, the taxis come from Modena, taking about 30 minutes and cost approximately €50.  We opted for a delicious pizza nearby and then returned to catch our shuttle at 2:45pm.

The shuttle bus will drop you off in front of the Enzo Ferrari Museum, after a quick stop at the train station.  This museum features a grand exhibition centre, with an impressive collection of Ferraris.  Be sure to watch the film about Enzo Ferrari’s life, as it’s really interesting but not well-advertised.  We saw a showing at 4pm.

In the outer rooms, you can see Enzo’s original office space and private collections. Overall, we spent about an hour and a half at the Modena Museum, which was just enough to take in the cars, film, and exhibits.

We stayed for two nights in La Campanella, a comfortable and well-located two-bedroom apartment in the centre of Modena.  The apartment was clean, spacious and ideal for exploring both the Ferrari Museum and Modena’s historic old town.

If you are planning a day trip from Bologna, consider staying at the Royal Hotel Carlton, a 4-star hotel conveniently located within walking distance from the train station.  For a more luxurious stay, the Grand Hotel Majestic già Baglioni and the Hotel Corona D’Oro both have excellent reviews.

For an unforgettable Ferrari experience, book a stay at the Hotel Maranello Village, the world’s only Ferrari themed hotel.  Originally designed as a residential village for Ferrari staff, it now welcomes Ferrari fans from around the world.

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