Museo Ferrari, Maranello
Modena was gloomy and drizzly as I made my way back to the Museo Enzo Ferrari. It was from there I would catch the shuttle bus to nearby Maranello for part two of my Prancing Horse experience: Museo Ferrari.
After the 30 minute drive we arrived at the Museum, pulling up at what looked like a racing circuit concourse. The Museum itself was a suitably impressive building, and noticeably busier than Museo Enzo back in Modena. I queued up outside with the other punters – a mixed bunch of all ages and nationalities – grateful for the shade shelters which kept us dry. When I reached the ticket desk I showed my two-museum pass, then headed for the first exhibit room.
The space contained a mock-up of Enzo’s office (another of which appears at the Museo Enzo Ferrari), a number of photos including a through-the-years gallery of images from inside the Maranello factory, and a couple of cars displaying both the raw shell and the completed vehicle.
Similar to my experience at the Museo Enzo Ferrari, I felt the information and items displayed lacked a cohesive theme and flow.
Ferrari 250 LM 1963
Having said that, geez the cars were flash.
Ferrari 812 GTS
The selection of candid photos of Enzo included this ripper.
British star John Surtees joined Ferrari in 1963. It appears that Enzo kept a close eye on the young man’s diet
After a look around, I followed the Museum directions and entered a big display of Ferrari production supercars. They’re impressive, no doubt about it, but I have to say I prefer the historics.
After the modern marvels, I arrived at the Roaring 50 exhibit, a tribute to the heady days of the Aeroautodrome of Modena. As the name suggests, this circuit, founded in 1950, incorporated an airstrip and a motor racing circuit. (Presumably it wasn’t used for both purposes at the same time, but mind you it was definitely a case of safety third back in the fifties.) The circuit was used for racing, testing and general hell-raising, and was a magnet for the rich and famous.
On display were two beautiful Ferrari models that were tested on the circuit prior to Enzo unleashing them in competition.
Ferrari 1957 315 S
1948 Ferrari 166 MM
After spending some time at the exhibit, I followed the crowd further into the museum. Descending a few steps and squeezing through a narrow corridor, I arrived at a display that was nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Unsurprisingly, this part of the Museum was the most popular, and was bulging with visitors. I joined the throng poring over the cars, engines, drivers’ helmets, trophies and other memorabilia on display. When I had taken enough photos and couldn’t take any more of the crowd, I escaped and made my way to the last major exhibit in the Museum: ‘Scuderia Ferrari, The Complete History’. Oh yeah!
In my humble, this was the best exhibit out of everything on show in the two Ferrari museums. An amazing collection of cars, and an in-depth chronology of Scuderia Ferrari from it’s birth in 1929 to the present day.
The black horse of Francesco Baracca, WWI fighter ace, the yellow background for the City of Modena, and the colours of Italy. Bravo!
Humble beginnings: the original Scuderia Ferrari headquarters in Modena
Thankfully the crowd had thinned a little, which allowed me to have an unobstructed gawk at the displays.
I love photos from the old days of Formula 1. My mate and lifelong F1 fan Ed always refers to the drivers of the past with reverent tones, oft stating: ‘They were gladiators!‘ I reckon he’s right. Here’s Argentinian Jose Gonzalez taking Ferrari’s first F1 win at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, 1951. In those days, a single row of hay bales kept everyone as safe as houses.
Having spent a goodly amount of time soaking up the Scuderia Ferrari history, it was time to head home.
2018 Ferrari SF75-H
The Museo Ferrari in Maranello had been a great experience, and although I also enjoyed Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena, it was definitely my pick of the two.
The Ferrari Museum shuttle bus leaves early from Maranello, so having well and truly missed it I wandered down the road to catch the public bus back to Modena. The bus stop was opposite the Fiorano Circuit, Ferrari’s private test track and venue for driving events for Ferrari owners. Peering over the fence, it was pretty cool to see, and hear, a number of Ferraris blasting around.
Also waiting at the bus stop was a couple of Italian girls, probably in their late teens, kitted out top to toe in Ferrari supporter’s gear. At one point, an unbadged Ferrari rumbled by, it’s panels painted in a matt grey, in the way that factories do to disguise a new model’s lines. The girls gasped, grabbed hold of one another, and stared wide-eyed at the car, just like they had seen a pop star walk by. Ferraris have been turning heads for over 70 years, and it’s clear that the marque is still as popular as ever with motoring fans in Italy and all across the world.
A few tips for visiting the Museo Ferrari
- Like everything associated with Ferrari, entrance to the Museo Ferrari isn’t cheap. When I visited in 2024, an adult single ticket cost 27 euro (44 AUD) September-May, and 32 euro (52 AUD) June-August. Compare this to the 15 euro (24 AUD) for a ticket to the National Automobile Museum in Turin, Italy, which is a world-class museum featuring over 200 cars.
- You have the option to buy a pass for both Museo Ferrari (Maranello) and Museo Enzo Ferrari (Modena) for 38 euro (62 AUD) September-May, and 42 euro (68 AUD) June-August.
- If you really want to see Enzo’s birthplace and his father’s workshop in Modena, then grab a combined pass and see both Museums
- If you are short of time and can only visit one Museum, opt for the Museo Ferrari in Maranello. In my opinion, you will get a better all-round Ferrari experience
- A shuttle bus costing 12 euros runs from Museo Enzo Ferrari Modena to Museo Ferrari Maranello and back. The service leaves you 3.5 hours to explore Museo Ferrari, which for most visitors will be ample. However if you are a hardcore automotive fan, and enjoy taking a bunch of photos, you may need a little more time. If you miss the return shuttle bus, a public bus stop is not far from the Museum and will take you back to Modena but beware! Make sure you buy your ticket online beforehand, as unlike around Modena city itself, you cannot buy a ticket on board the bus. (I, along with four other foreigners and a couple of locals did not know this, and when we tried unsuccessfully to use the ticket machine on the bus – which looked identical to all the other onboard ticket machines in Modena city – assumed it was out of order. We were all issued with 77 euro / 124 AUD fines by a team of arsehole bus inspectors that got on, purely coincidentally I’m sure, at the very first stop.)
Have you been to the Museo Ferrari in Maranello? Have you also had a stand-up shouting match with a bus inspector on the way back to Modena? Let me know about your experience in the ‘comments’ section below!
Visit the Ferrari Museums website here
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