BMW is a brand that has long prided itself on embodying innovation, dynamism, and the joy of the open road, and the BMW Museum in its hometown of Munich, Germany looks to embody those same characteristics.
Taking visitors on a journey through over 100 years of car and motorcycle history, it charts a course from the brand’s early days through to the present – and in so doing, it paints a comprehensive picture of the BMW brand’s talent for innovation.
During 2024, the BMW Museum welcomed more than 840,000 visitors, making it one of the Munich’s most popular tourist attractions.
A part of BMW Group Classic, the division charged with nurturing BMW’s history, the brand has always demonstrated a keen awareness of its rich heritage.
The history and architecture of the BMW Museum
While a factory museum was first opened at the brand’s Munich plant in 1966, the BMW Board of Management decided in the late ’60s to build a museum to reflect the company holistically.
Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer, who also designed the BMW Headquarters the Museum sits next to, won the competition to design the building. Known informally as the “Bowl” on account of its distinctive appearance, the Museum concept was presented in 1973 under the heading “Streets and urban squares in the renovated exhibition space”.
Design firm Atelier Brückner took the concept to the next stage by renovating and expanding the Museum from 2004 to 2008, since when the low-rise section of the building has been part of the overall complex together with the “Bowl”.
Design elements dubbed “bridges and houses” were added to the building’s architectural concept, expanding the surface area of the Museum to five times its original size, while a system of ramps shapes the inner structure of the Museum.
The design of the building also includes modern facades for each of the seven exhibition houses, unusual lines of sight through the interior, asphalt floors, and upward-spiralling pathways through exhibition areas to create “a lively urban setting”.
Exhibitions and experiences
At the core of the BMW Museum is a permanent exhibition that takes visitors on a themed journey from the past into the future, with a route leading through each of the seven exhibition houses.
The ‘House of Design’ is all about the brand’s design process, charting the progression from idea brainstorming to style-defining product.
The ‘House of the Company’ explores the history and company culture of BMW, while there’s also ‘House of the Motorcycle’ which tracks the development of the brand’s motorcycle design and engineering arm.
Following on from there, the ‘House of Technology’ displays the technical innovations BMW has employed to meet the ever-growing demands of car and motorcycle design.
This is followed by the ‘House of Motorsport’, where BMW’s racing competition history and motorsport-focused technical developments is “turned into reality with no effort or endeavour spared”.
The ‘House of the Series’ details the development of individual model ranges, such as the BMW 3 Series which this year turns 50, while finally, the ‘House of the Brand’ looks at customers’ personal experiences with BMW cars and examines the subject of sustainability.
Beyond this, there are also temporary exhibitions in the “Bowl” that each have their own theme. Examples include the BMW i brand and the overall sphere of electric mobility.
An hour-long guided tour through the permanent exhibition offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the Museum’s wealth of exhibits, gaining fascinating background insights into the development of the BMW brand.
These tours are led by recognised experts, who are happily able to incorporate specific topics or areas of interest on request, with guided tours, school holiday activities, and children’s birthday parties able to be booked online up to six months in advance. The BMW Museum can also be explored digitally through accompanying content viewable on smartphones or tablets.
BMW Junior Museum offers year-round education
Designed specifically for younger guests, the BMW Junior Museum program invites children and teenagers on a journey of discovery through the world of mobility.
Open year-round, it offers workshops on topics including design, architecture, art, and sustainability. These are available in both German and English, and for age groups including preschool, primary school, and secondary school children respectively.
Designed to fuel creativity, the tour through the main BMW Museum exhibitions included as part of the workshops has been tailored to respond to kids’ interests and meet their varying needs.
This includes the incorporation of interactive elements that allow them to explore mobility from a variety of perspectives, casting an eye over more than 100 years of car and motorcycle history.
The main objective of the BMW Museum’s educational offering is to encourage active engagement with the exhibits on display, with programs including ‘The Design Workshop’, ‘The Film Workshop’, and ‘The Detective Workshop’.
Available for both school groups and private birthday parties, food options are available from renowned caterers Feinkost Käfer. Several times a year, the BMW Museum also hosts a ‘Family Sunday’ with a wide range of attractions including arts and crafts, face painting, and more.
As part of its school holiday program, the Museum also offers bookings for ‘The Design Workshop’ held on every Thursday of the holidays. Designed for children aged 7-13 years old, it offers them a chance to develop their own vehicle designs under the guidance of BMW’s experts using special tools.
