Porsche Museum

Description

The Porsche Museum on Porscheplatz in Stuttgart‑Zuffenhausen serves as the in‑house corporate museum of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and illustrates the brand’s technical and motorsport history.

It is located in the Zuffenhausen district, in the Zuffenhausen‑Schützenbühl neighbourhood, in close proximity to the company’s headquarters and production halls. The current new building was opened to the public at the end of January 2009; by June 2011 one million people had already visited the museum. With nearly 450,000 visitors in 2015, it ranked second among the most visited museums in Stuttgart, behind the Mercedes‑Benz Museum.

The first company museum opened in 1976 in a former engine production hall and offered changing presentations of historic racing and production cars on about 620 square metres; the “rolling museum” concept made it possible to present operational exhibits and accompanying film contributions. Due to the growing collection and the increased requirements for a contemporary exhibition venue, the company decided to build a new museum at the Zuffenhausen site. After construction was completed, the building was fitted with exhibits from the end of 2008 and was opened to visitors on 31 January 2009. Construction costs amounted to around 100 million euros. By mid‑2011 roughly 35% of visitors were international; special exhibitions, for example on the role of Ferdinand Porsche, are also part of the programme.

Architecturally, the museum rises above a two‑storey base building on a gentle slope. Above it, a polygonal, seemingly floating superstructure spans the column‑free exhibition space. Across approximately 5,600 square metres of exhibition space some 80 vehicles are on display, selected from a collection of around 450 exhibits suitable for display. A spiral route provides access to the exhibition; there is a workshop, a company archive, catering facilities with views of the plant, as well as conference and terrace areas.

The collection ranges from early prototypes such as the Type 64 and the Porsche 356 “Nr. 1” through iconic production models such as the original 911 to motorsport milestones like the 917 and the 959, and technologically pioneering vehicles such as the Carrera GT. Parts of the display change regularly; individual exhibits are occasionally shown in action, and since 2011 the Porsche Soundnacht has been held as a regularly recurring event format. The museum offers guided tours for various audiences; plant visits are part of its educational programme.