Musée national de l'Automobile

About the museum

The museum occupies a former wool spinning mill founded in 1880 in Mulhouse. The brothers Hans and Fritz Schlumpf, textile industrialists, bought the site in 1957 and secretly assembled a collection of prestige cars, mostly Bugattis. The building was fitted out like a jewel box, with street lamps inspired by those on the Pont Alexandre III in Paris, among other features.

The textile crisis led to the closure of the factory in 1976. In 1977 the employees occupied the site and renamed it “Musée des Travailleurs” (Workers’ Museum). The collection was listed as a historic monument in 1978, which prohibited its removal from France, and was bought in 1981 by an association. The museum opened to the public on July 10, 1982 under the name Musée national de l’Automobile; from 1989 onward it had to add “Collection Schlumpf” to its name.

The site has been modernized over the years: a glass and steel access footbridge designed by Studio Milou in 2006, and an open-air racetrack (autodrome) inaugurated in 2011. The visit includes the Aventure automobile area, covering 1878 to the present day, an area devoted to racing, and the Chefs-d’œuvre area with cars from the 1930s, including two Bugatti Royale Type 41. Activities are included in the ticket price.

Highlights

• More than 450 cars from the Schlumpf collection
• Two Bugatti Royale Type 41, including the Coupé Napoléon
• Aventure automobile area: 243 cars from 1878 to the present day
• Chefs-d’œuvre area with 80 cars from the 1930s
• Jammet collection of children’s cars
• Open-air racetrack and activities (karting, virtual reality, escape game)

Permanent exhibition

• Collection Schlumpf : Aventure automobile, Course automobile et Chefs-d’œuvre – More than 450 cars in several areas, from the history of the automobile since 1878 to racing cars and the prestige models of the 1930s, including the Bugatti Royale.

Founded

1982

Admission & discounts

The ticket gives access to the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions and the included activities. Online tickets (valid for one month if the chosen date no longer suits), self-service machines at the entrance or the ticket office; payment by card, cash, cheque or ANCV holiday vouchers (chèques-vacances). The Museums-Pass-Musées is accepted. No combined ticket with the Cité du Train.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The collection is on a single level and accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at reception against a deposit of €20, without reservation.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Activity booklets for children, a go-kart track for ages 4 to 8, arcade games and a play area; collection of children’s cars (Jammet collection). Guided tours are adapted for school groups. Birthday celebrations at the museum are possible. Free entry under age 4.

Getting there & parking

Motorways A35 and A36, exit Mulhouse Centre. For GPS, enter the address “17 rue de la Mertzau” rather than the museum name. The museum is about 5 minutes from central Mulhouse.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Restaurant L’Atalante, the Chez Fritz café and the Le Gatsby bar, overlooking the racetrack; the restaurant, bar and shop are accessible without a ticket. The shop is open during museum hours. Picnic area on the racetrack terrace; eating is not allowed in the galleries. Lockers are available at reception against a deposit of €10 (limited number), but according to the contact page they are temporarily unavailable because of the Vigipirate security plan. The large exhibition hall is neither heated nor air-conditioned; the restaurant and café are.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 4,500 guests.

Salon Monaco (200 guests for a cocktail or seated meal, 150 for a seminar), Chefs-d’œuvre area (400 guests) and open-air racetrack (up to 4,500 guests for a cocktail); birthdays, weddings, lunches, dinners and seminars.

Plan your visit