Museum covering more than 125 years of carmaking in Eisenach – from the Wartburg Motorwagen to Dixi and BMW to the East German Wartburg – in the historic factory building O2.
From April 2, 2026
Compares three cars each from East and West Germany, along with motorcycles and bicycles, and explores mobility and everyday life in the divided country. No end date has been published.
Eisenach is one of Germany's oldest automobile manufacturing locations. In 1896, industrialist Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, which soon afterward built the first Wartburg Motorwagen. Later, Dixi-brand cars rolled off the assembly line here, before BMW took over the plant in 1928 and produced, among other models, the 328 sports car. After World War II, the plant first produced vehicles under Soviet administration as EMW; from the mid-1950s, it built the Wartburg, which remained in production until 1991. Since 1992, Opel has been manufacturing cars in a new plant in Eisenach.
A first automobile museum, the Wartburg-Pavillon on Wartburgallee, opened on October 27, 1967, and welcomed its millionth visitor just ten years later. After German reunification, the exhibition had to make way and from 1994 could only be seen in a temporary setting. On June 4, 2005, the museum opened in the listed building O2 of the former automobile plant, which BMW had built in the mid-1930s; the building was renovated through 2016.
Since April 2014, the Stiftung Automobile Welt Eisenach has run the museum. The collection ranges from the Wartburg Motorwagen through Dixi and BMW models to EMW, Wartburg, and Opel, and also includes motorcycles and testimonies of the plant's history. Changing special exhibitions explore individual chapters – in 2026, for example, carmaking in East and West.
| Adults | €12 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6School students, university students, apprentices, people with severe disabilities |
| Children & teens | €6free up to age 6 · Children up to age 6 free; school students pay the reduced price. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6The price list gives a rate of €4.50 for companions. |
| Students & apprentices | €6 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €9 per personSchool groups of 10 or more €4.50 per person. |
| Families | €302 adults with up to 3 children or grandchildren up to age 16. |
| Companion | €4.50 |
| Guided tour for adult groups (60 min.) | €80plus admission |
| Guided tour for school groups (60 min.) | €40plus admission |
The exhibition and event spaces are generally accessible and reachable for wheelchair users; in some areas of the first floor, aids are needed, and staff will help.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €30 · 2 adults with up to 3 children or grandchildren up to age 16. |
Dedicated audio guide for children. Children up to 6 years old have free admission.
Free parking
Free parking behind the museum. Groups with multiple vehicles, please register in advance; the gate to the parking lot at the Ostkantine will then be opened.
Museum café with drinks, bratwurst, pastries and snacks. Dogs on a leash welcome. Online shop.
Up to 199 guests.
Ehrhardt-Saal (450 m², up to 199 guests) with bookable event technology and a view of the Wartburg; inquiries to event@awe-stiftung.de.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Good to know | Audio guide for adults and children. Group tour “Geschichte des Eisenacher Automobilbaus” (History of Carmaking in Eisenach; 60 minutes) by appointment with visitor services. Virtual tour online. |
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