Nationales Automuseum – The Loh Collection

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The core of the museum is the private vehicle collection of entrepreneur Friedhelm Loh. In 2015 a foundation set up for this purpose took over a factory site in Ewersbach where large boilers had been manufactured since 1908, most recently by Buderus and Omnical. The historic halls were carefully converted and supplemented with an entrance building with a red foyer, an exhibition cube, and a new hall for special exhibitions. The museum opened on July 23, 2023.

On around 7,500 square meters in eleven halls and rooms, it shows some 160 vehicles from 1885 to the present: pioneering automobiles, design icons, prototypes, one-offs, and race cars. Staged settings such as a banked curve, an automated parking rack serving as a multistory “type case” display, a cinema arcade with historic facades, an engine gallery, and a technical center structure the tour. Among the best-known pieces are Michael Schumacher's last world championship Ferrari, John F. Kennedy's Lincoln Continental, and the one-of-a-kind Maybach Exelero.

Changing special exhibitions – so far on topics such as 100 years of Le Mans, Ferrari, and Formula 1 – complement the permanent exhibition; in a separate hall, the Geschichtswerkstatt Neuhütte (local history workshop) tells the story of iron smelting in the Dietzhölztal valley. By July 2026, more than 275,000 visitors had come. The museum is a recognized extracurricular learning site, runs a university campus, and has received awards including the Heritage Cup of the FIA Founding Members' Club.

Highlights

• Michael Schumacher's last world championship Ferrari
• Lincoln Continental of U.S. President John F. Kennedy
• One-of-a-kind Maybach Exelero
• Museum banked curve and car “type case” with more than 30 vehicles
• Historic cinema and engine gallery

Permanent exhibitions

• Faszination auf Rädern – Around 130 vehicles from more than 140 years of automotive history in themed areas, with banked curve, car type case, cinema, engine gallery, and technical center; open in 2026 until November 22.
• Geschichtswerkstatt Neuhütte – Free exhibition by the Geschichtswerkstatt Neuhütte Dietzhölztal association on 2,500 years of iron smelting and the industrial site since 1908.

Founded

2023

Operated by

Stiftung Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection

Admission & discounts

Tickets are valid for one year from the date of purchase; buying online is recommended to avoid waiting. The Geschichtswerkstatt Neuhütte exhibition is free. Private guided group tour (up to 20 people) €195 plus admission.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

Accessible according to the museum; the special exhibition on the upper floor can be reached by elevator. Wheelchairs, rollators, and strollers are not available for loan.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Stroller-friendly

The museum explicitly sees itself as a destination for the whole family and offers a family ticket. Courses such as “Seifenkisten bauen” (building soapbox cars) or “Auto zeichnen” (drawing cars) can also be requested through the school holiday pass program. Strollers are welcome.

Getting there & parking

Arrive by car via the A45; about 120 kilometers each from Frankfurt Airport and from downtown Cologne.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Restaurant & diner “New York New York” (Wed–Fri 11:00–22:00, Sat/Sun 10:30–22:00, reservation recommended) and outdoor café “Avus”, both also accessible without a museum ticket. Museum shop (items available on site only). Free coat check, lockers with €1 deposit.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 500 guests.

Spaces from 80 to 350 m² for up to 500 guests, including a boardroom (up to 24 people) and a panorama lounge overlooking the exhibition hall; catering by the museum restaurant.

Plan your visit