Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile

About the museum

The Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile is among the oldest of its kind: the resolution of the Comune di Torino establishing it is dated 19 July 1933. It was conceived by Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, who gathered the first collection of cars, chassis and engines; the first temporary seat was in the rooms under the stands of the municipal stadium, where the museum opened to the public in 1939.

The present building, designed by the architect Amedeo Albertini along Corso Unità d'Italia, was built mainly with the support of car manufacturers and inaugurated in autumn 1960, a year after the founder's death. For the 150th anniversary of Italian unification the building was renovated and extended by Cino Zucchi, who linked the existing parts with a long ribbon of screen-printed glass; the exhibition route was devised by the set designer François Confino, and the museum reopened in 2011 after four years of closure.

In 2025 the museum completed an extensive update of its route: some rooms were rethought, the texts were rewritten in inclusive language, and a selection of modern and contemporary works of art was added to the permanent collection. Today the collection includes over 200 original cars from more than 80 makes, from late-19th-century steam carriages to design masterpieces of the 1950s.

Highlights

• Over 200 original cars from more than 80 makes
• Three-level route devised by the set designer François Confino
• Open Garage: storage area visitable by reservation, with around seventy cars under restoration and conservation
• Building renovated by Cino Zucchi with a long ribbon of glass
• Tactile routes with resin models and audio descriptions
• Driving simulators of historic cars

Permanent exhibitions

• L'automobile e il Novecento – Second floor: twenty-one rooms recount the historical evolution of the car in relation to the political, economic, artistic and social events of the 20th century.
• L'automobile: ingegno e passione – First floor: eight rooms devoted to the people who designed, built, drove or simply loved the car.
• Open Garage – Basement: storage area visitable by reservation, with around seventy cars undergoing restoration and conservation.

Founded

1933

Visitors per year

approx. 207,270

Admission & discounts

Prices include the museum and temporary exhibitions. Free admission also for ICOM members, journalists registered with the Order of Journalists, holders of the Abbonamento Musei Torino Piemonte and the Torino+Piemonte Card, licensed tourist guides with an ID badge and certified teachers. Discounts for those travelling with Trenitalia (CartaFreccia, Intercity, season and regional tickets) on the conditions indicated on the museum's website.

Accessibility

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

The exhibition route is free of architectural barriers. A free wheelchair is available at the ticket office; for wheelchair users the ramp in via Richelmy is recommended. There are tactile panels with maps, raised drawings with Braille texts and resin models with audio descriptions in Italian and English (activated by raised QR code or NFC). Audio guides in LIS (Italian Sign Language) and in international sign language are available. Disabled parking spaces in the vicinity. The Open Garage is not accessible to people with mobility difficulties.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

Activities for families with children aged 3 to 12, in collaboration with ARTECO (about 90 minutes, up to 18 children, one accompanying adult per child). Changing table and high chair available. The museum is part of the network of family- and kids-friendly museums “Nati con la Cultura”.

Getting there & parking

By car: all motorways converge on the Turin ring road; the Corso Unità d'Italia exit is recommended, then follow the signs for the museum.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Caffè Vergnano on the ground floor, accessible from inside the museum or from via Richelmy (breakfast and lunch, indoor room and outdoor seating; Monday 10:00–14:00, Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–19:00). Bookshop near the entrance (Monday 9:30–14:00, Tuesday–Sunday 9:30–19:00). A museum ticket is not needed to enter the café and the bookshop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum provides spaces for events and conferences; for booking the conference spaces: congressi@museoauto.it.

Plan your visit