Nearly six million visitors have been welcomed to the Porsche Museum since its opening on 31 January 2009.
Fifteen years ago, the Porsche Museum opened its doors to visitors from all over the world for the first time. Since 31 January 2009, it has taken 5,824,325 people on a fascinating journey through the history and development of the Porsche brand.
This figure includes celebrity visitors such as Paris Hilton, the Backstreet Boys, Vladimir Klitschko, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mario Barth, Patrick Dempsey, AC/DC, Peter Maffay, Udo Lindenberg and Georg Hackl.
In 2023, the Porsche Museum broke the 2009 record for the number of visitors. In its opening year, the museum welcomed 511,513 guests, while in 2023 there were 535,613 guests.
“We would like to thank all the fans and enthusiasts who made last year such a special one for us,” said Achim Stejskal, Head of Porsche Heritage and Museum.
“Because of our ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ brand anniversary, the number of visitors to Zuffenhausen was 54 per cent higher than in the previous year. The many interactive exhibition elements and the state-of-the-art presentation techniques visit the museum a thrilling experience for guests of all ages,” he added.
Walter Röhrl, two-time World Rally Champion and Porsche brand ambassador chimed in with his congratulations.
“I would like to congratulate the Porsche Museum on its 15th birthday. I love coming there. It always provides the right setting in which to meet not just faithful fans but also many companions and former racing driver colleagues – and to be reunited in the exhibition with many of the racing cars in which I tasted success.”
“The three super sports cars 959, Carrera GT and 918, which I was involved in developing, are of course also regularly on display. What’s special is that I still get the opportunity to drive these cars for Porsche at various events today. The Porsche Heritage and Museum team has managed to not only preserve the history of Porsche in a very vivid way but also carry it forward into the future.”
Also adding his congratulations to the momentous occasion was Timo Bernhard, Le Mans winner and Porsche brand ambassador. “For me, the Porsche Museum is a special, almost sacred place in which not only the tradition, passion and spirit of Porsche are tangible, but also the company’s entrepreneurial spirit. I was present at the opening, and I have followed all the museum’s activities with great interest ever since.”
“I’m delighted that in my role as a brand ambassador, I’ve been able to play an active part in spreading the heritage message around the world for several years now and participate in the events. I also love visiting the museum because I can revisit many of the racing cars from my career at the exhibition. Recently, my Team75 Bernhard and I had the honour of passing on the first DTM-winning car to the museum team. I wish the museum and its team the very best and many more wonderful years.”
2024’s Diverse Plans
2024 will be all about the 50th anniversary of the 911 Turbo.
Half a century ago, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer presented the first 911 Turbo with racing technology. This car launched the era of the high-performance sports car.
On 30 July, the museum is opening a special exhibition to mark “50 Years of the Turbo”, and will be supporting further Turbo exhibitions in various museums worldwide.
From 25 to 28 April 2024, the Porsche Heritage and Museum will present a special selection of Turbo exhibits at “Retro Classics”. This trade fair will gather vintage car fans and sports car enthusiasts from all over the world in Stuttgart.
At “Solitude Revival” on 22 and 23 June 2024, visitors will be taken on a motorised journey through time with a selection of historical models from the company’s collection.
This year, and once again, a range of workshops and activities for children and young people will be on offer in Zuffenhausen, including “Social Media Ready” or the new exciting and educational smartphone and tablet rallies in which puzzles are solved throughout the Porsche Museum.
Two Special Exhibitions per Year and Worldwide Collabs
Since its opening in 2009, the Porsche Museum has usually curated two annual special exhibitions to mark car- and company-related events and anniversaries.
“Depending on the topic, we focus on the past, present and future, and on fascinating people and ground-breaking technologies,” said curator Iris Haker.
“For the ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ anniversary last year, we restructured the entire exhibition and created a variety of themed displays. Our concept is vivid, and we modify it to flexibly suit the special exhibitions.”
The Porsche Museum also works with other museums all over the world, including the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse Museum, the highest-altitude automotive exhibition on one of the most beautiful panoramic roads in the world.
Visitor Programs Tailored to All
“Over the past 15 years, the Porsche Museum team has regularly launched new programmes and developed existing ones,” said Reimund Heinisch, Head of Visitor Service and Exhibitions.
For example, adults can take part in photo workshops in the Porsche 4Experts area and experience what happens behind the scenes during guided tours.
Porsche 4Kids and Porsche 4School offer a whole range of different activities for children and young people, including museum and factory tours geared towards children, Discovery Stations in the permanent exhibition, Teamspirits outside the classroom, and holiday programmes guaranteed to keep boredom at bay.
“Social Media Ready” is a new addition to the programme in which youths and young adults aged between 15 and 19 are invited to make something special from the photos and videos on their smartphones, transforming them into professional showreels.
Porsche Museum – Event Location
For those wanting to experience the history of the sports car manufacturer exclusively, the Porsche Museum can be booked out for events.
“The museum is a very special events venue, not least because of its impressive architecture. An event staged in our rooms gives guests the unfiltered Porsche experience – something they won’t be forgetting any time soon,” said Philipp Schumm, Head of Communication and Events, Porsche Museum.
The team also stages a series of its own events, including the Porsche Sound Night, Porsche 4Kids cinema events with Checker Tobi, or the live broadcast of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
History Shopping
The Porsche Museum shop invites visitors to browse and discover. Whether you’re looking for a souvenir for a child or adult, select clothing and items from the Porsche Lifestyle collections, or special limited edition products for collectors, the museum shop offers customers and fans a wide range of products.
You’ll also find many publications relating to the history of the Porsche brand. The titles in the “Edition Porsche Museum” series are a central part of the literature in the museum shop, since the Porsche Museum’s own publishing house is also celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.
“Along with the museum shop, we also look after the factory shops in Zuffenhausen and Weissach, as well as our business-to-business customers,” said Alexander Keck, Head of Resource Management and Shops.
Time to book a visit to the Porsche Museum, methinks.
Photo Credits: Porsche
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