Autostadt

The Autostadt in Wolfsburg is Volkswagen's combined theme park, car museum and new-car delivery center, set in a 69-acre (28 ha) landscaped park on the Mittelland Canal right next to the company's main factory. You can explore brand pavilions, the cross-brand car museum ZeitHaus and the two glass car towers that have become Wolfsburg's landmarks. It is one of Germany's most popular attractions for car lovers and an easy day trip from Hanover or Berlin.

Where it is and how to get there

Wolfsburg lies in Lower Saxony, east of Hanover on the high-speed line to Berlin. Normally the ICE takes 32 minutes from Hanover and just over an hour from Berlin, and from Wolfsburg's main station you simply walk a few minutes across the Stadtbrücke bridge. Important: from October 2 to December 12, 2026, construction on the Hanover–Berlin line means no long-distance trains stop in Wolfsburg, so check regional connections and allow extra time. Drivers should enter "Carl Hahn Brücke" or "Parkstraße" into the GPS; parking costs €1 per hour during the day, with a €6 daily maximum.

A short history

The Autostadt was the brainchild of Ferdinand Piëch, then Volkswagen's CEO, who wanted to present all the group's brands to factory visitors and customers collecting new cars. It opened on May 31, 2000 as part of Hanover's Expo 2000 and cost around €430 million. In 2015 alone it welcomed 2.42 million visitors.

Things to do at the Autostadt

• Car towers: two 48-meter glass cylinders that store up to 800 new cars. Guinness World Records listed them in 2014 as the world's fastest automated parking system.
• ZeitHaus: a museum with more than 260 vehicles from over 60 makes, including a replica of the 1886 Benz Patent Motor Car.
• Brand pavilions for Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Škoda, CUPRA and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
• Driving experiences such as off-road courses and safety training.
• Factory tour: day visitors can join if places are free, but only on production days.

Don't miss a peek at the delivery process: on average around 500 new cars leave the towers every day, traveling by elevator and through an underground tunnel to the customer center, where license plates are fitted before the owners drive off. Between the pavilions, look for the scent tunnel by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, a 15-meter installation of 2,160 flower pots. The park also contains a Ritz-Carlton hotel and a range of restaurants.

Tickets and opening hours

The pavilions and museum open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. A day ticket costs €21 for adults, €17 reduced and €11 for ages 6 to 17; children under 6 enter free, and a family ticket is €51. An evening ticket from 4 p.m. costs €10, and after 6 p.m. entry to the park is free outside event times (as of October 2026). The one-hour "Tour und Turm" tour, daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for €15, includes a ride up one of the car towers. According to the Autostadt, guided tours can be requested in English and many other languages.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you love cars, modern architecture or need a family-friendly day out. Allow at least four to five hours. The buildings are wheelchair accessible, but dogs are not allowed. Nearby you can visit the phaeno science center opposite the station and the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, or combine the trip with Hanover or Hildesheim.