Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
Museum in Reims
The Reims Champagne Automobile Museum is a surprisingly addictive stop for anyone who enjoys design, engineering, or the simple thrill of seeing machines up close. Set in Reims inside former industrial workshops, it's a collector-led museum where the displays feel personal and enthusiastic rather than overly polished, with rows of vehicles that trace how motoring evolved from the early 20th century into the age of everyday cars and iconic styling.
With around 230 vehicles spanning automobiles, motorcycles, and smaller curiosities like pedal cars and miniatures, it's one of the things to do in Reims when you want a break from cathedrals and Champagne cellars. It's also a great place to visit on a walking tour of Reims if you like mixing the city's big-ticket sights with a more niche, local-flavoured museum that feels like a passion project brought to life.
Table of Contents
- History and Significance of the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- Things to See and Do in the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- How to Get to the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- Practical Tips on Visiting the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- Where to Stay close to the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- Is the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum Worth Visiting?
- FAQs for Visiting Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- For Different Travelers
- Nearby Attractions to the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
History and Significance of the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
The museum is run under the stewardship of a collectors’ association, which gives it a distinctive character. Instead of focusing on a single brand or a narrow theme, it aims to show the breadth of motoring culture: different manufacturers, different eras, and the practical realities of how cars were built, sold, and used. That variety makes the museum feel less like a curated art gallery and more like a vivid archive of everyday technological change.
Its setting in former MMM workshops adds to the atmosphere. There’s a natural logic to seeing historic vehicles in an industrial space, where the building itself quietly supports the story of fabrication, repair, and mechanical craft. The museum’s founding is tied to Philippe Charbonneau, a collector and bodywork craftsman, and that origin shows in the way the collection celebrates both design and engineering.
The standout narrative thread is the museum’s connection to early motoring in the Champagne region. Among the most notable pieces is the SCAR, a rare car from 1908 with only a tiny number believed to survive worldwide. Even if you’re not a specialist, the presence of a genuinely scarce regional vehicle gives the museum a sense of authenticity and local pride that you don’t always get in broader, more corporate collections.
Things to See and Do in the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
Begin by taking a slow first lap just to absorb the scale. The museum’s strength is density: car after car, brand after brand, with plenty of visual variety in body shapes, grilles, dashboards, and materials. It’s worth scanning for the oldest vehicles early on, because seeing a 1900s-era car in person instantly recalibrates your sense of what “driving” once meant.
Then focus on the contrasts. Look at how design choices change across decades: upright early silhouettes, sweeping mid-century curves, and later cars where function begins to dominate styling. The motorcycles add another layer, often showing bolder experimentation in frame design and compact engineering. If you enjoy photography, details are your friend here-badges, instrument clusters, lights, upholstery textures, and coachwork lines.
Save time for the museum’s playful side. The miniature cars, pedal cars, utility vehicles, and oddities create a lighter rhythm between the larger displays, and they’re great for visitors who want a break from reading labels. If you’re travelling with younger visitors, these sections are often the quickest way to spark interest, because they feel immediate and relatable.
Finish in the shop if you like souvenirs that match the theme. The miniature models and reproductions make an easy, compact takeaway, especially if you want something more specific than a generic Reims postcard.
How to Get to the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
Most international visitors reach Reims via Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport or Paris Orly Airport, then continue to Reims by rail or road. For the best deals and a seamless booking experience, check out these flights to Reims on Booking.com.
Reims is easy to reach by train from Paris Gare de l'Est, and from Reims Centre station you can use local transport, a taxi, or a longer walk depending on where you're staying. You can use SNCF Connect to check schedules, compare routes, and purchase tickets for National (SNCF ) and regional trains (TER). For a more streamlined experience, we recommend using Omio, which allows you to easily compare prices, schedules, and book tickets for both National and Regional travel across all of Europe, all in one place.
Local buses can be a convenient option within Reims if you want to avoid taxis and keep the day simple.
If you're travelling by car, driving is straightforward within Reims and can be practical if you're combining the museum with out-of-centre stops in the same day. If you are looking to rent a car in France I recommend having a look at Discover Cars, first, as they compare prices and review multiple car rental agencies for you.
Practical Tips on Visiting the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- Suggested tips: Go in the first half of the day when your attention is freshest, then follow it with a café stop so the visit feels like a highlight rather than an add-on.
- Best time to visit: Weekday late morning or mid-afternoon for a calmer feel and more space to linger around the vehicles.
- Entrance fee: Adults: €10.00
- Opening hours: From May 1 to October 31: 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 18:00 From November 1 to April 30: 10:00 - 12:00 & 14:00 - 17:00
- Official website: https://www.musee-automobile-reims-champagne.com/
- How long to spend: 60-90 minutes for a good overview, or up to 2 hours if you like reading details and photographing close-ups.
- Accessibility: As a museum in former workshops, access can involve level changes or industrial flooring; check current step-free arrangements if needed.
- Facilities: Expect basic facilities; plan a proper meal in central Reims before or after your visit.
- Photography tip: Photograph details as well as full cars; badges, dashboards, and headlights often capture the era better than wide shots alone.
- Guided tours: Not essential, but worthwhile if available, especially if you want context on the rare regional vehicles and the collection’s provenance.
- Nearby food options: Pair the visit with lunch back in the city centre, where you’ll have the widest choice of cafés and bistros.
Where to Stay close to the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
For this museum, staying central in Reims keeps everything easy, since you can reach the collection quickly and still enjoy the city's evening atmosphere afterward. Hôtel Cecyl Reims Centre is a convenient base near central streets and transport links, ideal for a short break with museums and walking. Hôtel Azur is a practical choice that suits travellers who want simplicity and a good city-centre position. If you prefer a budget-friendly option with straightforward access, B&B Hôtel Reims Centre Erlon works well for quick sightseeing days.
Is the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum Worth Visiting?
Yes, especially if you enjoy seeing real objects with craftsmanship and character rather than only reading about history. The museum’s appeal is the sheer concentration of vehicles, the mix of brands, and the feeling that you’re walking through someone’s lifelong enthusiasm for motoring rather than a corporate showcase.
It's also a strong choice if you want variety in a Reims itinerary. Between Champagne houses, Gothic architecture, and war history, this museum adds a different kind of cultural layer-industrial design, everyday technology, and the evolution of style on wheels.
FAQs for Visiting Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
What Other Travellers Say...
Musée Automobile Reims Champagne on Av. Georges Clemenceau is a spacious, airy museum with an extensive, varied collection of cars and motorcycles—from very early models through experimental, racing and rally cars, to vintage fire engines and American vehicles—plus a large display of toy and model cars and some bicycles; visitors can wander the large rooms at leisure, read exhibit descriptions presented in French, buy cold drinks, postcards and automotive-themed items, and use the free outdoor parking, though the interior can get uncomfortably hot on warm days and individual vehicles may have limited explanatory information.
For Different Travelers
Families with Kids
This museum can be a strong family stop because the visuals are immediate and the variety keeps attention moving. Start with a quick “spot the oldest car” challenge, then let kids drift toward pedal cars and miniatures, which tend to be the most instantly relatable exhibits.
Keep the visit to a comfortable length and plan a snack break afterward. A short, energetic museum visit followed by time outdoors often works better than trying to see every vehicle in one go.
Couples & Romantic Getaways
For couples, this museum is a fun change of tempo from Champagne tastings and cathedral visits. It feels a bit off the main tourist script, which can make the day feel more personal, especially if you like design, photography, or quirky collections.
It also pairs well with a relaxed lunch afterward. The museum gives you a shared “something different,” then you can return to the more classic Reims experiences for the evening.
Budget Travelers
This is a good value stop if you want a substantial indoor visit without the premium pricing of some marquee attractions. The density of vehicles means you get a lot to see for your ticket, and it’s easy to combine with free city walking and public squares.
If you’re keeping spending tight, make this your paid museum for the day, then balance it with free highlights like cathedral exteriors and neighbourhood strolls.
History Buffs
If you like history told through objects, this museum is surprisingly rewarding. Cars and motorcycles show social change in a very tangible way-materials, safety features, comfort, and styling all evolve in ways that mirror shifts in industry and daily life.
Focus on the oldest vehicles first, then track the design changes through the decades. It’s an easy way to read the 20th century without needing a textbook.
Nearby Attractions to the Reims Champagne Automobile Museum
- Reims Cathedral: The city's essential Gothic landmark and historic coronation church with an extraordinary sculpted façade.
- Palais du Tau: The former archbishops' palace beside the cathedral, closely tied to coronation ceremonies and royal visits.
- Porte de Mars: A monumental Roman arch that anchors Reims' ancient identity as Durocortorum.
- Musée Saint-Remi: A museum in the former royal abbey exploring Reims from Roman times through later centuries.
- Basilique Saint-Remi: A UNESCO basilica with a vast Romanesque nave and a calm, reflective atmosphere.
The Reims Champagne Automobile Museum appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Reims!
Moira & Andy
Hey! We're Moira & Andy. From hiking the Camino to trips around Europe in Bert our campervan — we've been traveling together since retirement in 2020!
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Planning Your Visit
From May 1 to October 31: 10:00 – 12:00 & 14:00 – 18:00
From November 1 to April 30: 10:00 – 12:00 & 14:00 – 17:00
Adults: €10.00
Nearby Attractions
- Maison Ruinart (0.7) km
Vinyard - Taittinger (0.8) km
Historic Site - Villa Demoiselle (0.8) km
Historic Building - Champagne Pommery (0.8) km
Historic Site - Basilique Saint-Rémi (1.0) km
Church - Musée Saint-Rémi (1.1) km
Museum - Carnegie Library of Reims (1.1) km
Historic Building and Library - Parc de Champagne (1.2) km
Park - Palais du Tau (1.2) km
Palace - Reims Cathedral (1.2) km
Cathedral
