The history of the automobile holds a special fascination for all age groups. The Mercedes-Benz Museum offers numerous special amenities and services tailored especially to families with children and school classes – from the children’s audio guide through children’s birthday parties to free children’s dishes in the restaurant.
Before they embark on a tour of the museum, children are presented with a “discovery book” at the ticket counter. This free little guide provides children with a fun way to explore the exhibition in keeping with their age. The free audio guide with a special children’s profile is recommended as an alternative for visitors aged six and over. This electronic guide recounts exciting stories in German and English spanning the history of the automobile from its invention to the present day. Alternatively, special guided tours of the exhibition and the “Fascination of Technology” section are available for children, subject to prior appointment.
160 vehicles and a good 1500 exhibits illustrate the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Apart from the sparkling silver Formula 1 vehicles and fascinating gullwing door models, the star attractions for children are everyday heroes – from refuse trucks through fire-fighting vehicles to the police car. Visitors are free to clamber into various exhibits – a chance for toddlers to play at grown-ups and have their photograph taken with their dream car. A further highlight for the slightly older kids is a trip in a driving simulator, which is available to museum visitors of over 1.40 m (4′ 6”) in height.
Admission to the Mercedes-Benz Museum is free for all children up to the age of 14. Schoolchildren aged 15 and over receive a 50% reduction on the admission price. Groups of schoolchildren enjoy free admission to the museum, subject to prior notification. Family parking spaces in the museum’s multi-storey car park, a barrier-free exhibition and buggies for hire demonstrate the Mercedes-Benz Museum’s child-friendly approach. Mothers’ and babies’ rooms and sanitary facilities are also available on all levels.
The Club at the Mercedes-Benz Museum offers a particularly broad range of activities for children. Children’s workshops are available on a weekly basis, subject to prior registration – from the kids’ mechanics course through the Mini DTM to the museum rally. In the school holidays there are also children’s holiday programmes during which the little ones are looked after as they toy with interesting topics relating to cars and get to make their own airbags, for example. A popular option for girls and boys alike is the opportunity to throw their very own birthday party at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Parents can attend to the decorations and catering themselves or call on the support of the museum’s staff. After the tour of the museum, kids are then able to set to work themselves and help deck out the premises. And anyone in search of the right gift will find just the thing for kids and adults in the museum shop, with its souvenirs and children’s collection.
Following a tour of the exhibits, the restaurant at the Mercedes-Benz Museum offers a special service, with a choice of three free children’s dishes on offer for children up to 7 years of age who are accompanied by a dining adult. Children’s toilets and high chairs round off the family-oriented amenities.
For school classes, the Mercedes-Benz Museum offers a unique educational service: Prior to visiting the museum, teachers are able to request detailed literature which will enable them to prepare for their visit and to incorporate it into their teaching curriculum. The literature is aimed first and foremost at primary and secondary school classes.
Teachers can use it to prepare their classes either in unabridged form or as extracts. On arriving at the museum, school classes are welcomed personally and shown a short introductory film. Schoolchildren are then able to explore the museum on their own, with the aid of various booklets dedicated to specific topics. The selected topics are based on the curricula of the state of Baden-Württemberg and cover the areas of Inventors, Motorsport and Safety. The literature for pupils and teachers is provided free of charge