Munich - BMW museum

BMW-Welt is indeed free. It is basically a new-car showroom and delivery center on steroids, with a number of interesting exhibits mixed in. Since Rolls-Royce and Mini are part of the BMW corporate family, their products are on display as well. There are places to eat, and a terrific gift shop. You can easily spend an hour or two on BMW-Welt alone, just exploring on your own. It is worth a visit.

The more extensive BMW Museum is across the street, with an admission fee and more limited hours.

The boys will also enjoy the campuses of the Deutsches Museum dedicated to transportation -- Verkehrszentrum (U4 or U5 to Schwanthalerhöhe), covering all manner of surface transportation; and Flugwerft Schleißheim (S1 to Oberschleißheim) for things with wings. Flugwerft is on Germany's oldest operating airfield, in buildings that date back to WW1. Just a short walk away are the colorful Schleißheim Palaces, summer home of the Bavarian royal family.

Photos of BMW-Welt, Verhkehrszentrum and Flugwerft Schleißheim are here.

Note that the main Deutsches Museum campus on Museuminsel has just begun a decade-long renovation project. For the next few years portions of the museum and some major exhibits will be closed. Almost all of the fascinating aircraft normally displayed at the main museum have been moved to Flugwerft.

Thank you that helps a lot. One question the boys had, was if the BMW factory tour showed the production of a vehicle. Is there an explanation of the factory tour anywhere?

Thanks!

BMW provides some information here: http://www.bmw-welt.com/en/visitor_information/guided_tours/plant.html

My husband and I toured the museum on our own. I thought it was outstanding and a highlight of our trip to Munich. I got a true sense of how important design is to BMW, especially with the motorcycles. Our son, a mechanical engineer, toured the factory and loved it. A question for your sons would be are they more interested in the artistic development of motorcycles and cars or the production?

The BMW factory tour is separate and must be booked by telephone, shown on Jeff's link (they speak English). My parents and I loved it and you do see all steps of the car manufacture, much of it done by fascinating robots, which is something you don't see everywhere. I would not book a tour at the other sites. (As well, we enjoyed the Deutches Transport Museum and Flugwerft Schleissheim mentioned above.)

We booked the English tour of the factory via email. It was well worth the time.