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Ducati To Reopen Museum In Borgo Panigale

Gradual reopening to public starts on July 4, with tour experiences added.

July 1, 2020

Ducati says it will open its museum in Borgo Panigale, Italy, in a limited capacity this week.Ducati

In the wake of its as-yet undeterred spread around the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken out more than its share of major motorcycle events, factory production lines, and all manner of entertainment venues. Ducati, located in hard-hit Italy, completely shut down its plant in Borgo Panigale on March 13, and didn’t restart until nearly May. Despite the assembly lines moving again, visits to the Ducati museum, factory, and Fisica in Moto were still suspended until further notice.

Related: Museo Ducati

We just got that notice today, when Ducati announced that on July 4 (the same date Ducati was founded in 1926, though it didn’t produce motorcycles then) the Ducati Museum and the Fisica in Moto educational laboratory of the Borgo Panigale factory will at long last reopen their doors to visitors. With some caveats, of course.

The sleek museum contains a collection of Ducati motorcycles and some of its early non-automotive products.Ducati

For one, the reopening will be gradual; until September 30, visits to the museum and the educational lab will be limited to Saturdays and Sundays, with the exception of August 3–9 and from August 17–23, when weekday visits will be available. Factory visits are also still suspended for safety reasons, but a new virtual tour of the production lines will be available soon on the Ducati website. (That’s probably the only way US residents will get to see the inner workings at Borgo Panigale for now; US tourists are excluded from visiting the European Union after the bloc finalized its list of 15 safe countries for travel.)

Massimo Tamburini’s personal 916 took up residence at the museum last year, but we’re unsure if it’ll stay there.Ducati

A single ticket will include admission to the museum and a guided tour of the Fisica in Moto Laboratory, a separate space dedicated to the history of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and the laws of physics when applied to the world of motors.

Ducati is also offering new tours and “experience” options that can be tackled by motorbike or on Ducati’s range of ebikes, allowing visitors to discover the surrounding beauty of the Emilia-Romagna area, where Ducati is located, and its history, traditions, and motoring habits.

For example, a visit to the museum and the Fisica in Moto lab can be paired with either of two itinerary options. Option 1 lets you visit Bologna on one of Ducati’s new ebikes, accompanied by E-xplora guides certified by the National MTB Academy. Or you can hop on a rented Ducati motorcycle for several days and go explore the beauty of the Apennine landscape or experience the Romagna Riviera coast via alternative roads and routes.

The Fisica in Moto lab portion of the Museo Ducati breaks down the history of Ducati and inner mechanical workings of its machinery.Ducati

The itineraries are as follows:

1. Ebike: Bologna by E-xplora—Take a short or a longer tour to visit the city center of Bologna, its historical monuments, and the Bolognese hills on a Ducati Scrambler ebike over the course of one day. For both tours, visitors will be accompanied by an E-xplora-certified National MTB Academy guide. If you choose to upgrade, there’s also an opportunity to have lunch at the Ducati Scrambler Food Factory in Bologna.

2. Motorbike 1: Mid-Reno and Savena Valley—A motorcycle tour that’s set up to discover the ancient history of the Bolognese Apennines and its waters along two legendary roads: the Porrettana and the Futa. From the Ducati Museum, you can easily take the Porrettana, the road between Bologna and Pistoia built between the wars that brought about the independence and the unification of Italy. This option can be done independently or by renting a motorcycle at the Ducati Factory Store.

3. Motorbike 2: The Stradelli Guelfi Route—From the Middle Ages to the birth of Romagna motorcycling, the Stradelli Guelfi route has represented a savvier alternative to get to the Romagna Riviera shoreline, avoiding the daily summer traffic heading for resort destinations on the Adriatic Sea. This option retraces the roads that gave birth to motorcycling in the region. Billed as more of a “slow ride,” the Stradelli covers the stretch of Romagna that ends at the Riviera of Ravenna, surrounded by colorful countryside. Here you can also choose to go it solo or by renting a motorcycle at the Ducati Factory Store (price list for motorcycle and clothing rental on the Ducati website).

To learn more about the stages of the different routes, see the Ducati website. For information and reservations, write directly to the Ducati Museum reception service: accreditamento.visitatori@ducati.com.