One of the world’s most important motorsport museums reopens its doors on 28 May 2026, following 11-month renovation and extension works. With the project completed, the former Musée des 24 Heures du Mans, which first opened at the entrance to the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in 1961, has been reborn as the M24 Motorsport Museum, with seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton named as patron.
Prior to its 2025 closure, the museum attracted 208,500 visitors in 2024. The original 1961 building has been reroofed and extensively renovated, while a new extension designed by French architect Frédéric Audevard increases the total exhibition capacity by around a third to 8600m2. The renovation work was overseen by MACO, a new joint venture formed in 2022 by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and luxury watchmaker Richard Mille.
The M24 collection is built around the cars owned by the ACO as well as vehicles from Richard Mille’s personal collection and spans a wide breadth of motor racing history. Comprising 197 pieces split across six disciplines, the collection includes machinery from F1, rallying, IndyCar, motorcycle racing and CanAm. One-hundred of the vehicles are said to be maintained in working order.
Highlights of the collection include a 1928 Tracta Gephi, a 1971 Porsche 917LH, the 1991 Le Mans-winning Mazda 787B, Michael Schumacher’s championship-winning Ferrari F2002 and a 2020 Toyota TS050. The Mercedes W09 that Lewis Hamilton used to beat Sebastian Vettel to the 2018 F1 title will also be on display.
The museum layout is divided into 12 themed areas split across two sections. The first follows the narrative arc of a 24-hour endurance race, taking visitors from scrutineering and the startline, through the night hours and on to the finish, brought to life with life-size dioramas and a materials library where visitors can handle steering wheels, driving gloves and race suits. Champions Alley then pays tribute to 35 motorsport figures including Ayrton Senna, Jacky Ickx, Tom Kristensen, Michael Schumacher, Michèle Mouton and Sébastien Loeb.
Housed in the new extension and bathed in natural light, the second section broadens the focus to F1, rallying and IndyCar.
The working workshop, where visitors can view cars undergoing real restoration work, is another compelling M24 addition. The workshop currently houses three cars: the 3-Litre Bentley that won the 1924 24 Hours of Le Mans – the oldest surviving winner of the race, the Ferrari 166 MM that was the first Prancing Horse to win Le Mans in 1949, and a Ford GT40.
‘What’s been built here is more than a traditional car museum, it’s a home for motorsport, a place that tells stories of races, of people and technology that have made Le Mans and motorsport so special,’ said Lewis Hamilton. ‘M24 also brings together an incredible collection of race cars and memorabilia, including one of the biggest collections of F1 cars anywhere in the world.’
The M24 Motorsport Museum opens on 28 May 2026. Further information and ticket prices are available here.
