Here’s a perfect outing for the European car lover of the family, or car-obsessed child – the BMW Zentrum, a visitor’s center for our very own BMW plant! Located in Greer, the center showcases the car manufacturer’s past, present, and future innovations. This is the only BMW museum in North America and yes, it is free! And did we mention that it’s in our own backyard? The center is literally minutes (under 30 to be exact) from downtown Greenville and just over an hour from Lake Keowee towns of Seneca and Salem.
Just the outside of the visitor center is beautiful enough to want to sit for a while and enjoy a day! The path from parking lot to entrance is through a walkway flanked by large outdoor pools that almost give the appearance that the center is floating in water! There are benches outside if you simply want to sit and watch the fountains. Once inside, the massive entry is filled with collectable BMWs from decades ago to freshly released models. You can see a 1930 Ihle Dixi roadster and interesting vintage models such as those which opened from the front, to modern motorsport cars.
From here, you can check out the Virtual Factory Tour or schedule a tour of the only manufacturing BMW plant in the United States! The tour allows you to walk through BMW’s assembly line and see how their vehicles are built. Starting with the painted body and ending with a completed car driving out of the plant! With about 7 million square feet, the BMW Plant Spartanburg has a lot to see (but don’t worry, you won’t be covering every square foot!). Tours run often with the center open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Be sure to check out the website for details on requirements of touring the plant as well as to schedule your visit.
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