Royal Automobile Museum

Attraction · Car museumAl Hussein Public Parks, Amman

The collection of cars and motorcycles that belonged to King Hussein, telling Jordan's modern history through around 80 vehicles, some dating from 1916.

At a glance

Type: Car museum
Area: Al Hussein Public Parks, Amman, Jordan

Good to know

Accessible for wheelchair users

Why we recommend it

The Royal Automobile Museum tells the story of modern Jordan through the cars and motorcycles of its royal family. It was inaugurated by King Abdullah II in 2003 in honour of his father, the late King Hussein, and it describes itself as the first public automotive museum in the Arab region.

The collection numbers around 80 cars and motorcycles, the oldest dating from 1916. Rather than grouping them by make, the museum lays them out along a timeline of King Hussein's life and his 47-year reign, so the displays move from the early years of the state under King Abdullah I in the 1920s through to the present day. Highlights include a 19th-century bicycle, a Bugatti and the 1952 Lincoln Capri convertible that King Hussein used, as well as the cars of Sharif Hussein bin Ali that reached Amman in 1916, modern sports cars and the rover used in filming The Martian. A photo gallery adds historical context.

The museum suits car enthusiasts, families with older children and anyone curious about how the Hashemite kingdom developed in the twentieth century. It is fully indoors, which makes it a useful option on a very hot day or in winter rain, and it is accessible for wheelchair users. Allow an hour to an hour and a half. Photography fans will find plenty to capture, and children usually enjoy spotting the oldest and the fastest machines in the halls. The museum also helps put Jordan's modern history into context, since the vehicles are tied to state occasions and turning points in the country's story rather than presented as a simple car show. Opening hours differ on Fridays and published closing days vary, so check before travelling across the city.

The museum stands next to Al Hussein Public Parks, in the western part of the city, so you will need a taxi or ride-hailing car from Downtown, Jabal Amman or Abdali. The Children's Museum Jordan is next door, and the large King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque, the biggest in the country, is nearby, which makes it easy to build a half day in this part of Amman, especially for families.