BMW

We’d owned BMWs and wanted to see where they were actually made, which is how we spent a day at BMW’s complex in Munich. It’s three buildings, and one day is the right amount. The museum has over 125 cars across several floors: the first motorcycles the company built, old engines, airplane propellers, and concept cars that were never made and never will be. Across the street, the BMW Welt is designed to look like a floating cloud — while we were inside it, a rider revved a motorcycle and drove it up the stairs. At the plant, our guide Peter walked us through the whole line, from stamping the metal to paint to quality checks, robots throwing sparks the length of it. If you’re the kind of person who asks a lot of questions, pay for the private tour.