We have always felt that an immersive experience in history brings you to a closer sense of appreciation and excitement in wanting to learn more. Aside from flying in a WWII aircraft, there is nothing quite like driving a real tank. The American Heritage Museum is offering a unique tank driving instruction program in the […]

The conceptual roots of the tank go back to ancient times, with large mobile siege shelters that were able to provide protection for troops moving up against large stone walls or fortifications. One of the earliest concepts of a tank comes from Leonardo da Vinci. He came up with a sketch design for an “armored […]

The SU-100 (Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 100) was a tracked Soviet tank destroyer armed with a massive 100 mm anti-tank gun. The tank originated through the simple need from the Soviet Army for an effective weapon to combat the latest generation of German tanks now being fielded across the Eastern Front during WWII. Soviet engineers responded by […]

The 1900s took off with a fanatic craze of flying machines. In 1909, Glenn Curtiss introduced his Curtiss Pusher to this growing industry. The elaborately constructed Curtiss Pusher plane captured the imagination of people worldwide. Called a “pusher” because the engine and propeller are placed behind the pilot and, therefore, “push” the aircraft. The Curtiss […]

Help Support the American Heritage Museum with your Advance Sale Admission, Membership, and Gift Shop Purchases… And Get the Chance to Experience a Once-In-a-Lifetime WWII History Experience! First of all, it is our profound hope that everyone in your family is safe, healthy, and following the CDC rules that seek to get us through this […]

The Kommandogerät (command control computer) 40, known as a Director, was a German optical range finder used principally for large anti-aircraft guns, such as the 8.8cm Flak 36 or the 10.5cm Flak 40. By calculating the length of the tube and the angle at which the lenses were positioned, the crew could pinpoint aircraft target […]

Dear American Heritage Museum Guests and Members, As the spread of COVID-19 disease continues to impact our world, country and state, we have been exploring and evaluating all options regarding our operations. We have made the decision to temporarily close the American Heritage Museum and will continue to follow the Massachusetts emergency orders and guidance. […]

On December 16th, 1944, the Battle of the Bulge had begun, and forces all along the western front were being pushed back by a wave of German troops, tanks, and under bombardment from over 1,000 artillery pieces. The mainstay medium tank in the US Army was the M4 “Sherman” tank, and by December 1944, U.S. armored […]

Hello everyone and welcome to my first “Nametag Defilade” blog post! My name is Owen and I work at the Collings Foundation and the American Heritage Museum as a historian. I’ve been studying military history, specifically mechanized and naval technology and warfare from the 19th century onward, for roughly 15 years, but my interest dates […]

The American Heritage Museum is proud to announce the debut of a captivating video interview with two F-16 pilots as they attempted to intercept the hijacked flight 93 aircraft on September 11th, 2001.  From the remarkable vantage point of these two fighter pilots, Lt. Col. Marc Sasseville and Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney, visitors will access […]

Dear supporters, Please join the Collings Foundation in our thoughts and prayers with those who were on the tragic flight of the B-17 Flying Fortress “Nine-O-Nine” on Wednesday, October 2nd. We will be forever grateful to the heroic efforts of the first responders at Bradley International Airport and the assistance of all local agencies in […]

Progress is moving forward with the construction of the American Heritage Museum at our headquarters in Stow, MA! The building is now fully enclosed and work has started on the inside of the building to prepare it for exhibit installation this Spring and Summer. Over the coming weeks, construction crews will finish the installation of […]

The American Heritage Museum at the Collings Foundation is finally taking shape on the Stow / Hudson, MA line after many years of planning and development – as we move forward with a projected late 2018 opening.