The American Heritage Museum is open today! Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Open 10am to 5pm.
Hello all good people! The American Heritage Museum will be open on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 20th, 10am to 5pm. We are looking forward to seeing you soon.
The American Heritage Museum is excited to announce the launch of a new restoration project aimed at restoring a rare and historically significant piece of original World War II armor: the Type 97 Tankette “Te Ke,” used by the Imperial Japanese Army.![]()
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Read the full article at: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/2025/01/rare-japanese-type-97-tankette-te-ke-restoration-project-b...![]()
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The Type 97 Tankette was a light armored vehicle developed and employed by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Introduced in 1938, the Te-Ke was designed as a reconnaissance and infantry support vehicle, embodying Japan’s focus on lightweight, mobile forces. ![]()
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The Type 97 Tankette was powered by a 65 horsepower, inline 4-cylinder diesel engine, giving it a top speed of around 26 mph. It featured a two-man crew: a driver and a gunner/commander. Armament included either a 37 mm Type 94 tank gun or a 7.7 mm Type 97 machine gun, making it effective against lightly fortified positions and infantry but inadequate against heavier tanks.![]()
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Our particular project vehicle has been determined to be a variant of the Te-Ke that was specifically designed as a gas scattering vehicle to either deploy chemical agents such as mustard gas or other chemical agents offensively or similarly scatter agents to counter poison gasses defensively. Vehicles in this role carried their scattering agents in a towed tracked trailer and though we do not have one of these trailers, we are actively looking for one to add to the restoration.![]()
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The rare Type 97 Tankette will be restored at the American Heritage Museum by our restoration team over the next 3-4 years and will include a full overhaul of the original and rare Ikegai air-cooled diesel engine that is part of the project. We intend to restore it to operational configuration as a running tank and it will eventually become part of an enhanced exhibit documenting the years leading up to World War II. The restoration team is seeking any technical materials, drawings, or documentation of the Type 97 Tankette type – so if you have any resources to assist, please email us at admin@americanheritagemuseum.org
A huge THANK YOU to our hardy re-enactors, dedicated volunteers, and enthusiastic guests for braving the cold and muddy conditions this past weekend for the Battle of the Bulge History Experience! This was our first cold weather outdoor experience and we were happy to welcome so many visitors who took part, deploying in the M3 Half Tracks to our slice of the Ardennes Forest! Please enjoy a selection of photos from Warren Disbrow and Roland Brooks from the weekend! Let us know if you think we should plan another in 2025! #AmericanHeritageMuseum #battleofthebulge #tanklife #WWII #worldwar2 #WorldWarII #WorldWarIIHistory #1944 #visitma #hudsonma
Looking for an adventure with the kids during school break? Come visit us at the American Heritage Museum! We are open today (Monday 12/30) and tomorrow (Tuesday 12/31), 10am to 5pm. Fun activities and Jim will have the game board set up.
- This event has passed.
Battle of the Bulge History Experience Weekend
December 28, 2024 @ 10:00 am, ending December 29, 2024 @ 4:00 pm
$20 – $40
Join us on December 28th and 29th for the Battle of the Bulge Commemorative Weekend at the American Heritage Museum to honor the 80th Anniversary of the German offensive siege that surrounded and cut-off the Allies in the Ardennes region of Europe during the Winter of 1944/1945.
Over 40 re-enactors of the 101st Airborne and other Allied forces will be entrenched in our woods, encircled by over 40 German re-enactors in opposing positions, recreating the dire weeks of uncertainty that took place eight decades ago before the Allies were able to push forward. You’ll experience what it would have felt like to be stranded in the cold forests like soldiers in 1944.*
Frequently Asked Question: Is this a battle re-enactment?
Answer: No, this is an encampment and living history experience only.
There are no battles or skirmishes for this event.
Admission to the American Heritage Museum is Included in Your Event Ticket
Your ticket to the history experience weekend includes admission to the world-famous, American Heritage Museum, featuring over 67,000 square feet of climate-controlled display space highlighting vehicles, tanks, aircraft and artifacts from World War I through the modern era!
Your Transportation Back 80 Years is a Real WWII Military Vehicle!
Adding to the experience of going back in time, all guests will be shuttled from the museum to the encampments and back on a 1943 vintage M3 Half Track or 1943 Dodge Command Car, like ones used by soldiers at that time.* This experience alone is worth the ticket as WWII half-track rides are traditionally $30 per person.
Food & Beverage Available This Weekend!
The Kith & Kin Food Truck will be operating a “Pop Up” canteen in the Museum over the weekend from 11am to 3pm daily for our visitors. Grab a quite bite for lunch or warm up with a hot beverage! Take a look at their menu offerings at this link!
Advance Sale Discount Tickets Available
Save by purchasing your combo tickets online before the event weekend. Tickets include museum admission and the Battle of the Bulge History Experience.
Adult – $40.00 ($48 on the day of the event)
Senior (62+) – $36.00 ($40 on the day of the event)
Veterans/Military – $36.00 ($40 on the day of the event)
Children 16 & Under – $20.00 ($27 on the day of the event)
Battle of the Bulge History Experience Pricing on Event Day
If you already have admission tickets for the American Heritage Museum and wish to buy tickets for the Battle of the Bulge History Experience only on the day of the event, they will be available for $25 Adults / $20 Seniors & Veterans / $15 Children Under 16. Tickets are not available for the history experience only without admission to the museum.
American Heritage Museum Members get $5 off Event Day Experience Tickets
If you are a current member, you get $5 off the event day pricing in the paragraph above when you use your membership for free museum admission.
Standard museum admission is available on the event weekend if visitors choose not to participate in the history experience.
The American Heritage Museum will be open each day until 5:00pm but the last ride from the encampments will be at 4:00pm each day as the camps will close at sunset each day – please plan accordingly.
*Please note: Participants should be physically fit enough to board and disembark a 1943 vintage military vehicle without assistance or accommodation. Due to the rough nature of the encampment zone and the potential for cold & inclement weather, we do not recommend the experience for guests in poor health, with mobility or circulation issues, and children under the age of 3.
