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.
WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend – Memorial Day Weekend
May 24 @ 9:00 am, ending May 25 @ 5:00 pm
$20 – $30
NOTE: EVENT ADMISSION INCLUDES ADMISSION TO MUSEUM
Our WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend on Memorial Day Weekend is where you can see some of the American Heritage Museum’s tanks including the M4 Sherman, M24 Chaffee, M5 Stuart, M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer, and more! Captivating historical narration will bring these amazing machines to life.
Gates open at 9:00am and close at 5:00pm each day. Tank driving demonstrations are ongoing through the entire day with at least 1-2 or more tanks driving on the operation grounds. Don’t miss the WWII Parade of Armor taking place at 11:00am and 2:00pm featuring all the tanks on display with historical narration. WWII re-enactor camps such as the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, Able Company will be here with displays and exhibitions through the weekend.
All three museums will be open: The American Heritage Museum, The Historic Aviation Hangar and Classic Automobile Barn. This is a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s most rare aircraft, extraordinary American classic automobiles, historic tanks, armored vehicles, military artifacts and much more.
There is over 100,000 square feet of space within the American Heritage Museum and Hangar combined.
Picnics are allowed.
Event Schedule
9:00am – 5:00pm
Gates Open – All museum buildings open to visitors.
9:30am – 4:30pm
Re-enactor encampments open to all visitors.
10:00am – 4:00pm
War Gaming Demonstrations – American Heritage Museum
Guides will be demonstrating tabletop strategy war gaming in the American Heritage Museum through the day, explaining how games are played and how you can get a start in this unique hobby.
10:00am – 4:00pm
Paint-A-Tank – In Front of American Heritage Museum
For kids of all ages – come to the Paint-a-Tank tent in front of the museum to get a 3D printed tank to paint in the battle colors YOU choose! $5 donation per tank.
11:00am – 11:45am
World War II Parade of Armor – Driving Grounds
All World War II tanks in operation on the Tank Driving Grounds with narration by our resident historians and our invited World War II veteran guests. Includes the M4 Sherman, M24 Chaffee, M5 Stuart, and M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer.
2:00pm – 2:45am
World War II Parade of Armor – Driving Grounds
Our second presentation of the day with a similar schedule to the 11:00am program.
5:00pm
All museum grounds and buildings close for the day.
Event Weekend Map – Click for full size PDF
Event Day Admission Tickets
Admission for the Saturday and Sunday events are as follows:
$30 Adults | $25 Seniors/Veterans | $20 Children 3 to 16 years old
Members, WWII/Korean War Veterans and Children Under 3 are Free – No ticket required. Admission discounts can not be used for special event weekends.
*EVENT ADMISSION INCLUDES ADMISSION TO AMERICAN HERITAGE MUSEUM
Online Tickets Available Soon!
Admission for AHM / CF Members
This is a Members Free Event Weekend: one (1) free admission per day for Individual and Participating Members, two (2) free admissions per day for Dual Members, and two (2) adult and two (2) child free admissions per day for Family Members. No advance ticket purchase required, just bring your VALID membership card or recent membership receipt to the entry gate for proof. You may buy tickets online or at the gate for any additional people in your party.
Tank Driving Experiences and Tank Rides Available
Tank Driving experiences and Tank & Half Track Rides will be taking place over the weekend. You can register online, by phone, or on-site, but spaces are limited!
Tank Ride Experience Prices:
– M36 Jackson (10 minute ride) – $195 per person – Maximum of five (5) riders per trip (four in turret, one in bow gunner position. Click here to book.
– M24 Chaffee (10 minute ride) – $595 per group of Three (3) persons – two in the turret, one in the bow gunner position. Click here to book.
– M4 Sherman (10 minute ride) – $595 per group of Two (2) persons – one in the turret, one in the bow gunner position. Click here to book.
Tank Driving Experience Prices:
– M24 Chaffee Light Tank (20 minutes driving the tank) – $995.00 donation (tax deductible) Click here to book.
– M4 Sherman Medium Tank (20 minutes driving the tank) – $1495.00 donation (tax deductible) Click here to book.
Schedule your tank driving or ride experience above or call 978-562-9182 to reserve.
