Up Close & Personal with the M18 Hellcat | 360° WWII Tank Destroyer Tour
Welcome to *Up Close & Personal* - a new series where we'll be exploring some of the most iconic military vehicles of WWII and beyond as you've never seen th...Speaker Series: How To Research WWII Veterans - The American Heritage Museum
Autumn Hendrickson, who has spent the last four and a half years working on a project to tell the stories of the men and women from Reading & North Reading, Massachusetts that served in World War II, ...- This event has passed.
WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend – August 2024
August 17 @ 9:00 am, ending August 18 @ 5:00 pm
$20 – $30A fantastic weekend where you can see some of the American Heritage Museum’s tanks including the M4 Sherman, M24 Chaffee, M36 Jackson, and several M5 Stuart tanks as well as other privately owned military vehicles operating on our tank driving grounds behind the museum.
Gates open at 9:00am and close at 5:00pm each day. The daily Parade of Tanks will occur at both 11am and 2pm each day. Tank driving will be ongoing with at least 1-2 or more tanks driving on the operations grounds throughout the day. Some WWII re-enactor camps with displays will be set up.
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.
Daily Schedule
9:00am – 5:00pm – Gates Open – All museum buildings open to visitors.
Docents and guides on staff in all museum buildings to answer any questions and provide more details on the exhibits presented.
9:30am – 4:30pm – Re-enactor encampments open to all visitors.
Re-enactors from groups like the 101st Airborne and German Infantry will be giving hands-on demonstrations and discussions throughout the day.
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.
12:30pm to 1:30pm (Saturday) – Speaker Series – American Heritage Museum
Join us inside the American Heritage Museum for a living history talk about WWII veteran Sgt. Richard Gray re-enacted by his son Jonathan Gray. As part of the 34th Infantry Division, 168th Regiment, Mr. Gray’s first experience in battle his entire unit was destroyed in 36 hours at the Kasserine Pass, in the first US battle with the German Army in North Africa / Tunisia in 1943. He narrowly survived a snipers bullet and became a POW.
12:30pm to 1:30pm (Sunday) – Speaker Series – American Heritage Museum
Join us inside the American Heritage Museum for a talk about WWII veteran Paul Roberts by his daughter Paula Roberts. As part of the 320th Rifle Infantry, Roberts and his regiment fought their way through France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany against the Nazis until he was seriously wounded in March of 1945.
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.
There is over 100,000 square feet of space within the American Heritage Museum and Hangar combined.
Food and beverage will be available for purchase on site and picnics are allowed.
Event Day Admission Tickets
Admission for the Saturday and Sunday events are as follows:
$30 Adults | $25 Seniors/Veterans | $20 Children 16 yrs. and younger
Members, WWII/Korean War Veterans and Children Under 3 are Free – No ticket required. Admission discounts can not be used for special event weekends.\
Your ticket includes admission for all museums, no additional tickets for the American Heritage Museum necessary.
Buy Tickets Online Today!
Tickets may also be purchased the day of the event by Credit Card or Cash at the entry gate on the access road as well.
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 Rides and Driving Experiences 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! All donations for ride or drive experiences are tax-deductible donations as the American Heritage Museum is a 501c3 non-profit foundation.
Tank Rides Available:
– M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer (10 minute ride) – $195 per PERSON. Maximum of five (5) seated riders aboard.
– M24 Chaffee (10 minute ride) – $595 per GROUP OF THREE (3) persons – two in the turret, one in the bow gunner position.
– M4 Sherman (10 minute ride) – $595 per GROUP OF TWO (2) persons – one in the turret, one in the bow gunner position.
Tank Driving Experiences Available:
– M24 Chaffee Light Tank (20 minutes driving the tank) – $995.00 donation (tax deductible)
– M4 Sherman Medium Tank (20 minutes driving the tank) – $1495.00 donation (tax deductible)
Schedule your tank driving or ride experience above or call 978-562-9182 to reserve.