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.
May 2025
WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend – Memorial Day Weekend
$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…
Find out more »June 2025
Tanks, Wings & Wheels Father’s Day Weekend – Featuring American Elegance
$20 – $30
NOTE: EVENT ADMISSION INCLUDES ADMISSION TO MUSEUM A fantastic Father's Day weekend event! Many of the American Heritage Museum's astounding classic automobiles will be out in the sunshine in a grandiose automobile presentation at 1:00pm daily called American Elegance. Accompanying colorful vintage radio broadcast narration will be sure to entertain! Several other exhibitions and surprises will be afoot. Historic aircraft and tanks will be on display. The American Heritage Museum will be open along with the two additional annex buildings…
Find out more »July 2025
WWII Pacific Re-enactment – Saipan Campaign
$20 – $30
Infantry representing Japanese and American forces will clash in this extraordinary living history event. Camps will be set up with authentic gear and appearance. WWII aircraft will fly in the battle (weather permitting). The Saipan campaign, a pivotal and fiercely contested battle in World War II, unfolded from June 15 to July 9, 1944, as part of the larger Pacific island-hopping strategy employed by Allied forces. Located in the Mariana Islands, Saipan held strategic significance due to its airfields, enabling…
Find out more »August 2025
WWII Tank Demonstration Weekend – August 2025
$20 – $30
A 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…
Find out more »
