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.
Great time to bring friends and family to the American Heritage Museum. Battle of the Bulge Weekend continues through Sunday and the museum will be open this Monday and Tuesday. Happy New Year to all!
Remember, the Battle of the Bulge History Experience Weekend starts tomorrow! Half track rides to and from the wooded encampments go from 10am to 4pm all day and the museum is open as well! There will be food available in the pop-up canteen in the museum by the Kith & Kin Food Truck too! Remember that the encampments are going to be cold and muddy like they were in 1944, so dress accordingly! Info & Tickets at: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/event/battle-of-the-bulge-history-experience-weekend/
Visit the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, MA!
The American Heritage Museum is open weekly from Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm each day. The AHM is fully ADA accessible and covers over 67,000 square feet in our well ventilated, climate controlled facility. Visitors are encouraged to plan at least two hours for their visit.
The annex buildings such as the Aircraft Hangar or Car Collection are open ONLY on Special Event Weekends (see schedule at this link) and are not part of general admission.
We are sorry, the American Heritage Museum does not have a cafe or dining available at this time. Great dining experiences in downtown Hudson, MA are only 2 miles away.
DAILY SCHEDULE
| MONDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM – MLK, Jr. Day |
| TUESDAY | CLOSED |
| WEDNESDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| THURSDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| FRIDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| SATURDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| SUNDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| HOLIDAY CLOSURES | The American Heritage Museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. |
GENERAL ADMISSIONS PRICING AT DESK
| Adults | $23.00 |
| Children (16 and Under) | $12.00 |
| Seniors (62 plus) | $20.00 |
| Active Duty Military (With ID) and Veterans | $20.00 |
| Children 3 and Under | FREE |
| American Heritage Museum Members (click here to become one) | FREE |
| World War II & Korean War Veterans | FREE |
SAVE $2 PER TICKET BY PURCHASING ADMISSION ONLINE!
Massachusetts EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare Cardholders
We are proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by broadening accessibility to cultural programming.
Massachusetts EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare Cardholders
$3 Adult Admission and Free admission for up to four (4) children under the age of 18 in their household.
Cardholders are able to purchase their museum admission in person. Not valid for special event weekends as listed on the American Heritage Museum website.
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
For simple admissions processing, we encourage you to purchase tickets in advance using our online portal and your tickets may be emailed directly to you. Otherwise, you may purchase tickets at our admissions desk on your arrival. Special Event Weekend tickets should be purchased through the event page (schedule at this link). Tank Driving Programs and Tank Rides must be scheduled and purchased separately and are NOT available on all days that the museum is open (see this link for tank drives and rides including schedule)
LOCATION & DIRECTIONS
The American Heritage Museum is conveniently located in the Greater Boston region in Hudson, MA – about halfway between Boston and Worcester. The AHM is only 5 miles from Route 495 in Hudson. For GPS directions, please use the following address:
American Heritage Museum
568 Main Street
Hudson, MA 01749
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Depending on the direction you are coming from, your GPS may direct you to use Barton Road, Pine Point Road, or Hunter Avenue to access the museum, but this is incorrect. You cannot access the American Heritage Museum from Barton Road as the driveway listed is not actually there. If you are coming from points Northeast, please navigate to the town of Hudson first, then navigate to our direct address.
PARKING
Parking is free at the museum and there are handicapped parking spaces available. Please note that due to popularity in the summer months, our overflow parking extends to a grass parking area, so please be prepared in case of poor weather.
TANK DRIVING EXPERIENCES AND TANK RIDES
For the ultimate immersive experience in World War II living history, the American Heritage Museum offers driving instruction and rides in the M4 Sherman Medium Tank and M24 Chaffee Light Tank on select days in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Ride programs start at $595 per tank and driving programs start at $995 per person. Advance reservations are REQUIRED for all tank experiences as they are only offered on select dates. Please see details on the Tank Experience section of our website or call us at 978-562-9182 to learn more. All participants in tank rides and drives must be at least 5′ in height and all drive participants must be at least 16 or older.
Looking for Hotel accommodations? The Embassy Suites in Marlborough offers special discounts for American Heritage Museum guests. Click on photo to make a reservation or call (508) 485-5900.
