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.![]()
![]()
Read the full article at: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/2025/01/rare-japanese-type-97-tankette-te-ke-restoration-project-b...![]()
![]()
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. ![]()
![]()
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.![]()
![]()
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.![]()
![]()
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!
Gift Certificates for Tank Driving or Tank Rides or Gift Memberships to the American Heritage Museum!
Give the gift of TANKS with the American Heritage Museum! The history lover in your life will never forget the gift of an annual membership to the American Heritage Museum or a gift certificate for a thrilling ride or driving experience on one of our World War II tanks: the M4 Sherman, M24 Chaffee, or the M36 Jackson!
All of these make an amazing gift for a loved one and help to support the restorations and growth of the American Heritage Museum featuring the Jacques M. Littlefield Collection of Tanks and Military Vehicles and our growing historic aircraft collection.
Gift Annual Memberships to the American Heritage Museum
Gift memberships make a great gift for individuals, couples, and families! Enjoy a full year of free admission to the American Heritage Museum and most special event weekends, discounts in our Gift Shop, and other great benefits exclusively offered to members. Memberships are available for Students (under 18), Individuals, Dual (two persons), and Families (two adults and all children in household).
If you are giving a membership as a gift, make sure and check the “This membership is a gift” box when you purchase online and whether it should be sent directly to the recipient or to you, the giver, for later in-person giving!
Click here to purchase an American Heritage Museum Membership online.
Tank Experience Gift Certificates
When you order a Gift Certificate for the driving and riding experiences below, you’ll be sent a presentation certificate and booking instructions for scheduling your experience (by mail for M4 & M24 programs, by email for M36 programs). We will be offering driving and riding experiences most weekends through the Spring, Summer, and Fall, so there is plenty of time to enjoy these awesome experiences next year!
 |
TANK DRIVING TRAINING
|
 |
TANK DRIVING TRAINING
|
 |
TANK RIDE
|
 |
TANK RIDE
|
 |
TANK RIDE
|
