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.
Take a Ride on the Famous Iconic Movie Star Medium Tank of WWII
The American Heritage Museum is proud to offer exciting tank rides in the Spring, Summer, and Fall aboard the M4 Sherman Medium tank used throughout World War II. The M4 Sherman is the iconic tank that was used in all theaters of operations, including the offensive campaign that surged toward Berlin in 1944. This M4 Sherman is also a movie star, being the star of the 1982 movie “Tank” with James Garner.
Tank rides on the M4 Sherman are a donation of $595.00 for two (2) persons aboard the tank. One seat is in the hull gunner position and the other is a standing position in the turret. The ride experience is 10 minutes on the tank driving grounds at the American Heritage Museum.
Ride experiences are being offered in the afternoons of select weekends. Please click the button below for schedules and online booking. Please feel free to call us at 978-562-9182 with any questions.
For safety, all participants must be at least 5′ tall to ride. Children under the age of 14 should be accompanied by an adult on rides if they meet the height requirement.
Gift Certificates Available
Looking to give a tank ride as a gift? We have presentation gift certificates available for gift giving to the tank enthusiast in your family! Tank Ride Gift Certificates are open ended and allow the recipient to schedule their own ride experience. Click here to learn more about and purchase an M4 Sherman Tank Ride Gift Certificate at this link.
Don’t Just Ride – DRIVE the M4 Sherman!
Feel like doing something even more exciting? Learn to DRIVE the M4 Sherman as part of our Tank Driving Experience Program, a one hour training and driving experience that allows you to take the controls for 20 minutes on our tank track! – Click Here to Learn more!
History of the M4 Sherman
One of the most produced tanks of WWII, the M4 Sherman saw its debut storming across the hot sands of North Africa in 1942, and went on to see combat in every theater. M4s could be seen everywhere, from the island-hopping campaigns in the Pacific to the dangerous hedgerows of Normandy, even fighting in the steppes of the Eastern Front. Packing a 75mm main cannon, the M4 was a strong and reliable tank on the battlefield. Through progressive upgrades the M4 remained the definitive Allied tank throughout the Second World War and into Korea. Loved by crews for its ease of use and maintenance, the M4 Sherman remains a symbol of the Liberation of Europe and a testament to the bravery of the crews that fought in them.
SPECIFICATIONS
Armament: 75mm M3 Cannon, one .50 cal. MG and 2x .30 cal. MGs.
Crew: 5, Commander, Gunner, Driver, Loader, Co-Driver.
Engine: 450 Horsepower Ford GAA, 1,100 cubic inch V-8
Range: 130 miles
