Reviews of American Heritage Museum (Museum)

Henry Levenson

Seeing an Abrams in person was very cool. Highly recommend this museum.

Nuf Ced McGreevy

Collings foundation, American Heritage museum We have been to multiple Collings Foundation events, and always loved them. I respect Rob Collings, and everything he does. Wings of Freedom Tour. Fathers day car shows, Battles for the airfield, Races of the century. Really a hidden gem the world needs more of. I was tremendously excited to hear they were opening a museum. Sadly very disappointing. Waste of time and money. We got it as a package deal with Battle for the Airfeild tickets, so I don’t know how much we paid. Not worth it if it was free. Hoping its just growing pains. I cannot recommend it unless the following improvements are made: 1) The 9/11 steel and the Berlin Wall Slab. These items need to be protected. The 9/11 steel had a velvet rope around it, but did not stop kids from climbing on it. There were little flecks of rust all over the floor. The Berlin Wall had paint chips all over the floor, as people were walking up to it and touching it, leaning on it, etc. Not a good look, and not being preserved at all. 2) The Lighting. There is none. They tried to embrace green tech by using LEDs everywhere. Sadly, you cant see a damn thing. Tanks were always going in and out of darkness, and your eyes hurt from trying to constantly refocus. And forget taking pictures. It just wont work. 3) Labels. There are none. Items are arranged chronologically, but that’s it. No context. A simple plaque in front of each piece, saying what it is, where it was used, how many were made, how many still exist, what kind of engine it has, any war stories known about it. Crazy. 4) Sound. There was a small theater in a corner, showing a video of Veterans talking about…. Something. Couldn’t tell you what. There are speakers pointed right down at you, and they are loud. With the concrete everywhere, its so distorted there is no point to it. PLEASE FIX THE MUSEUM!!! I sincerely hope it will get better.

randy strangman

I got a chance to visit this spectacular museum on October 6, 2018. It is not complete or officially opening until spring 2019. It houses the largest private collection of military armour and artifacts in the U.S. Awesome presentations, historical facts and displays. I am anticipating the grand opening in spring and thanks to The Collins Foundation for letting us get a sneak peak while we enjoyed the WWII reenactment outside. R.Strangman Haverhill Mass.

Ned Cipollini

This is an amazing collection of military vehicles spanning from pre WWII to Desert Storm presented with care. They are not done with the museum but worth seeing again and again.

Jeane' Covey

Was sent here by the lovely staff at the International World War II Museum in Natick, and was completely blown away. This massive building is jam packed with more tanks and military vehicles than our 12 yo could ever wish to see. All 3 of my guys (2 teenagers and partner) completely geeked out for a good 3 hours over all of the Panzer, Abram, Sherman etc...and even I wasn't bored!!

Ethan Couillard

Best tank museum in the North East, one of the best in North America! Extremely modern with tanks from the Renault, to the IS-2, and they even have an Abrams, they have everything! Many of the staff are vets with vast amounts of knowledge about the vehicles! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Anders Schulze

This is a truely amazing museum. I didn't even know it existed, untill 2 weeks ago. I will never forget my visit, the staff is very kind and very knowledgable, if you have a question, they can answer it. It is amazing that they have restored most of the tanks in tge collection. It is amazing that the legacy of these vehicles is being kept alive!

John LeBlanc

This museum is currently open for a short preview period before the grand opening in the Spring of 2019. It has an incredible collection of military vehicles and artifacts from WW1 to the present day. The WW2 collection is awesome. The visit starts with 3 introductory movies. The 1st is about the collection and the next 2 are about WW1 and WW2. The WW1 movie is viewed from a replica of battlefield trenches. Lot's of tanks on display including a Panther, Shermans, and M1 Abrams. Well worth a visit now before they close at Thanksgiving and I can't wait for the full opening in 2019.

Colton Shepard

2.5 hours was not enough time for me at this museum. I was expecting a quick walk through but this museum completely exceeded my expectation. Video presentations are incredible, one taking place while you stand in a replica WWI trench. The collection itself is impeccable and in many cases, also very rare. Staff is very friendly and has much to offer in knowledge, stories, etc. We were even given a nice walk through the maintenance garage where there were two tanks undergoing work that we were allowed to get much closer to.

Matt S

What a fantastic display of military history. Filled with a collection of tanks and other artillery vehicles. They aren't limited to just American either, highlighted by a fully-restored WWII German Panther among other rare and one-of-a-kind relics. The staff is also extremely knowledgeable about the history of each piece in combat and how it was acquired. They're only open Fri-Sun but also on special occasions and by appointment. It's a must visit for anyone with an interest in history.

Dean Emmerson

This is a must see for anyone with an interest in military equipment, vehicles and history, primarily covering World War Two to the first Gulf War. An amazing collection of vehicles that are in great condition, beautifully displayed in mini-vignettes, with good lighting and backdrops. Most vehicles you can stand right next to, and many you can peer into from the walkways above or from open hatches and doors. The docents stationed throughout the exhibits were knowledgeable and friendly, eager to share their knowledge and to answer questions. There were also a few short movies that do a nice job interweaving personal stories against historical context. We brought our teenage daughter and she was engaged for the 2+ hours we were onsite.

gralmk

Gotta be on of the top Musems in the country now! AWESOME!

Don Woods

Very impressive, so new the paint is barely dry...worth a full half day atleast..glad we found it.

Victor Tracy

Very good and interesting loved it

David Jencks

This place is amazing. Great collection. Great presentation. Moving and emotional. There is alot of history under this one roof. The trench exhibit was neat. The schools should be bringing kids here to learn about the past. The real toll of war, human lives lost,and what our Veterans sacrificed. Tanks, apc's ,a Bf 109,scud and launch vehicle, much much more...a piece of the WTC. A piece of the Berlin Wall. American, German, Russian artifacts just to name few.The staff was very friendly and more than willing to answer questions. Will be back in Oct. for the renactment of taking an airfield.

Jazzmine Ross

Thank you for your service to all of the veterans that are working here! You really rolled out the red carpet for your museum attendees. This museum was absolutely incredible, thank you for sharing this collection. I was truly amazed from your friendly employees to the education that I received, I was truly impressed. Thank you!

Lord Orion

A massive collection of tanks and armored vehicles from both before and after ww2

Jessica Wu

Wonderfully curated collection of vehicles and information shared in an immersive environment.

Kurt Scimone

Great new museum! Awesome for WWII students of armor!! Signed up for a membership and will be back in October!

Lory Hammer

This is an absolutely amazing museum. The entrance is beyond anything I ever expected, and is too amazing to spoil by describing it. The collection of tanks is extensive, unprecedented and not to be found anywhere else in the world. The volunteers are knowledgeable, kind and engaging. If your teen (or you) play World of Tanks, this is a must see! Get out of their video game and see the real deal!

Tristan Veasna

I love tanks! World war 2. I took my friends over to this museum for there 1st time. They loved it. It reminded them of playing world of tanks the video game on the console. They loved it and took pictures, Also loves history.

Zachary Negaard

I have to split this to into two sections, the museum, and the event that I went to, called the Tanks wings and wheels event. This museum is really good. There are a few issues dealing with the opening film, the WWI trench experience l, and the pre war room, (getting through these takes around 20 minutes, but does not move at your pace so if you want to look at that m1917 light tank more, you can't) but apart from that this is a great museum Really the main atrium is fantastic. All of the artifacts are in fantastic condition, the production is great, the tanks are as opened as they can be so that you can get a peek inside, and this is a really great collection. The museum staff is incredibly helpful and knowedgeable as well. Most importantly, a awful lot of these tanks have catch pans underneath them that hint at running ability. This is the best tank museum currently in the US and maybe all of north america. It's got some issues, but in all it's like a 4.5 out of 5. But this Tanks, Wings, and Wheels event. It was not great, and the advertising was a bit misleading. I came to this because of the statement that SOME of the tanks of the american heritage museum would be running (a statement that is in bold on their website I may add) Some is defined as a unspecified amount, but it implies that it is more than 1. But it was just 1. And that tank met the narrowest definition of running , with the engine turning on, the tank moving forward 15 yards, backing up 15 yards, then shutting off. Riveting stuff. Perhaps I had just naively misinterpreted the event, but I had expected more. More that it looks like the museum can easily accommodate. They have a wide selection of tanks that look look like they can run, the main atrium has large doors so that they can be easily driven outside, there is a large field behind the museum and a few wooded roads that the tanks can drive on. A dedicated tank event looks very feasible. But with the advertising I thought that this could be that event.

Cindy

We saw this on line and checked it out. It's really cool with so many tanks and other military equipment.

Hasan Jaffrey

It was an amazing experience! If you're into tanks and armored vehicles, I highly recommend that you visit, you're going to have a blast!. The vehicles are in excellent condition. The staff members were great, feel free to ask them questions, they're very friendly and knowledgeable. A++

Z Shahin

Great place to come and check out if you are by the town or want to learn to make about US military history and the world war 1 and 2. The museum is designed amazingly with great use of technology and videos are uses to illustrate the, so it's not just walking and reading. Tickets start from 20 dollars to free for veterans.

ImThatType OfGuy

This is a VERY COOL museum!!! If you’re into military firepower; heavy firepower, this is the place to see it! Where else on the planet can you see a scud missile and transporter. Everything in this museum is out in the open to fully explore and catch a feeling, of what it must’ve been like to be there, to see these things in action. I had such a great time here and enjoyed the history of those great machines.

Kristen Brainard

This is a magical place to see an exemplary collection of machines of war from throughout history (tanks, boats, planes, search lights, and other ground weapons). You will also learn about the cost of the freedom we continue to enjoy in the US. I’m proud of this undertaking and the family behind its efforts. A must see if visiting Boston or the surrounding suburbs.

George Muggleton

The American Heritage Museum is nothing short of brilliant. It is the greatest curation of tanks in the world. Parts of presentation brought tears to my eye. The layout is fantastic. The staff is wonderful and their is simply so much to see. Tanks in an abundance dreams cant fathom. If the entrance fee went up to 100 bucks, id pay it happily. Its that great. Thank you Collings Foundation and the late Jaques Littlefield. For perserving these wonderful artifacts. For all of us to cherish. God bless. I will be back soon. :) P.s Colin McLeany is wrong and a flat out liar. His claims are reprehensible and libel. Views are not obstructed at all. See for yourself. You arent allowed to touch for obvious reasons but tanks are fully viewable from all angles. He is clearly a chooch.

RAFmosquito1

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I visited the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Germany several years back. The displays, interactive dioramas and vehicles of the American Heritage Museum are equal to and, in some perspectives somewhat outclass the Deutsches Panzermuseum. You don't have to be an armour enthusiast or military historian to appreciate the museum. There is so much history here. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to take in the sights and sounds!

Bob Casasanto

Very interesting

Tom Cox

From WWI to present day military tanks, armor and vehicles. All well displayed with informative signs. Every so often a large screen drops and a movie plays that explains WWII while selectively highlighting the display that is set up for that battle. The WWI trench exhibit when you first come in is a multimedia show and is very well done. During the year there will be shows where you get to see some of the tanks running and moving. Can wait to go back for that.

Chip VanderBrug

The collection is impressive and displayed well. The space is awesome. Touring the collection is often interrupted by too many video presentations. The staff and volunteers were not very friendly during our visit today. That was disappointing for a newly opened venue. Overall pretty good to visit.

Millard Fillmore

This museum is home to a wide array of military vehicles dating from WWII to present day. Many of the vehicles are presented in miniature dioramas that allow you to get very close to them and examine their intricacies. The staff was very nice and should be able to answer any question you may ask. Also, photography is allowed by the staff, so you can take plenty of pictures of all of the things on display. The only negative thing I experienced would be the film presentations that are played in the main display room. The presentations themselves are fine, but when they play, the lights in the room are practically turned off, making it very hard to read the descriptions and take photos of the displays. Overall I would highly recommend seeing this museum for yourself, you might just learn a thing or two.

Connor Roth

This museum is really Big and amazing and if you love war stuff then this place is for you and bring the family to!

Pamela Harrington

I'm so sorry for your losses!!! I'm now just learning about the crash that happened yesterday....sd news to wake up to

Christian Adler

Pretty good except the tour guides are a bit too much

Donna West

This place is amazing. I highly recommend making time to see this place!

Henry Simard

This museum has a great presentation of a WWI trench and video presentation before and during your time in the trench that is very informative.The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly.They will explain the history of each vehicle and the restoration process of many of them.The tanks,planes and many other vehicles are in an amazing timeline display that you will be very pleased with.Tons of historical information about the holocaust,911 and all the wars through the years.

David Melton

Wonderful experience visiting the museum today with friends. Far exceeded our expectations. The exhibits are great, many very unique, and the docents very knowledgeable. This museum could easily be a big attraction in Washington DC. Amazing that it's in the small town of Hudson, MA.

clark garon

I think this place is amazing. So many things you won't see anyplace else. Lots of volunteers and staff that are very knowledgeable,veterans and history buffs .

billdozer52

Spent Saturday at the brand new museum. Couldn’t ask for a better staff, knowledgeable and friendly. I’ve nenes seen so many tanks and armored vehicles in on spot. All look like they could be operated right now. The short videos were very well done. Can’t wait to return. Definitely worth the visit.

Jon Tenca

This place is absolutely INCREDIBLE. If you are in any way into war history or even how conflicts have shaped history this Musuem is for you. Although it's off the beaten path a bit it is definitely worth the trip. I would recommend 2-3 hours, more if you have the time to get through it. I recommend you do the three movies to start the museum, they aren't mandatory but the staff does recommend them and they are free, it brings you through an into of the musuem and through the revolutionary war and civil war, then the another video will bring you into WWI as you stand in a recreated bunker. A third video will bring you into WWII as you stand next two tanks used in battle by the British and Germans. From there a screen will rise and you walk into the main museum which contains tanks and other fighting vehicles from WWII all the way to present day. Every single thing on display other than Hitler's replica car was used in battle or during the war it served in, something that is incredible to see in person. They have an actual boat that landed on the beaches in Normandy as well on DDay. Most of the vehicles and tanks on display are the only ones in North America and some of which are the only ones in the world. Staff was incredible as well, everyone I talked to was a veteran and were more than happy to share their time and knowledge to help me better understand the massive fighting machines which sat before me. I highly suggest a trip to the musuem, be sure to check out their website as they do have special events including car shows and reenactments. Do note, this is not a place to let your kids run around unattended, you are not allowed to touch any of the vehicles and there is at least one tank that I know of where actual where men have died in which you will see towards the end of the tour. There is also a 9/11 memorial. Please if you bring children remind them that this is a place which is to be treated with respect and honor for those that served, please lead by example in the way you conduct yourself.

Colin McElaney

Let's lead with the good: This is an excellent collection, and the main gallery is a delight nearly the equal of the Tank Museum at Bovington, UK. We are lucky to have a collection of this caliber open to the public in the US, and especially blessed to have it added to the already museum-rich Greater Boston area. The less good: - The Gems of the colllection, including the Renault FT-1, Panzer 1, and the Mercedes staff car are trapped in awkward, guided multimedia presentations. We'll come back to the presentations in a moment, but for now, understand that most of the time you're in the room with these items the lights are off and you're being made to watch a series of short films. When the short film ends, you're immediately rushed out of the room by an attendant, being warned that the doors are automated and you've only got 30 seconds before they shut, which seems like a fire hazard to say the least. So there's no time to actually get a closer look at some truly rare artifacts. If I had to describe the fundamental task of a museum, it would be: "Allow a patron to contemplate an otherwise rare artifact with as much context as can be reasonably provided." - The short presentations themselves are... awkward. The introduction is mostly about the man whose foundation founded the museum, with a great deal of time spent on the revolutionary and civil wars despite the museum's collection as of now including no artifacts from these periods besides the two muskets on the wall in the first theater. I assume this is meant to create some sort of continuity for tourists coming from Lexington. The second portion, the world war 1 trench experience, runs a little long and sets an odd tone for everything to come. During an awkward voice over it is suggested that why the war started is somehow irrelevant... which is deeply irresponsible for a history museum to present alongside no other historical context. There's a throwaway line about "nationalism... imperialism" and that's that. The whole experience is a much less engrossing, poorly presented facsimile of The Imperial War Museum's take on the same concept in London. That trench recreation is self-guided. After being rushed past one of the most interest objects in the collection, there's a presentation on the run-up to the second world war. This presents the German annexation of Austria as triggering the Munich Conference... and that's a great representation of the irksome qualities of the first three rooms. You're then rushed out into the main gallery, past the eventual home of the Panzer 1, a location I would gladly spend a good ten minutes in if not for the threat of being locked in in the next minute or so. - The main gallery is, again, home to an excellent collection. Expect to have the lights turned off on you at random so a short film about the battle of the bulge can play in one corner, so if you're trying to read an unlit plaque or inspect the M18 Hellcat you'll need to wait for it to end. - One difference between this gallery and the galleries at Bovington, the only comparison I can fairly make, is that Bovington largely parks it's tanks on the floor and allows you to get as close as you like short of climbing on, including examples as priceless as the last running Tiger. This museum has cordons along the floor, so you're only able to view some of the hardware from some very limiting angles, especially the SU-100, which may as well not be in the room for how much of it you can see behind the IS-2 and the BF-109G. To be clear, I want this museum to succeed. I like the collection, and all the elements are there to make this museum world-class. There's a missing degree of nuance, and a certain... sobriety that equivalent institutions elsewhere offer their visitors that aren't here yet. I hope they appear, and expect I'll end up checking in on the museum in a year or two to see if they've had time to appear.

Keith V

The American heritage museum has an excellent selection of military vehicles from the civil war up until today. Definitely worth a visit.

Calvin Renfrow

Honestly I thought the experience was great. I didn’t think I’d see this many tanks in such great variety in New England or even in the North East entirely but this museum proved me wrong. It’s like being a kid in a candy store. I think the every best part is the people working there. I had an excellent talk with a former crewman of an M60 and a young man who was very informative on almost all things. Please try and see this place it is truly a treat for those interested in Tanks, Tank Destroyers, SPAAs and various other things. My review only skims the surface. Here are a few photos taken while I was there.

Jerry Rogich

Great collection of some of the finest hardware. They all run. Some one or two of a kind as well.

Dooley Office

Went here with my 11 year old son and was blown away by the quality of the exhibits and all the historical artifacts. It is the quality (if not better) of the Smithsonian just outside of Boston.

Jiven

Amazing museum! It is a must go for anyone interested in tanks and vehicles from WWI through present day. Myself being a WW2 history buff I was quite amazed by the vast array and quality of the Jacques Littlefield WW2 tank colletion. The museum is very well laid out and much thought was put into how the tanks are presented during the onscreen videos. You will not see a better tank collection in the United States and maybe around the world.

Elaine Ritter

What an incredible experience! The collections were amazing and so informative. I will gladly go back to experience again!

Trash Panda

This by far has been my most amazing museum experiences ever! The beginning World War 1 scene, was super real. I couldn't even count all the great military vehicles, and artifacts that make my creativity explode!

Oleg Lapin

Amazing place. They have what to show and they have stories to tell. There are several relatively rare vehicles, which make the collection very significant for a military hardware amateur. The staff is friendly, helpful and entertaining. They promised to run Bovington-like demonstrations with their running vehicles later in future, and i hope they will succeed in this. The "trench experience" is very impressive. The biggest issue i found there is the lack of labels or description stands. Some story behind each particular item, including the story of acquisition and restoration, would be great to see. I believe such things will be added after the real opening. It would be great to have a gift shop, with books and other related stuff.

Paul Wittemann

We had a wonderful day at this museum. We loved the layout and the staff was knowledgeable and very helpful. The displays were extremely well done.

Ralph Stan

Really cool museum, had had no idea this place existed. Easy to get to, easy parking, super friendly and knowledgeable staff. I will definately go back to spend more time. The Tanks, Wings, and Wheels event was awesome!

Jim Gettys

Excellent new tank museum, though it's formal opening is not until spring 2019.