Club Trip to the American Heritage Museum

Earl from our club organized a group trip to the Collings Foundation American Heritage Museum yesterday. Eleven of us gathered at the museum to enjoy a visit. The museum is doing a 'soft open' and is still putting the finishing touches on many things. That said they're definitely ready for the public. There is an introductory movie, a WWI trench scene with multi-media displays, and ample knowledgeable docents that provided even wargamer geeks with plenty of helpful extra detailed information. The highlight of the trip for me was being able to hear Ralph and Ed talk about the the tank they commanded while they were in the army. It was extra special having them be able to point to parts of the tank and tell detailed stories about how it impacted their use of the weapon.

The collection is extensive, but primarily consists of armor from WWII with a few notable exceptions, an American FT-17 from WWII, and a decent amount of post-WWII vehicles and armor. Most of the vehicles are running, moving examples. Many have hatches and ports open. Access around, below and above the exhibits is exceptional and taking photos inside is not discouraged.

I took a large amount of photos, too many to post here on the blog. I've included a sample below of some of my favorites. All of my photos can be viewed by accessing my Google Photos gallery here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y9J12hjiMB8ygVWH8

I'm VERY happy I went and will return for many visits I'm sure. I had a few nits to pick with the introductory movie, but that's a common occurrence with such offerings intended for the general public. Also the lighting could be better for photography in some places. The lighting is something they're continuing to work on as they find final locations for some of the exhibits. All in all an exceptional museum, worthy of an excursion to.