The
General George Patton Museum (formerly the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor) is a museum in Fort Knox, Kentucky dedicated to General
George S. PattonGeorge Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer most famous for his leadership commanding corps and armies as a general in World War II...
, Jr's life and the history of armored warfare, from
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
through the present day. The museum is administered by the U.S. Army Armor Center,
Fort KnoxFort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties, with Hardin county receiving the largest benefit, economically. It currently holds the U.S. Army Armor Center, the U.S...
, and is one of the largest in the U.S. Army Museum System.
The original museum was dedicated on May 30, 1949.
The
General George Patton Museum (formerly the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor) is a museum in Fort Knox, Kentucky dedicated to General
George S. PattonGeorge Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer most famous for his leadership commanding corps and armies as a general in World War II...
, Jr's life and the history of armored warfare, from
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
through the present day. The museum is administered by the U.S. Army Armor Center,
Fort KnoxFort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties, with Hardin county receiving the largest benefit, economically. It currently holds the U.S. Army Armor Center, the U.S...
, and is one of the largest in the U.S. Army Museum System.
History
The original museum was dedicated on May 30, 1949. The present building was constructed between 1972 and 1992 without cost to the U.S. Government by the Patton Museum Foundation, Inc. with funds donated by thousands of individuals and organizations from around the world.
Exhibits
There are static displays of various
tankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and tactical offensive and defensive capabilities...
s, other armor and a few
helicopterA helicopter is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. Helicopters are classified as rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from fixed-wing aircraft because the helicopter achieves lift with the...
s. The museum also includes a number of Patton's personal effects, dating from
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including his office van and touring car.
Other historically significant vehicles and equipment are located in Keyes Park, adjacent to the Museum. In Keyes Park, you can see the history of Armor up close.
Vehicles in Keyes Park:
- World War I
World War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
: the French Renault FT-17The Renault FT 17 or Automitrailleuse à chenilles Renault FT modèle 1917 was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history...
, the U.S. version of the FT-17The Renault FT 17 or Automitrailleuse à chenilles Renault FT modèle 1917 was a French light tank; it is among the most revolutionary and influential tank designs in history...
, and the BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927...
Mark VThe British Mark I was a tracked vehicle developed by the British Army during World War I and the world's first combat tank, entering service in August 1916, and first used in action on the morning of 15 September 1916...
. also the Ford 3-Ton M1918The Ford 3-Ton M1918 was one of the first light tank designs by the U.S.It was a small two-man,one-gun tank.It was armed with a M1919 Browning machine gun and could reach a maximum speed of 8mph.-History:...
- World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
: the U.S. M4 Sherman tank, the Soviet Union T-34The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
, and the German Tiger IITiger II is the common name of a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger VI Ausf. B , with the ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182...
.
- Vietnam
Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
: The M48 PattonThe M48 Patton II was the third and final US medium gun tank of the Patton series, named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle. It was a further development of the M47 Patton tank...
tank and M551 SheridanThe M551 Sheridan was an Armored Airborne Reconnaissance Assault Vehicle developed by the United States, named after Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was designed to have both an air drop and swimming capability. It was armed with the MGM-51 Shillelagh gun-launched missile system. Production...
tanks.
- Desert Storm: is represented with the U.S. M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a main battle tank produced in the United States. The M1 is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. It is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for modern armored...
tank and the Soviet built T-72The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. It is a further development of the T-62 with some features of the T-64A and has been further developed as the T-90...
tank.
On December 12, 2005, museum officials announced that the museum will remain at Fort Knox, despite the fact that the Army's Armor Center is moving to Fort Benning, Georgia as part of
a major realignment of military basesThe preliminary 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It is the fifth Base Realignment and Closure proposal generated since the process was created in 1988. It recommends closing 33 major United States military bases and...
. The Army will build a new museum at Ft. Benning to be named "The National Armor and Cavalry Museum".
Hours and Admission at the General George Patton Museum
Hours (Year Round)
Weekdays
9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Holidays and Weekends
10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Special Summer Weekend Hours (May - September)
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Closed
January 1st
Easter Sunday
Thanksgiving Day
December 24th - 25th
December 31st
Admission
Admission to the General George Patton Museum is free. The museum is open to the public.
Future
There is information going around the community at Fort Knox that the Patton Museum will eventually be re-built and moved to a new location on Fort Knox later to be determined. The Patton Museum is supposed to triple in size so that they can move all the tanks located on Fort Knox to the new museum. More information on this is supposed to come about on a later date and time.
See also
Tank museums
- Bovington Tank Museum
The Tank Museum is a collection of armoured vehicles in the United Kingdom. With almost 300 vehicles on exhibition from 26 countries it is the most wide-ranging collection of tanks and armoured vehicles in the world...
- United Kingdom Tank Museum
- Deutsches Panzermuseum
The German Tank Museum is an armoured fighting vehicle museum in Munster, Germany, the location of the Munster Training Area camp. Its main aim is the documentation of the history of German armoured troops since 1917....
- German Tank Museum
- Kubinka Tank Museum
The Kubinka Tank Museum, also known as "The Tank Museum in Kubinka", is a large museum of armoured fighting vehicles in Russia, just outside Moscow. It has many famous tanks from World War I, World War II and the Cold War...
- Russian Tank Museum
- Musée des Blindés
The Musée des Blindés or Musée Général Estienne is a tank museum located in the Loire Valley of France, in the city of Saumur. It is one is one of the world's largest tank museums....
- French Tank Museum
- United States Army Ordnance Museum
The U.S. Army Ordnance Museum is a museum located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Aberdeen, Maryland, USA.-History:The mission of the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum is to acquire, preserve, and exhibit historically significant equipment, armaments and materiel that relates to the history of the U.S...
- US Tank/Artillery Museum
- Yad La-Shiryon
Yad La-Shiryon is Israel's official memorial site for fallen soldiers from the armored corps, as well as one of the most diverse tank museums in the world. The cornerstone for Yad La-Shiryon was laid on December 14, 1982...
- Israeli Tank Museum
- Military Vehicle Technology Foundation
The Military Vehicle Technology Foundation is a large collection of military vehicles located in Portola Valley, California. It was founded by the late Jacques Littlefield, and now is under the direction of Bill Boller....
External links