Today, December 4th, 2025, marks the 75th anniversary of Captain Thomas J. Hudner Jr's valiant attempt to rescue Ensign Jesse L. Brown in the Chosin Reservoir.![]()
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On December 4, 1950, Hudner, a native of Fall River, Massachusetts, and Brown, one of the first African-American U.S. naval aviators, were part of a flight of F4U Corsair fighter planes tasked with supporting U.S. Marine ground forces in Korea. During their mission, Ensign Brown's aircraft was struck by small arms fire, forcing him to crash-land in the Chosin Reservoir.![]()
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Shortly after, Captain Hudner intentionally crash landed his own airplane in the reservoir and rushed to Brown's crash site to try and rescue him. Upon arriving at the now burning wreck, he found that Brown's legs were pinned in the cockpit. A rescue helicopter arrived shortly after and Hudner, accompanied by the pilot, tried for 45 minutes to free Brown to no avail. ![]()
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Ensign Brown passed away shortly after from blood loss and exposure to extreme cold, and Hudner was forced to leave his body and evacuate by helicopter.![]()
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Captain Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor on April 13th, 1951, for his actions and met Brown's widow, Daisy, during the ceremony. The two would stay in contact for the next 50 years.![]()
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The book "Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Brotherhood and Sacrifice " by Adam Makos details the entire ordeal, with a film adaptation which premiered in 2022.![]()
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Today, we remember and honor Captain Hudner and Ensign Brown for their valiant service and sacrifices made in the pursuit of freedom.
The answer to the “What is it? Wednesday” question from November 26th is the hood ornament on our 1942 Buick! This car was one of the last produced at Buick's plant in Flint, Michigan in 1942. Buick was one of many companies who, after the United States entered WWII, stopped producing civilian goods and began the production of war goods.![]()
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Stay tuned for the next “What is it? Wednesday” question tomorrow, December 3rd at 10:00 am EST!![]()
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#americanheritagemuseum #whatisitwednesday
Their gift to us was freedom. On this Giving Tuesday, your gift ensures their stories are never forgotten.![]()
Give today: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/annualfund2025/![]()
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At the American Heritage Museum, every field trip, veteran visit, and living-history weekend helps a new generation understand that freedom has a real weight—and a real cost. Your Giving Tuesday donation to our 2025–2026 Annual Fund keeps the doors open, the engines running, and the stories of service and sacrifice alive.![]()
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Their gift to us was freedom. Your gift TODAY preserves their history.![]()
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Make your Giving Tuesday gift now: www.americanheritagemuseum.org/annualfund2025/![]()
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#GivingTuesday #AmericanHeritageMuseum #SupportHistory #NeverForget #veterans #historymuseum
Meet the German Sd.Kfz 251!![]()
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#AmericanHeritageMuseum #visitma #militaryhistory #historymuseum #WWII #ww2 #tworldwarii #worldwar2 #army #tanks #worldoftanks #tanknerd #germanarmor #sdkfz #halftrack
Need the right size gift for someone tough to buy for? Try a Size M4! Give the gift of Tanks this season with a World War II Tank Experience Gift Certificate at the American Heritage Museum! Give someone a ride aboard history or let them take the controls and learn how to drive our M4 Sherman or M24 Chaffee! Get 10% off when you book with the promo code GIVETANKS25 until December 8th! ![]()
WWII Tank Experience Gift Certificates at the American Heritage Museum
www.americanheritagemuseum.org
Give the gift of history that is sure to be 50 tons of fun! World War II Tank Ride & Driving Program Gift Certificates are the perfect gift for the history lover in your life!Visit the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, MA!
The American Heritage Museum is open weekly from Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00am to 5:00pm each day. The AHM is fully ADA accessible and covers over 67,000 square feet in our well ventilated, climate controlled facility. Visitors are encouraged to plan at least two hours for their visit.
The annex buildings such as the Aircraft Hangar or Car Collection are open ONLY on Special Event Weekends (see schedule at this link) and are not part of general admission.
We are sorry, the American Heritage Museum does not have a café or dining available at this time. Great dining experiences in downtown Hudson, MA are only 2 miles away.
DAILY SCHEDULE
| MONDAY | CLOSED |
| TUESDAY | CLOSED |
| WEDNESDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| THURSDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| FRIDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| SATURDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| SUNDAY | 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| HOLIDAY CLOSURES | The American Heritage Museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. |
GENERAL ADMISSIONS PRICING AT DESK
| Adults | $23.00 |
| Children (16 and Under) | $12.00 |
| Seniors (62 plus) | $20.00 |
| Active Duty Military (With ID) and Veterans | $20.00 |
| Children 3 and Under | FREE |
| American Heritage Museum Members (click here to become one) | FREE |
| World War II & Korean War Veterans | FREE |
| MA Teachers Association (MTA) (with MTA Card) | FREE |
SAVE $2 PER TICKET BY PURCHASING ADMISSION ONLINE!
Massachusetts EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare Cardholders
We are proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by broadening accessibility to cultural programming.
Massachusetts EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare Cardholders
$3 Adult Admission and Free admission for up to four (4) children under the age of 18 in their household.
Cardholders are able to purchase their museum admission in person. Not valid for special event weekends as listed on the American Heritage Museum website.
HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS
For simple admissions processing, we encourage you to purchase tickets in advance using our online portal and your tickets may be emailed directly to you. Otherwise, you may purchase tickets at our admissions desk on your arrival. Special Event Weekend tickets should be purchased through the event page (schedule at this link). Tank Driving Programs and Tank Rides must be scheduled and purchased separately and are NOT available on all days that the museum is open (see this link for tank drives and rides including schedule)
LOCATION & DIRECTIONS
The American Heritage Museum is conveniently located in the Greater Boston region in Hudson, MA – about halfway between Boston and Worcester. The AHM is only 5 miles from Route 495 in Hudson. For GPS directions, please use the following address:
American Heritage Museum
568 Main Street
Hudson, MA 01749
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Depending on the direction you are coming from, your GPS may direct you to use Barton Road, Pine Point Road, or Hunter Avenue to access the museum, but this is incorrect. You cannot access the American Heritage Museum from Barton Road as the driveway listed is not actually there. If you are coming from points Northeast, please navigate to the town of Hudson first, then navigate to our direct address.
PARKING
Parking is free at the museum and there are handicapped parking spaces available. Please note that due to popularity in the summer months, our overflow parking extends to a grass parking area, so please be prepared in case of poor weather.
TANK DRIVING EXPERIENCES AND TANK RIDES
For the ultimate immersive experience in World War II living history, the American Heritage Museum offers driving instruction and rides in the M4 Sherman Medium Tank and M24 Chaffee Light Tank on select days in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Ride programs start at $595 per tank and driving programs start at $995 per person. Advance reservations are REQUIRED for all tank experiences as they are only offered on select dates. Please see details on the Tank Experience section of our website or call us at 978-562-9182 to learn more. All participants in tank rides and drives must be at least 5′ in height and all drive participants must be at least 16 or older.
Looking for Hotel accommodations? The Embassy Suites in Marlborough offers special discounts for American Heritage Museum guests. Click on photo to make a reservation or call (508) 485-5900.
