History in Motion 2024

Coming November 9 & 10, 2024
Saturday 10 AM – 3 PM
Sunday 10 AM – 3 PM

Tickets (Cash price)
$25 Adults, $10 Kids (5-17), Under 5 free
Credit cards accepted (with convenience fee)

Speed through the line by purchasing admission tickets online!

BUY TICKETS NOW

Early-Bird Promotion for First 75 Online Tickets
Buy an early bird ticket and be entered for a chance for a FREE Tank Ride, Fire a 75mm Howitzer or fire a Paintball Machine Gun!

If you do not want to rely on Lady Luck, the first four Tank ride times on both Saturday and Sunday are available for pre-purchase beginning 10 AM on October 9th, 2024. All remaining ride times will be sold first come the day of the event! 

History in Motion is a ‘Special Event day’
regular admission prices are not valid

Ride in a WWII Tank or WWII Half-Track: Information 

Tanks, Tanks, Tanks! Hear the rumble of historic tanks, vehicles, and boom of artillery at the Museum of the American G.I.’s “History in Motion”. Feel the ground shake as the tanks, vehicles, and artillery take to the arena in a fantastic display of historic military might! At the Museum of the American G.I., you will see one of the finest collections of pristinely restored vehicles in the South!

This action-packed weekend has fun activities for the entire family! The tanks will run all day, with special vehicles, weapons, and artillery demonstrations. In between the demonstrations, you can see historic military vehicles up close or take a ride in a WWII tank or Half-Track!

You will not want to miss the BIG Vehicle Demonstration starting at 12:30 PM!  Rumor has it that Santa will be making a special trip from the North Pole just to see this fantastic demonstration of historic vehicles.

The gates open at 9:00 AM on both days. On Saturday and Sunday, hours are 10 AM—3 PM.

Parking is FREE at Santa’s Wonderland’s Blitzen Lot. From there, you enter the museum grounds through the admission tent. Upon entering the museum property, you will ride in a WWII 2 1/2 ton CCKW or modern HUMVEE to the reenactment fields where all the activities will occur.

Please note there will be NO parking on the museum grounds. There will be handicapped spaces in the Blitzen lot.

Come early and stay all day—you won’t want to miss anything. Food vendors will be on-site to ensure no one goes hungry!

Tentative Schedule:
9 AM   Gate Opens
10 AM Event Start
11:30 AM Special Weapons Demonstration  (machine gun team, rifle grenade, and flame thrower*)
12:30 PM Main Event:  Vehicle Demonstration
1 PM Pictures with Santa and his Tactical Elves
2:30 PM  Special Artillery Demonstration

Special Activities – Tickets available at INFORMATION TENT:
Take a ride in a WWII tank**! Ride Information
Visit the transportation station for the opportunity to ride in a WWII tank for two loops around the arena!
*$160/person (cash price).  (Tax deductible donation with proceeds going to maintaining the museum’s collection)
Pre-purchase for the first four ride times on Saturday and Sunday will be available from 10 AM Oct 9 through midnight Nov 9.

Take a ride in a WWII Half-Track**! Ride Information
Visit the transportation station for the opportunity to ride in a WWII half-track for two loops around the arena!
*$25/person (cash price). (Tax deductible donation with proceeds going to maintaining the museum’s collection)
Pre-purchase for the first four ride times on Saturday and Sunday will be available from 8 AM on October 9 through midnight on November 9.

Take a ride in a Vietnam Era M113**! Ride Information
Visit the transportation station for the opportunity to ride in a Vietnam Era M113 for two loops around the arena!
*$25/person (cash price). (Tax deductible donation with proceeds going to maintaining the museum’s collection)
Pre-purchase for the first four ride times on Saturday and Sunday will be available from 8 AM on October 9 through midnight on November 9.

Shoot a WWI Cannon
Visit the artillery range for the opportunity to pull the lanyard on a historic 75 mm Cannon! Participants will get to shoot off one blank, experiencing this amazing artillery piece’s force.
*$40/round (cash price).  (Tax deductible donation with proceeds going to maintaining the museum’s collection)

*NEW* Shoot a M1 Garand (blank fire)
Visitors 8 years and older are invited to visit the artillery range to fire one clip on an M1 Garand for only  $20 (cash price). (Tax deductible donation with proceeds to maintain the museum’s collection).

Shoot a Machine Gun (Gas-adapted)
Visit the artillery range to fire a machine gun (gas-adapted) for only  $10 (cash price). (Tax deductible donation with proceeds to maintain the museum’s collection).  This is a wonderful activity for visitors of all ages.

BUY TICKETS NOW

**Health & Safety Regulations for ride participants: Safety is our number one priority for anyone who rides in our vehicles. Tank Ride participants must be at least 7 years or older, with a minimum height of 52 in, and able to climb on and off the vehicle and in and out of the hatches unassisted. Tank Ride participants must have no underlying health conditions that would preclude riding in “off-road” conditions. All Tank Ride participants (or their legal guardians) must sign a hold-harmless agreement. The Museum of the American G.I. and its crew reserve the right to refuse any participant (tank ride or half-track ride) who they deem unfit or unsafe to themselves, other participants, or the crew.  The ticket price will be refunded if the ride is canceled for safety reasons.

*Flame Thrower Demonstration is strictly weather-dependent.  It will be canceled under windy conditions.  

The History in Motion program and vehicles listed to participate are subject to health and safety, operational, weather, and mechanical considerations. The Museum of the American G.I. reserves the right to amend or modify the program or withdraw vehicles at any time without notification when reasonably required in accordance with its own best-practice procedures or those of exhibit owners. As with all historic machines, the appearance of any vehicle or tank in the arena display is subject to its mechanical reliability on the day.