Veterans Memorial Museum

A few weeks ago we bought Nolan a bag of plastic army soldiers.  The set came with two tanks.  Since then, Nolan has had tons of questions about “real” tanks – what do they look like, do they really shoot, how big are they, etc.  Then we saw a billboard for a tank exhibition, but we were passing through the town a week early.  When we arrived in Huntsville, AL a couple of days before our scheduled conference, I decided to check and see if there was anything in town that would have a tank.  I stumbled upon the Veteran’s Memorial Museum.  They had about 20 tanks outside and 10 inside.  And the admission was affordable!

So, on November 4th, we headed over to the museum.  They have memoribilia from every conflict and war since the American Revolution.  Not only was I interested, but my kids were interested in each display! There were guns, uniforms, a train box car, tanks, jeeps, and models of various battles.  There were even a couple of helicopters!  Ben and I enjoyed giving the kids basic information about the different wars America has been involved in, and it was very rewarding that they listened (mostly) and asked questions.  Best of all…Nolan got to see a tank! 

Nolan and his tank!

Guns and uniforms from the Civil War

World War I uniforms

Boxcar – a troop transporter that is a gift from the people of France.  They gave one to every state in the union after WWII.

Learning about the gun and helmet to mark a soldier’s grave.

Talking on the field phone

Liberty and the tank

Nehemiah and the tank

   
They also had some combat gear for the kids to dress up in – they loved this!

  

One of our first homeschool field trips…and I would call it a success!