The Tank Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Tank Museum

The Tank Museum
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Established	1947
Location	Bovington, Dorset England
Type	Military Museum
Public transit access	Wool railway station

The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, England, is home to an amazing collection of armoured fighting vehicles. It's like a giant garage for tanks! The museum shows the entire history of the tank with almost 300 vehicles.

You can see famous tanks like Tiger 131, which is the only working German Tiger I tank in the world. There's also a British Mark I tank from World War I, which is the oldest combat tank still around. The museum is a special place for the Royal Tank Regiment and the Royal Armoured Corps.

The Museum's Story

The idea for the museum came from a famous writer, Rudyard Kipling, in 1923. He saw damaged tanks from the end of World War I and thought they should be saved. So, a small shed was set up to keep them. But it wasn't until 1947 that the museum opened its doors to everyone.

Later, people like George Forty and David Fletcher helped the museum grow and become more modern. They made sure the collection was well-cared for and shared with the public.

The museum even has its own YouTube channel! It started in 2010 and features videos where experts talk about different tanks. By April 2023, the channel had over 100 million views. That's more than many other famous museums! In December 2023, the museum hosted a fun long-distance race around its grounds.

Exploring the Tank Halls

The Tank Museum has many different halls, each telling a unique story about tanks and the people who used them.

World War I Hall: The First Tank Crews

WW2 Story Hall

This hall takes you back to the World War I era. You'll see many of the first tanks ever made. It also shares the stories of the brave soldiers who operated these new machines between 1916 and 1918.

• Featured tanks: Mark I tank, Mark IV, Mark V (one of the few World War I tanks that can still move!), Mark IX, and Mark VIII "Liberty".

Inter War Hall: From Horses to Horsepower

This section looks at the time between the two World Wars. It shows how tanks became more important and how they started to replace horses in battle.

• Featured vehicles: Vickers A1E1 Independent, Peerless armoured car, and Vickers Light tank, Mark II.

World War II Hall: Global Conflict Vehicles

Tanks in Popular Culture Exhibition

This is one of the biggest halls! It displays military vehicles from many countries that fought in World War II. You can see tanks from Germany, Britain, America, and more.

• Featured vehicles: Panzer I, Panzer III, Panzer IV, Stug III, Tiger II, Jagdpanzer 38(t), Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger, Sd.Kfz. 251, Somua S35, Comet I, Matilda Mk I, A38 Valiant, Ram Cruiser Mk II, M24 Chaffee, M4 Sherman, 17pdr SP Achilles, M48 Patton, M26 Pershing, T17E1 Staghound, Hamilcar glider, DUKW, SU-76, T-26, KV-1, L3/33 LF, M13/40, Tortoise, and Black Prince.

Battlegroup Afghanistan: Modern Combat

RAC Memorial Room

This hall focuses on more recent conflicts. It shows vehicles used by the Royal Armoured Corps in tough battles, including those in Afghanistan.

• Featured tanks: Conqueror, Chieftain, Challenger 1, and TOG2.

Cold War Hall: A Time of Tension

Here you'll find tanks and vehicles from the Cold War and the Gulf War. This era saw many new tank designs as countries prepared for potential conflicts.

• Featured tanks: Tog II, Chieftain, and Centurion.

Tanks For the Memories: Tanks in Pop Culture

This exhibition, new for 2023, celebrates 100 years of the Tank Museum. It explores how tanks have become famous in movies, video games, toys, and art. It shows how tanks are more than just war machines; they are cultural icons!

• Featured tanks: Mark IV.

The Tank Story Hall: From Past to Future

This hall features some of the most important tanks in history. It tells the complete story of the tank, from its invention in 1915, through the 20th century, and even looks at what tanks might be like in the future.

• Featured tanks: Little Willie (an early British tank design), Whippet, Renault FT, Char B1, Panzer II, Tiger 131 (the only working Tiger I tank, which appeared in the film Fury), M3 Grant, T-34, Panther, DD Sherman, Churchill Mk VII, Sherman Firefly, M48 Patton, T-72, T-62, and Challenger 2.

Royal Armoured Corps Memorial Room: Remembering Heroes

This special room honors the nearly 13,000 soldiers from the Royal Armoured Corps who have died serving their country since 1939. It has books of remembrance and videos about their bravery.

The Vehicle Conservation Centre: Hidden Gems

The interior of the Vehicle Conservation Centre

This center protects even more of the museum's collection. It lets visitors see vehicles that were not usually on display before.

• Featured tanks: Charioteer, M41 Bulldog, M103, M60 Patton, T-54, Cold War and Iraqi T-55s, BMP-1, AMX-30, Type 69, Infanterikanonvagn 91, A33 Excelsior, T14, and SU-100.

Tanks on the Big Screen

The museum's famous Tiger 131 tank is the only working Tiger I in the world. It was even used in the 2014 movie Fury! The museum also has a replica of a Mark IV tank that was built for the film War Horse.

More Tank Museums Around the World

If you love tanks, here are some other museums you might find interesting:

• Norfolk Tank Museum - United Kingdom
• Kubinka Tank Museum – Russia
• Musée des Blindés – France
• Military Museum Lešany – Czech Republic
• Deutsches Panzermuseum – Germany
• Yad La-Shiryon – Latrun, Israel
• Parola Tank Museum – Finland
• Australian Armour and Artillery Museum – Australia
• Nationaal Militair Museum – Soesterberg, The Netherlands
• Ontario Regiment Museum - Ontario, Canada
• Royal Tank Museum – Amman, Jordan
• American Heritage Museum – Massachusetts, United States