What's left at Ft. Knox and the Patton Museum

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I get asked the question every now and then about whether or not the Patton Museum is still open at Fort Knox or did it move to Ft. Benning. The answer is yes and no.

The US Army Museum of Cavalry and Armor did move from Ft. Knox to Benning, but the Patton Museum is still at Knox. It is now called the General George Patton Museum of Leadership and will reopen as such on Friday April 1, 2011. Here are its operating hours (effective April 1st):
Weekdays Year-Round: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Weekends Year-Round: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED: Jan. 1, Easter, Thanksgiving, Dec. 24, 25 and 31

The above information is accurate as of 3:00 PM EDT yesterday.

The “new” Patton museum is bascially a shadow of its former self. Think gift shop, lobby and that room where Patton’s Cadillac, command post truck and other memorabilia was located.

As far as display armor, there isn’t very much in front of the museum and what is left I do not know if it will remain or just hasn’t been moved yet. The display armor around post has virtually vanished. I took a drive around post yesterday (got lots of spare time since I’m clearing) and came up with a list of what’s still left.

At the new Chaffee Gate (formerly the Bullion Blvd Gate), there is an M24 Chaffee, M3A2 Bradley and M1IP Abrams.

The old Chaffee Gate still has the two M48A2 tanks on the brick pedestals.

The traffic circle has the M47, M48A2C and M41 Walker Bulldog.

The Brandenburg Gate has an M60A1 and M60A3.

The Wilson Gate has an M551 Sheridan.

There is an M59 APC in front of the Ireland Army Community Hospital.

There is an M60A3 in front of the Sadowski Field House across the street from the hospital helipad.

All that was left in the Disney Barracks area was an M578 cherry picker in the 15th Cav’s area. Although with basic leaving this year, I’m not sure if that’ll be there for much longer.

Around the Patton Museum, all that’s left is the old M4 Sherman with the banana peel barrel near the Keyes Park playground.

Here is a list of what’s in front of the museum as of yesterday:
M60A1
M4A3E8 Sherman
M7 Priest
M10 tank destroyer
M52A1 SP 105mm howitzer
M59 APC
and a new item I hadn’t seen before is a towed 8" gun (like the AFV kit). It sits where the old T28 heavy tank used to be displayed. The T28 is no longer there.

Other than the old M60A1 on 31W as you approach the Muldraugh hill and the M103 heavy tank next to the Chamber of Commerce in Radcliff, display armor is virtually gone from in front of buildings around post.

2

Thanks.

No mention in your post of the MBT 70 on base.

I’ve not been on base since the mid-1980s.

At the time the old wood barracks lookded like they hadn’t been painted since the movie Goldfinger.

Any improvement?

BTW.is the Goldfinger movie prop of Ft. Knox still at the museum?

3

The old wooden barracks are gone. In their place is the largest office complex in Kentucky. The Maude Complex is HQs to the US Army Human Resources Command (new name for the old PERSCOM). That whole area is much different with personnel, recruiting and accessions organizations from St. Louis, Alexandria, VA, Indianapolis, Ft. Monore, all relocating to Knox.

4

The bureaucracy took over, eh?

What of the MBT-70 and Ft. Knox museum model?

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The MBT70 and the XM803 are not where they used to be displayed. The museum itself is closed for another two weeks, but most of the lobby armor (18 ton Ford and the Ft-17) aren’t there any longer.

As to the Goldfinger prop, it’s probably there since it is a Ft. Knox artifact as opposed to an Armor Center related item.

Bottom line, if I didn’t list it, it is NO longer on display anywhere on post and was either shipped to Georgia already or carted off to Richardson Motor Park to prep it for movement to Georgia.

6

Thanks.I saw a Google satellite photo a few years ago showing the trees surrounding the Knox depository were cut down, too!

[:'(]

I’m not gonna recognize the place.[:‘(][:’(][st][:'(][:(]

My only solace : the US Cav store still exists in the area…[whstl]

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I remember those. Back in the early '80s my high school fencing club used one for practice. The long barracks room was perfect for fencing. As I recall, they were pretty dilapidated even then. Haven’t been back there in almost 30 years, sounds like I wouldn’t recognize anything anymore. [:(]

Paul

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where did the T28 go?

9

I shouldn’t have waited too long on making a trip to Fort Knox from Indy. Its about three hours drive or longer. I thought there are some German AFVs too or are they gone too? I recall seeing a picture of Tiger or Panther displayed inside Patton museum.

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Gone, moved or in the process of being moved. Nothing inside on display in the museum. There WAS all sorts of WW2 German armor inside for decades. All gone, not there no more, longer trip to see it for you.

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I did my basic there July thru September 1966 googled a map a while back all it would show me were streets it would’nt show me any of the buildings there. wanted to see if I could find the barrick building where I was located at. ACESES5 [proplr] [bgr]

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Rob, thanks for the update. The last I heard a brigade from 1st ID was moving to Knox, is that still the plan? you said you were clearing post, where are you heading?

Tim Ellis

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3rd Bde, 1st ID has been at Knox for at least 2 rotations to the sandbox. I’m retiring in July. My last duty day before I begin terminal leave is Friday, April 1st.

14

Congratulations !

You can spend more time here with the rest of us …[whstl]

15

This was the latest information on the Patton Museum. I got this email this morning, but it was sent Friday afternoon (I’m retiring, I leave early on Fridays now).

I’ll check it out on my way off post after I’ve signed out on Friday and let you know if it’s worth a trip down here.

16

I saw one of your posts that you started your career as a 12F, and was on both AVLB s and CEV s.

I am also a old 12F, I served 1970 to 1982 on both vehicles.

reading on what they have done to Fort Knox just blows me away, that is/was the armour center for the Army.

I am currently working on a web site for 12F s to look at pictures and link up with others, I would be interested to hear about your career if you wish to contact me at SSGGBROOT@NETSCAPE.NET.

I don"t think we might have ever ran across each old, but maybe knew others. I f nothing else I am very interested in what happened to the mos and vehicles after I got out- medical.

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This is very sad news to hear! I finished basic in Nov 09 at Ft. Knox. I always loved the Patton Tank Museum, I’m glad I got to take the pictures I did when I had the chance. I just hope all of the tanks find a nice new home. Well, it wont be the same now so I’m just happy I got that opportunity. Its crazy how much the Army has changed even for the short time I’ve been in.

18

Shows how long it’s been since I’ve been to mother Knox, Congrats on your retirement and thanks for your career of service to our nation.

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I took a quick walk through the museum before I signed out this afternoon. When I say quick, I mean quick.

All that’s left inside is one old cannon in the foyer. The gift shop area remains intact, but sells mainly T-shirts and those pre-built Forces of Valor armor pieces.

When you walk into the museum proper, to the left is a large room devoted to ROTC. OK, that’s about 30 seconds worth of looking.

To the right is where the Patton collection is located; roughly the same spot it was before. His Cadillac is still there, but the deuce and a half command post truck is gone. Added is a beat up 3rd Army Jeep that looks like the one I took photos of at Ft. Lee, VA’s Quartermaster museum. I’m not sure if it’s the same one or just one dressed up to look like one of his command Jeeps.

Also on display is one of his ivory handled pistols and belt. Just the .45 cal Peacekeeper. The .357 isn’t there any longer, although I’m not sure if it was there previously. I do remember it used to be there years ago.

That took about 5 minutes to see what was left.

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My 12F time was very limited. I joined the Guard in 1983 and went to basic on the split training option. The summer of 1984 was spent at AIT and I drilled with the Engineer company for 3+ years total (83-86). The next year (85) was my ROTC advance camp at Ft. Bragg and I also went to annual training with a tank company from my division (50th Armor Div) later that summer.

I was commissioned active duty in 1986 and entered active duty as an armor officer.