Armor Museum at Old Bethpage to Break Ground

The Town of Oyster Bay is about to have a newly improved tourist destination, paid for by Nassau County, New York State and an assortment of donors.

Nassau County's Museum of American Armor is about to break ground on facility that will house a major collection of World War II-era armored vehicles, located in Old Bethpage.

An assortment of construction partners is beginning work Sept. 30 on the 25,000 square foot facility to house the collection at Nassau County's Old Bethpage Village Restoration. 

“With a $1 million gift from Museum of American Armor founder Lawrence Kadish and a recently awarded New York State Economic Development Corporation grant of $1 million we are creating a powerful public-private partnership that will strategically strengthen heritage tourism in Nassau County,” said County Executive Edward P Mangano.

Virtually all of the museum’s operational vehicles will be on public display including the iconic Sherman tank, a Stuart light tank often deployed by the Marines during their WW II Pacific campaigns, a potent 155 mm howitzer, reconnaissance vehicles that acted as armored scouts for American forces, anti-aircraft guns and similar weapons that broke the back of the Axis powers during World War II. Other vehicles range from a classic LaSalle staff car in the markings of a Fleet Admiral to jeeps, weapons carriers and half-tracks.

Special operational weekends are planned, during which World War II living historians will mount joint operations with the armor and take to the fields of Old Bethpage Village Restoration to demonstrate how these weapons were deployed.

At other times, the armor will be displayed on the ramp at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale or at parades and special events throughout the bi-county area.

Youth Hockey Registration Scheduled

Registration for the town's Youth Ice Hockey Program will take place on Saturday, Oct, 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 9th 6-9 p.m. at the Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center in Bethpage.

Following those dates, registration will continue in the Recreation office at Town Hall South, located at 977 Hicksville Road, Massapequa, from Oct 10 through the end of the month, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.