So, you wanna drive a tank?

KASOTA, Minn. — Imagine driving through the woods while on vacation with your friends when you come across two parked cars blocking the road. What do you do?   

A. Turn around and find another route to your destination 
B. Get out of the vehicle and try to push them out of the way 
C. Call the local authorities and wait until they move them 
D. Drive over them and have a blast doing it 

If you answered D, then an extreme adventure at Drive A Tank, the nation’s only venue where you can drive real military tanks and shoot historic military weaponry in an indoor controlled range, could be in your future.  

Drive A Tank is a unique opportunity to live out fantasies of being unstoppable and having control over some of the most powerful vehicles ever built. 

Located in Kasota, Minn., Drive A Tank’s mission is to offer adrenaline-inducing quasi-military adventures. With multiple authentic military tanks and several military vehicles that have been used in actual combat, MV fans can drive a tank in a combat scenario and run over just about anything that gets in your way.  

Drive A Tank started by purchasing their its military vehicle, a 2 ½-ton military “Deuce” cargo truck. Fashioned with a full crew cab, the “hot-rod deuce” was born and it was soon apparent that people loved to climb into it for an off-road adventure. As the desire increased to take a ride in the Deuce, Drive A Tank’s arsenal of military vehicles grew to include eight authentic military tanks.  

The Drive A Tank Experience includes a two-part adventure that includes being able to fire authentic military weaponry in a controlled indoor range: 

Arrive at the Drive A Tank Armory, registration and check in. 

Armored vehicle safety and familiarization class with Q&A in the troop training room. Participants learn about various armored vehicles, how they are used and where they are used. 

Tour of restoration, maintenance and storage facility in the Motor Pool. 

Transport to field command HQ in a classic military transport vehicle. Follow-up with a final safety briefing and driving tips. 

  Drive your first tank; this will include driving an Abbot tank through the challenging wooded course with an instructor, “riding shotgun”. 

Drive a second tank — the FV432 APC — through a challenge course a small vision periscopes to guide the way.

Transport back to the motor pool in a vintage military transport vehicle. 

Car crush (optional).  

Picture time with vehicles participants just drove and the car(s) that were crushed. 

Re-group at the troop training facility for Firearm Safety, Small Arms Familiarization and Usage course. Students will learn about various historic military firearms and how they were used, where they were used and who used them. 

Choose firearm(s) to test fire in the indoor range. Amount of ammo varies by firearm, but is usually around 30 rounds for belt-fed weapons. 

Receive required safety gear and gain clearance to enter the live-fire range. 

Test fire at the range is a controlled training environment with an instructor.  There be an opportunity to purchase more range time and test fire additional firearms.   

For more information about the Drive A Tank experience, call 507-835-5607, or visit www.driveatank.com.