The 60-acre Drive-a-Tank facility in the Minnesota woods offers quasi-military adventures with nine authentic military tanks and several military vehicles that have been used in actual combat.

I grew up in the rural Midwest where it was a common tradition to hunt rabbits and other game on Thanksgiving morning. I was never much of a hunter or even a good shot to bring home dinner. But I might have better luck driving a Sherman tank and hunting other armored vehicles at Drive A Tank, in rural Kasota, Minn. This map dot is about halfway between the cities of Mankato and St. Peter on the eastern side of the Minnesota River.

In business since 2009, the 60-acre facility in the Minnesota woods offers quasi-military adventures with nine authentic military tanks and several military vehicles that have been used in actual combat. Participants can drive a tank in a combat scenario and run over just about anything that gets in the way, including cars and mobile homes.

For Thanksgiving, Drive A Tank is offered a new holiday tradition it calls Tanks-giving on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. Engines fired up at 10 a.m. with dinner served around 4 p.m. (Expect about the same timing for 2019.)

There are several tank-driving options, including three-, four- and five-star General packages ranging in price from $299-$2,599. (Drive A Tank)

Participants will be able to experience an armored combat mission to hunt armored vehicles and engage them with the Sherman Tank’s main gun, using proprietary combat-training ammo. There also will be many authentic WWII-era machine guns to shoot.

After a day of target practice and piloting tons of steel, owner Tony Borglum and the crew at Drive A Tank will have a Thanksgiving meal and beverage waiting.

“This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Thanksgiving festivity,” said Borglum. Thanksgiving holidays blend together because year after year, they aren’t ever different. If you come to our Tanks-giving, I guarantee, you will never forget it.”

There are several tank-driving options, including three-, four- and five-star General packages ranging in price from $299-$2,599. New this year is the $1,599 Sherman Driver Experience. The Tanks-giving turkey shoot is offered with a 10 percent discount toward any program and includes the Thanksgiving meal.

Add-ons include driving a 60-ton Chieftain battle tank over a car, $549 — or mash two cars for $749. And there are options to drive a tank through a mobile home ($3,495, total package cost).

Also on site is an indoor shooting range with historic military firearms.

Info: (507) 931-7385 or Driveatank.com.

The Tanks-giving turkey shoot is offered with a 10 percent discount toward any program and includes the Thanksgiving meal. Add-ons include driving a 60-ton Chieftain battle tank over a car, $549 — or mash two cars for $749. (Drive A Tank)

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