The front of the old Patton Museum in 1965.

The Patton Museum has been a long-time fixture at Fort Knox since it started over 60 years ago from humble beginnings in an old indoor firing range building dedicated on May 30, 1949. The modern complex seen today began in 1972 when the first of several stages was built. Between then and 1992, new sections have been added without a penny of taxpayer money being used, as all funding has come from the Patton Museum Foundation through funds donated by individuals and organizations from around the world.

The museum's original mission was to preserve historical material that relates to armored warfare, vehicles and weapons through the ages and to make this material available to the military, the public and research and development organizations. Military personnel in training with the Armor School were frequent visitors to the museum as part of their training.

The Armor School, as directed by the Base Re-alignment and Closure (BRAC) committee, has moved to Fort Benning, Georgia. There it will continue the training of armor soldiers in tandem with the Infantry School at Fort Benning to prepare the Army for threats in the 21st century. Because the collection of vehicles and weapons in the Patton Museum is part of the Armor School's curriculum, on September 6, 2010, the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor was closed to prepare to move the collection to Fort Benning. By April 2011, all items earmarked for removal will be positioned or have been sent to Fort Benning .

The inside of the current structure as it appeared before September 7, 2010.

Following a three month closure for the first phase of an extensive re-model, the new General George Patton Museum of Leadership has opened. At present exhibits are now located in two galleries in the front part of the museum. The Patton Gallery which shows personal items owned, used or collected by General Patton during his lifetime, including the automobile in which he suffered his fatal injury, and the Cadet Command Gallery showing items from the history of cadet schools. There are also exhbits showing the principles of leadership and displays of the 100th Division's history. Eventually, after the entire museum is renovated, the grand opening of the completed museum will be, approximately, in 2013 or 2014. Along with the Armor Center Memorial Park there are still several armored vehicles outside the museum reflecting Fort Knox's role as an armor training center and Patton's history of tank leadership.

The museum is open with free admission to the public with easy access off U.S. Hwy 31W. It operates year-round Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST) and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EST). The museum is closed on federal holidays.