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Motorists Drive Tanks At Minnesota Action Park

WEB EXTRA: Frank Drives A Tank

KASOTA, Minn. (WCCO/AP) -- Looking for something to do next week on your time off?  How about driving a tank into a house?

A business down in Kasota, Minn., allows just about anyone to drive a tank for a fee.

Tony Borglum owns Drive-a-Tank.

He has nearly a dozen tanks available for people to spin around in, smash some cars, and for an extra fee, plow it into a mobile home.

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Borglum says his business draws a lot of different customers.

"Most people are coming from out of state, or out of the country," Borglum told WCCO's John Hines.  "We've got thrill seekers, people from big cities that just want to get out."

He says as far as he knows, it's the only place in the country where the general public can drive a tank.

Borglum acquired most of his tanks in England and Europe. He says they're fairly easy to control. He says you need at least a month to get a reservation.

"It was awesome. I mean, controlling that machine, it's incredible," said Jacob Ostling, 19, of New Canaan, Conn., among the customers who took a turn under the turret on a recent Saturday and flattened a car in an explosion of glass.

Borglum, a construction and heavy equipment contractor, opened the tank park three years ago after seeing similar attractions during a visit to England. He said he knew it would fit nicely into American culture — a more visceral version of what millions of guys are doing in video games anyway.

He began buying up old Cold War-era surplus and now has 11 armored vehicles available for use on a 20-acre site near this town 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis. Customers spend hours churning up and down a hilly, wooded course, getting a firsthand sense of what armored warfare might be like.

"It's not as glorious as it looks like on TV," Borglum said.

But it satisfies the curiosity of those who have watched tanks in war movies.

"It was very realistic," agreed Brad Walker, of Amboy, Ind., who brought his 21-year-old son, Nick, for an outing before the young man got married. "It kind of gives you an idea exactly how hard that job is." Nick Walker, who squeezed his 5-foot-11, 230-pound frame into the cramped compartment, added, "It's not a big person's job."

Drivers sit in the small space in front between the tracks and navigate by looking out the hatch.

"It's very noisy. Lot of vibration. Kind of warm but not uncomfortable. Took a little getting used to the maneuverability, but it's just ... a blast," said customer Marvin Bourne.

A basic package that includes driving a tank and shooting a machine gun costs $399, with more expensive options for driving several models and shooting other weapons such as assault rifles. Drivers who want to smash a car pay an additional $549; for about $3,500, a customer can drive a tank through a trailer house.

Learning to control the lumbering machine with its two steering sticks takes only a few minutes. It was "easier than I expected," and "an awesome Christmas present," said Bourne, 58, an insurance man from Richmond, Va., who brought his wife, Karen, along as passenger. He was among several visitors who had a gotten a tank ride as a gift for a special occasion.

One of the attractions on display is a British Chieftain Mark 11 featured in the 2002 Matthew McConaughey dragon invasion movie "Reign of Fire." Another Chieftain nicknamed Larry, weighing 60 tons and with a top speed of 30 mph, makes short work of any obstacle in its path.

"To have that much weight on just two brake handles, it's awesome," said Ostling after the tank rolled over a car and rained glass around his head. The car "was like a tin can," he said.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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