BOWLING GREEN, KY, February 12, 2024 – On February 12, 2014, at 5:38 AM, the National Corvette Museum suffered a cave-in that claimed eight cars from the museum’s multimillion dollar collection and caused an international sensation. The video and images captured by museum security cameras went viral, circulating around the globe. Viewers were left stunned at the loss of such rare and remarkable treasures, and all eyes were on the National Corvette Museum’s response and recovery.
Today, on the tenth anniversary of the world-famous sinkhole, the National Corvette Museum is celebrating incredible change and growth in the decade since, revealing details on its upcoming exhibit “Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined.” The exhibit will open to the public on Friday, June 14, 2024, and will run through September 15, 2024. It will document the moments, memories, and machines that made history that fateful day, while focusing on the accomplishments of countless Museum staff and supporters who built back and reimagined a National Corvette Museum that continues to evolve.
“The National Corvette Museum captured the attention of the world a decade ago, and we’ve spent the last decade turning misfortunes into hard-fought and well-earned triumphs,” said Kaye Wagner, National Corvette Museum Board Chair. “With over 15 major exhibitions, tens of millions of dollars in renovations and improvements, the creation of a STEAM-focused education gallery, the addition of a world-class Motorsports Park to our campus, and countless other advances in the last ten years, the National Corvette Museum is proud of our journey. Thanks to our amazing team and supporters, we have survived a sinkhole. Not only have we endured, but we are thriving.”
According to Wagner, “Like all museums, the National Corvette Museum rotates artifacts on and off exhibit to rest them and bring in fresh material for our visitors. Those who wish to see the sinkhole artifacts should make definitive plans to visit during the run of “Ground to Sky.” Once the exhibit closes, these artifacts will be rotated back into the collection for rest from public view.”
The exhibit will feature two Corvettes that were recovered from the sinkhole and fully restored, a 2009 “Blue Devil” ZR1 and the 1 Millionth Corvette (a white ’92 model). It will also include other cars that remain damaged from the incident and dramatic multimedia that illustrate a look back at the National Corvette Museum’s remarkable history, and a vision of where the Museum is heading.
About The National Corvette Museum: Since 1953, the Corvette has been America’s Sports Car. The National Corvette Museum is a 501 (c) 3, not-for-profit foundation, serving as an educational and research institution with the mission of celebrating the Corvette’s invention and preserving the legendary automobile’s past, present, and future. For more information visit corvettemuseum.org or call 270-781-7973.
