New exhibits, vintage Corvette rides, go-karts and Corvettes to drive. The National Corvette Museum and NCM Motorsports Park welcomed new attractions and even more new visitors for 2017. At the track, attendance was 60,840, while at the Museum attendance was 228,744. This is the third consecutive year of increased attendance for the Bowling Green, Kentucky attractions.
In addition to opening an exhibit celebrating Kentucky’s 225th anniversary as a state with the story of transportation through the years, visitors were transported back in time with rides in vintage Corvettes. Guests choose from a selection of Museum owned vehicles, with past choices including a 1966 Convertible 327, 1979 Coupe, 1996 Convertible, and 2003 50th Anniversary Convertible. The rides are offered seasonally and weather dependent, Monday through Saturday, 10am-3pm, and are $20 per person.
At the NCM Motorsports Park, high speed attractions were added to give visitors opportunities to get behind the wheel themselves. The NCM Kartplex opened over the summer, offering high-speed go-karts that for $20 a session, guests can engage in a little friendly competition. The only requirements are a minimum height of 60” (or drivers’ license) and closed toe shoes.
For those yearning to drive America’s Sports Car, the track offers a selection of new Stingrays, both automatic and manual, that can be taken for a few laps, or driven as part of an in-depth Corvette Experience. The Corvette Experience combines classroom time and on-track instruction, lunch and a guided Museum VIP tour.
“Visitors love hands-on experiences, so we were thrilled to be able to add several to our repertoire,” said Museum Executive Director Wendell Strode. “The success of our 2017 additions led to us adding a racing simulator at the Museum for 2018. It has already proved to be quite popular, so we are excited to offer it to guests.”
The new racing simulator puts drivers of any age in the cockpit and behind the wheel of a C6 Corvette. The simulator moves and vibrates much like a real car, providing a life-like experience and is $10 per session.
Admission to the Museum is $10 for adults, $5 for kids age 5-12, and children age 4 and under are free. The Museum is open daily, 8am-5pm CT with trip planning information available at corvettemuseum.org. Admission to the NCM Motorsports Park is free (with the exception of select major events) and activity prices vary. Visit the track’s website at motorsportspark.org for a calendar of upcoming events and registration.
