One thing that the Museum staff did not have to worry about was locating the keys to the eight Corvettes. Since the keys were stored separately from the cars, none were lost or damaged in the sinkhole. All eight keys will be on display in the Museum’s new exhibit Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined. The exhibit looks back on a decade of progress at the Museum, a period of growth catalyzed by the staff’s response to the sinkhole. Along with several of the sinkhole Corvettes, Ground to Sky includes personal interviews with Museum employees, displays reflecting on the Museum’s history, and a peek into the possible future of Corvette.

Just like the automobiles they start, these keys provide a snapshot of the Corvette’s evolution. The oldest car, a 1962 Tuxedo Black Corvette, comes with a simple set of unadorned keys. Several of the later cars come with special keychains signifying their uniqueness, including the 1992 One Millionth Corvette and the 1984 PPG Indy Car pace car. The keys to the 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06, the last Corvette pulled out of the sinkhole, include a traditional metal key, multi-button fob, and a Corvette club keychain from its original owners. The 1.5 Millionth Corvette and the ZR1 Blue Devil, both from 2009, have sleeker key fobs with the sixth-generation Corvette crossed flags on the back.

All that remains of the sinkhole today is a floor hatch in the Skydome. The Blue Devil, One Millionth Corvette, and 1962 were all restored and are on display in Ground to Sky. Visitors can also see the 1.5 Millionth Corvette and the 1993 ZR-1 Spyder just as they came out of the sinkhole. These cars, and their keys, are symbols of resiliency in the history of Corvette and the Museum.

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“We are excited to open Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined as a tribute to the growth and vision of the National Corvette Museum and to remind Corvette enthusiasts worldwide how far we’ve come since that fateful morning,” said Kaye Wagner, Chair of the National Corvette Museum Board of Directors. “This special exhibit allows us to reflect on the challenges we faced, and the tremendous progress we have achieved since then.”

The three-month, limited-engagement exhibit features:

• Recovered Sinkhole Corvettes: One-of-a-kind Corvettes recovered from the Sinkhole and brought out of long-term storage including the ZR-1 Spyder, 1962 Corvette, and the 1.5 Millionth Corvette, displayed alongside the 2009 ZR-1 Blue Devil and One Millionth Corvette.
• Personal Interviews: Hear firsthand accounts from Museum staff about the discovery of the Sinkhole, the recovery process, and the progress to today.
• Museum Chronology: Reflect on the Museum’s transformative journey over the past decade, including the repair of the Sinkhole, two generations of Corvette, two dozen new exhibits, capital improvements to the Stingray Grill, McMichael Education Gallery, and much more.
• Original Sinkhole and Boulder: Museum admission includes access to the Skydome, featuring a viewing platform to see the 40-foot Sinkhole. Visitors can also see the original boulder that impacted the Mallett Hammer Corvette, located outside the Stingray Grill.
• New Ways to Experience the Story: An example of continued progress, Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined will feature special braille labels for all five Corvettes, created in partnership with American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Guests will have the opportunity to explore a collection of Corvettes and artifacts that showcase the Museum’s journey during and following the catastrophe,” explained Robert Maxhimer, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Education. “From the restoration of damaged Corvettes to the ten years of progress that has touched every corner of the Museum, Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined highlights our commitment to preserving Corvette history while embracing progress.”

Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined opens to the public on June 14 and will run through September 15. Plan your visit to explore the Museum’s history and see the legendary Sinkhole Corvettes before they return to long-term storage and out of public view.

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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. 

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March 15 – LUSTER: Realism and Hyperrealism in Contemporary Automobile and Motorcycle Painting

Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, cars and motorcycles have not only been ubiquitous on the nation’s streets and highways, but also in film, top forty hits, and in painting. With the emergence of photo-realism in the 1960’s, motor vehicles assumed a special place of distinction as subject matter in the iconography of American art. LUSTER: Realism and Hyperrealism in Contemporary Automobile and Motorcycle Painting, is a traveling museum exhibition comprised of over 55 paintings by nearly 15 of today’s realists and hyperrealists who specialize in automobiles and motorcycles as their primary subject of choice.

Undergoing a major renovation to transform the space into an art gallery, Luster will take residency in the Museum’s limited engagement gallery through the end of 2024. Art will be juxtaposed against Corvettes, motorcycles and other automotive icons that served as the inspiration for the work, including a 1937 Cord 812 on loan from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, IN.

April – The Vintage Shop Opens on CorvetteStore.com

The Corvette Store’s Vintage Shop gives the Museum another opportunity to showcase the car’s incredible history and the fashions that have accompanied it, while the interest in vintage apparel has skyrocketed with younger generations craving a unique look. The Vintage Shop will be available in limited “product drops” in 2024 on the recently renovated CorvetteStore.com. We are seeking all types of Corvette merchandise, including T-shirts, totes, lapel pins, and more and all donations must be clean, odorless, and in good condition. To learn more, visit us online at CorvetteStore.com.

April 25 – 27, 27th Annual Michelin National Corvette Museum Bash

Every year, the National Corvette Museum starts off its event season with the Michelin NCM Bash, an event where Corvette fans get to have an in-depth experience learning about the latest and greatest with the Corvette. Returning activities include a seminar and classroom sessions by GM certified Corvette Technician Paul Koerner, with additional seminars presented by Michelin, Mobil 1, and GM. Guests will enjoy guided road tours, a Museum’s Choice car show, a live auction featuring exclusive Corvette memorabilia, and more.

May 1 -31 – Military Appreciation Month Including the Vets ‘n Vettes Event

The National Corvette Museum has a long history of celebrating our military veterans, and the month of May is National Military Appreciation Month in the United States. All active and retired duty military will receive free admission to the museum with military ID.  Vets ‘n Vettes, presented by Mobil 1, will take place in May.  Since 2008, the NCM has been hosting this event, offering veterans, servicemen and women, and those who support them, a comfortable place to meet and share stories and experiences while enjoying road tours and other Corvette-related activities.

June – Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined

When the National Corvette Museum’s iconic Skydome suffered a cave-in on February 12, 2014, due to an undiscovered unground cavern, the world quickly tuned in and watched. The decade since has witnessed incredible change and growth at the National Corvette Museum, and this exhibit documents the moments, memories, and machines that made history that fateful day, while recognizing the accomplishments of countless Museum staff and supporters who built back and reimaged a National Corvette Museum that continues to prosper.

This limited engagement exhibit features select Corvettes that were recovered from the sinkhole, along with timelines and multimedia that illustrate where the Corvette Museum has been, and where it is headed in the future.

August 29 – 31 – 2024 National Corvette Caravan

With more than 8,000 Corvettes descending on the National Corvette Museum from all points around the world, the National Corvette Caravan is a celebration of America’s Sports Car, culminating in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the anniversary celebration of the Museum. Hosted once every five years, Caravan is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend 2024 and will mark the Museum’s 30th Anniversary. Regional caravans will form and join other caravans as they travel across the United States to meet in Bowling Green, Kentucky for four days of festivities at the National Corvette Museum.

August 31 – 26th Annual Corvette Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

On August 31st, the National Corvette Museum will celebrate the 2024 Members-Elect of the Corvette Hall of Fame with an official, formal induction. The Corvette Hall of Fame was established by the NCM in 1998 to confer official recognition upon the most influential individuals in the history of the Corvette and honor their achievements. Each year, a leader is inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame from one of three categories: GM-Chevrolet, Racing and Enthusiast.

October 2024  – An American Love Affair: Pop Culture and the Corvette

The widely popular exhibit documenting the love affair between America and the Corvette will be refreshed with new Corvettes and Corvette artifacts on display.  With a greater focus on the connection Corvette has to pop culture, the exhibit will include a new multimedia performance in the museum’s Skydome.

“The Corvette means so much to so many people, and our 2024 Exhibits and Events plans include something for everyone,” explained Sharon Brawner, National Corvette Museum President and CEO. “From 8,000 Corvette enthusiasts traveling from all points across the country with the Corvette Caravan, to art aficionados captivated by the beauty and color so unique to cars and motorcycles, 2024 will deliver the sights, sounds, and experiences worthy of the Museum’s 30th Anniversary.” To schedule a visit to the National Corvette Museum, visit www.corvettemuseum.org.

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The 1962 “sinkhole” Corvette being moved from display in the Skydome to a Museum garage bay where it will undergo restoration.

Three years ago, on February 12, 2014, viewers tuning in to their morning news witnessed and heard an almost unbelievable story – a sinkhole had opened inside the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and eight Corvettes fell victim… lying at the bottom of the more than 30 foot deep gaping hole. Fortunately, the cars and building were the only things damaged as it occurred in the early morning hours before anyone was in the Museum. The story captivated those who watched it, and while the Museum initially planned to put the past behind them, the interest in the sinkhole and damaged Corvettes was undeniable.

Last year, the Museum commemorated the second anniversary of the international headline making occurrence with a ribbon cutting for a new exhibit… Corvette Cave In! The Skydome Sinkhole Experience. The exhibit was well-received, helping the Museum achieve the second highest attendance in its 23-year history. The positive reception can be seen on travel review sites like Trip Advisor, with reviewers describing it as “amazing,” “interesting,” “astounding,” and “astonishing.” The exhibit features eight sections, from a recap of what happened the day of the sinkhole, the media coverage and pop culture aspect, to the cars themselves, the recovery and repair process, and caves and karst landscapes, leading to a grand finale cave-in experience.

After interacting with the engaging display, visitors are led into the Skydome where they can see an outline of where the sinkhole was, an outline of where the cave is and even peer down the more than 30-foot-deep shaft into the remaining portion of the cave.

Perhaps the most awe-inspiring part of the exhibit is all eight Corvettes on display, placed in almost the same spots as they were prior to their fall. The 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil was restored by General Motors in the fall of 2014 and revealed at the SEMA Auto Show prior to being returned to the Museum. The 1992 “One Millionth” Corvette’s restoration was a much more painstaking process – garnering four months of work and 1,200 man-hours as the quest to save the signatures of those who built the car became top priority.

Five of the Corvettes sustained damage beyond repair, including the 1984 PPG Pace Car, 1993 ZR-1 Spyder, 1993 40^th Anniversary, 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 and 2009 1.5 Millionth.

The question remains… what about the 1962 Corvette? On Thursday, February 9 the car, still covered in dirt and debris from the sinkhole, was removed from display in the Skydome and transferred to a garage bay where it will undergo restoration work to bring it back, better than ever. The on-going work will be performed in the Museum, and guests will be able to see the car’s progress, oftentimes as it is happening.

“The car has been on display ‘as-is’ for nearly three years, so we thought to commemorate the third anniversary of the sinkhole, we would start the restoration work on the last Corvette to be repaired,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager. “Almost all the work will be performed in-house by Daniel Decker, our Vehicle Maintenance and Preservation Coordinator. It’s exciting that guests will be able to see the car come back to life.”

The Corvette was donated to the Museum in 2011 by David Donoho, a die-hard enthusiast who saved up enough money to buy the car in high school, and ultimately owned it just over 50 years. David was so obsessed, in fact, that he earned the nickname “The Weather Man” because his friends would tease him about how closely he would watch the weather, and quickly take his Corvette home when there was a chance of rain.

The Corvette needs about $15,000 worth of new parts, including a complete front end assembly, hood panel and windshield, but overall the damage was minor compared to the other cars. Thanks to the generosity of General Motors, all $25,000 in restoration expenses have been covered. Returning the 1962 to original condition will be a lengthy process, and Daniel expects the task to take as long as a year to complete. “It’s a real big honor to be able to do the work, to bring it back to life from the sinkhole,” he said. “We want to do it right. The fiberglass will need to set and cure so it doesn’t shrink later. We want the car to look immaculate.”

In addition to visiting the Museum to witness first-hand the work being performed on the Corvette, enthusiasts can tune in to Facebook and YouTube where a number of videos will be published by the Museum, providing updates and progress reports. Follow the Museum at facebook.com/corvettemuseum, youtube.com/corvettemuseum and corvettemuseum.org.

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Alexis is awarded first place in her division and category for her sinkhole model.

When it came time to create a project for her elementary school’s science fair, Alexis had selected sinkholes as her theme. But it was after Googling her topic that she learned of the massive sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum. She had never been to the Museum but was intrigued by both the Corvette and the story of what happened with the sinkhole.  “I think Corvettes look really cool. I like their design and that they are really fast,” said Alexis. “I also like the colors that are used and how the exhaust is together at the back. I like the sound of them when they are revved and driving fast.” Alexis’ dad, Seth, reached out to us to request permission to use our photos. We were so excited about the project, we asked Seth to share with us the finished product.

Alexis, a 5th grade student, created an interactive model of the Museum’s sinkhole, paired with imagery of the sinkhole, diagrams, a map and other facts about caves and sinkholes. Her model was created using an aquarium with a miniature model of the Museum, Skydome and Corvettes, plus layers under the surface to illustrate bedrock, non-porous rock, limestone and top soil.

“The board on the bottom portion of the aquarium has two small stilts on it to lift it off of the bottom. There were holes drilled in the board near where the cave would form, allowing the water to drain out of the cave so that it would not fill with water,” Alexis explained. “The bedrock and non-porous rock were Styrofoam blocks wrapped in duct tape. The part where the cave would form had plastic tubing in it to allow the water in it to dissolve the sugar cubes, which represented the limestone. The top board had a hole cut in it that would become the opening of the sinkhole. The pieces that were cut out were supported by a piece of plastic to hold them up until the cave formed, and it was time for the roof of the cave to collapse. This was done by pulling on a string that was tied to the support to act like it gave out, causing the roof to collapse and a sinkhole to form.”

Alexis then shared with us how the demonstration worked. “Once everything was in place, water was poured into a funnel, which was attached to the plastic tubing. Water entered the area with the sugar cubes and began to dissolve them. As they dissolved, a cave formed in the area. When the cave was too large, the support gave way, and a cover-collapse sinkhole formed.”

You can check out a demonstration of how a sinkhole forms in this video Alexis made:

Deservingly, Alexis was awarded 1st place in her division and category! She also qualified to move on to the County Science Fair. “She was very excited and proud,” said her dad, Seth. “Her project drew a lot of visitors during the public viewing as well.”

Congratulations, Alexis, on your awards and great job on this wonderful educational piece on the Museum’s sinkhole!

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What could have been a major road block for the Museum became more of a speed bump as the sinkhole is credited with the 67% increase in visitors for 2014. Instead of immediately filling the sinkhole and restoring the Corvettes, the Museum “made lemonade” and embraced the international news-making occurrence, putting nature’s handiwork on display for most of 2014.

“The success of the sinkhole saga could not have been possible without the help and support of several key players,” said Katie Frassinelli, Museum spokesperson, at the dedication event. Frassinelli stressed how fortunate the Museum was that no one was in the building when the collapse occurred while thanking the construction crew and insurance company for also embracing the new attraction. “They have entertained our crazy requests – from saving sinkhole boulders for our landscaping, to salvaging dirt and rock that we bottled for sale in the Corvette Store,” she said. Frassinelli also commented that much of the Museum’s positive outcome from the sinkhole collapse is a result of being able to release video footage of the collapse as it occurred, and later allowing visitors to stand mere feet from the sinkhole to get an up close view.

“There is one chapter left to our story,” Frassinelli said. “Late this fall we are excited to welcome a special exhibit called Corvette Cave-In: The Skydome Sinkhole Experience. Visitors will learn the particulars of sinkholes, karst landscapes, and caves as well as what happened, why it happened, details on the eight Corvettes and how they were recovered and restored, and how the building was structurally repaired. The tour ends as the cave they are visiting virtually collapses over their heads to reveal their location underneath the Museum.”

The ceremony concluded with the caution tape cutting before rolling into a seminar on the restoration of the 1992 “1-millionth” Corvette. After more than four months and 1,200 man-hours of painstaking craftsmanship by the GM team, the restoration of the milestone car is complete, and the Corvette was unveiled in the Skydome.

The 1-millionth Corvette was one of the eight cars that fell victim to the February 12, 2014 sinkhole. And Chevrolet quickly came forward and pledged to restore it. After being rescued from the sinkhole, the 1-millionth Corvette was moved from the Museum to the Design Center on GM’s Technical Center campus in Warren, Mich., for restoration.

“As the one and only 1-millionth Corvette, its preservation was important to us as the designers of the vehicle – and as Corvette enthusiasts,” said Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Global Design. “The damage was significant in many ways; however we have one of the most highly skilled specialty shops and team of people in the industry, so they were fully prepared to take on the challenge.”

“Chevrolet is proud to have helped restore this extremely significant car in Corvette’s long, storied history,” said Mark Reuss, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “When we disassembled it, we found that each employee involved in building it had signed a part of the car, which was fantastic and moving to see. It brought the history to life, and reinforced the importance of the project.”

Despite extensive damage, GM’s team vowed to preserve and repair as many original components as possible – a decision that involved posterity as much as history, in order to preserve those signatures of the Bowling Green Assembly workers who built the car.

Only two signed components couldn’t be saved, so the team had the autographs scanned, reproduced as transfers and placed on the replacement parts.

During the restoration of the 1-millionth Corvette, the 1992 Corvette damaged in the sinkhole disaster at the National Corvette Museum, Chevrolet found hundreds of workers’ signatures on the vehicle from workers during its production at the Bowling Green Assembly plant. Chevrolet was able to save all of the signatures except for one – from retired General Motors employee Angela Lamb, who recreates her signature on a panel of the car before it is reattached – to complete the restoration process Thursday, September 3, 2015 at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. GM Global Design Fabrication Operations Director David Bolognino (left) and Executive Director Global Chevrolet Design John Cafaro hold the panel for Lamb. (Photo by John F. Martin for Chevrolet)

One component with a single signature from Bowling Green Assembly employee Angela Lamb was too damaged to save or even accurately scan for her autograph. Lamb joined event attendees for the big reveal, signing her name on the replacement part. The 1-millionth Corvette is now historically accurate down to the last signature.

Among the parts replaced were the hood, front fascia and the lower panels between the front wheels and doors, as well as a number of ancillary supporting components under the hood. The replacements came from a vehicle of the same vintage and color, ensuring authenticity of the parts and materials involved with the restoration.

A few other components, such as the rear fascia and front exhaust system, would have probably been replaced in almost any other restoration project, but the team repaired them because they were also covered in signatures.

Additional highlights from the restoration:

• The front sub-frame was damaged in the fall into the sinkhole and required straightening
• The wheels were damaged, but reconditioned, with the original Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires
• Rather than replace the scuffed and scratched pad on the instrument panel, its soft cover was carefully removed and replaced to preserve the employee-signed structure beneath it
• The red leather seats, featuring one-off “1,000,000th Corvette” embroidery on the headrests were damaged but deemed irreplaceable, so they were restored, including a few replacement patches of carefully matched hide
• The 5.7L LT1 engine, transmission and other drivetrain components were inspected and found to be damage-free

Surprisingly, the one component the team didn’t have to replace was the crushed windshield header. When the car first rolled into the shop, an overhead crane was used to raise it enough to make the car drivable, but the frame pulled up surprisingly close to the original position, encouraging the team to save it.

“The header restoration was a wonderful surprise for what everyone assumed would be the toughest aspect of the restoration,” said Bolognino. “With access to the original specifications, we got it spot-on – and even the new windshield glass dropped in perfectly.”

The final touch was replacing the unique “1,000,000th” windshield banner it wore when it rolled off the assembly line 23 years ago. The computer graphic file used for the original was still available, allowing creation of an identical banner.

The 1-millionth Corvette is the second sinkhole-damaged Corvette that Chevrolet has restored. The first, a 2009 Corvette ZR1 prototype known as the Blue Devil, was only lightly damaged and was returned to its original condition last fall.

The National Corvette Museum’s new Maintenance and Preservation Department will restore the third car, a 1962 Corvette. The five additional Corvettes swallowed by the sinkhole will remain in their as-recovered state to preserve the historical significance of the cars.

FAST FACT: The 1-Millionth Corvette rolled off the assembly line as a convertible with a white exterior and a red interior – just like the first Corvette produced in 1953.

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