National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, KY, USA
Until September 15, 2024
Ground To Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined looks back at the collapse of part of the floor in 2014 and the resources deployed to repair the damage and reinvent the site. At 5.38am on 12 February 2014, part of the floor of the Corvette National Museum Dome suddenly collapsed, creating a chasm almost 30 feet deep. A cave had gradually opened up underground in this area, a relatively common phenomenon in Kentucky soil. Eight cars from the museum’s collection were swept away and some, of course, considerably damaged.
The video and images captured by the museum’s security cameras went viral and were seen around the world. The museum’s teams quickly sprang into action to work on a repair plan and salvage what could be salvaged.
Now, on the tenth anniversary of the accident, the National Corvette Museum is looking back over the road travelled with the exhibition Ground To Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined. It will document the moments, memories and machines that made history on that fateful day, while highlighting the achievements of countless museum staff and supporters who have rebuilt and reimagined the museum.
The exhibition will feature two Corvettes that have been salvaged from the chasm and fully restored, a 2009 ZR1 ‘Blue Devil’ and the millionth Corvette (a white 1992 model). It will also include other cars damaged by the collapse and spectacular multimedia material.
A 3D animation available on the museum website allows visitors to explore what now lies beneath the Dome’s floor.
The photos on this page belong to the National Corvette Museum, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.