Notes on the Corvette Museum from a Mustang Enthusiast
Having grown up, loving and driving Mustangs, I tried to enter the Bowling Green Corvette Mecca with an open mind. Ever sensitive of the museum's past tragedy, I knew that any jokes or wise cracks would probably be out of place.
Of course the entrance and lobby were extremely well done. I was impressed from the moment I saw all the brand new 2021 Corvette Stingray’s lined up, ready to ship out across the country, to their new owners.
My first thought was, “Why are there so many fingerprints on these brand new Corvettes?” when there are so many signs clearly stating “Do not touch”? My second thought after looking around the lobby was “Where in the world is the Mustang museum?” I would truly rather be there, enjoying the history of the pony car. But alas, I’m afraid there is no Mustang museum that rivals the home of Corvette in Bowling Green.
We excitedly paid our $12 entrance fee and slowly moved towards the former abyss in the center dome. Walking past and Gawking at the fantastic 1953 and 1954 Corvette, my wife excitedly spotted a Ford Thunderbird. I am sure more than one Corvette lover sighed in disgust with our jubilation.
We soon found ourselves engrossed with the cave-in display. Videos, exhibits and markings on the floor provided insight to the pre-dawn events of 12th of February 2014; a day which will live in infamy. The sinkhole, was about 30 foot deep and 40 foot in diameter, in the central dome of the museum. There are yellow stripes marking the location of the cave below us, while red stripes marked the location of the infamous sinkhole that had consumed eight revered Corvettes. A viewing window with lights was placed over a manhole in the center of room, providing tourist with a better understanding of the depth of the former chasm.
The eight cars swallowed by the sinkhole include the 1993 ZR-1 Spyder, a 2009 "Blue Devil" ZR1, a black 1962 roadster, a 1984 PPG Pace Car, the 1 Millionth Corvette (1992) a 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette, a 2001 Mallett Hammer Corvette Z06, and a 1.5 Millionth Corvette from 2009. Three of the Corvettes have been restored, with the other five on display in their sinkhole recovered condition.
I would have to say the National Corvette Museum has recovered from the catastrophic events of 2014 and is now ‘making lemonade’, as they enjoy a self reported 68% increase in visitation to the Museum.
All joking aside, we had a Gr8 time at the National Corvette Museum and I highly recommend a visit by any Corvette lover or otherwise interested tourist. Additionally, a pleasant day can be enjoyed by the impartial Mustang enthusiast.
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