| National Corvette Museum | |
| Location: | 350 Corvette Drive Bowling Green, Kentucky |
| Type: | Automobile |
| President: | Sharon Brawner |
The National Corvette Museum showcases the Chevrolet Corvette, an American sports car that has been in production since 1953. It is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, off Interstate 65's Exit 28 and near General Motors' Bowling Green Assembly Plant, where Corvettes are manufactured. It was constructed in 1994, and opened to the public in September of that year.[1]
The mission of the National Corvette Museum is to educate worldwide audiences on the evolution of the Corvette – America's Sports Car – through collection, preservation, and celebration of its legacy. The museum offers captivating exhibits, immersive experiences, Corvette manufacturing plant tours, and unique offerings that engage visitors of all ages and backgrounds in the history of Corvette.
On February 12, 2014, a sinkhole opened under the floor of the Skydome area of the museum at around 5:44 AM local time, causing a portion of the floor to collapse. Kentucky is one of the many states that is notable for having karst topography. Karst topography is the landscape that is formed from the dissolving of rocks such as limestone. In the museum's case, the sinkhole was caused by the dissolving of the limestone in the ground which caused pockets to open underneath the surface. Eventually, the weight of the building caused the top layer of soil to collapse.[2] Eight rare and one-of-a-kind Corvettes, portions of the display stands and rails, large concrete floor slabs and dirt fell into the sinkhole, causing serious damage to some of the Corvettes. The Corvettes involved have an estimated value of a million dollars.[3] [4] The remaining 20 cars in the Skydome were immediately removed from that area. Between March 3, 2014, and March 6, 2014, 5 of the 8 Corvettes were recovered from the sinkhole. The spire area of the Skydome was reinforced before work started on removing the final three buried cars.[5] Multiple multigravity tests were done to ensure that another sinkhole wasn't present or in the making. The results came back clear which allowed for the construction work to begin. For added precaution, micropiles, or systems of steel rods, were inserted into the ground before the concrete was repoured to help give the building more support.[6] The museum reopened the day after the sinkhole appeared.[7]
An exhibit opened in the museum two years later to tell the story of what happened that day and why it happened. This exhibit gives visitors the chance to virtually recover the cars that were in the sinkhole.[8]
The museum also sponsors the Corvette Hall of Fame for individuals who have been involved with the Corvette automobile and made significant contributions in their respective fields. Each year, from two to six persons have been inducted into this select group. Members have been divided into three categories: enthusiasts, GM/Chevrolet, and racing.
| Year | Names | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | GM/Chevrolet | |
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| 1999 | Jim Perkins | GM/Chevrolet |
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| Dick Guldstrand | Racing | |
| 2000 | Racing | |
| Racing | ||
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| 2001 | Gibson Hufstader | GM/Chevrolet |
| Joseph Spielman | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Racing | ||
| 2002 | John Cafaro | GM/Chevrolet |
| Jim Jeffords | Racing | |
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| 2003 | Noland Adams | Enthusiast |
| Robert Morrison | Enthusiast | |
| 2004 | Ray Battaglini | Enthusiast |
| Darrel Bowlin | Enthusiast | |
| Jon Brookmyer | Enthusiast | |
| Dan Gale | Enthusiast | |
| Terry McManmon | Enthusiast | |
| 2005 | Chip Miller | Enthusiast |
| Randy Wittine | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Racing | ||
| 2006 | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Racing | ||
| Gary Mortimer | Enthusiast | |
| 2007 | Doug Hooper | Racing |
| Gordon Killebrew | Enthusiast | |
| Carl Renner | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2008 | Allan and Don Barker | Racing |
| Enthusiast | ||
| Maurice Olley | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2009 | Duane Bohnstedt | GM/Chevrolet |
| Tony De Lorenzo and Jer Thompson | Racing | |
| John Hinckley | Enthusiast | |
| 2010 | Grady Davis | Racing |
| Fred Gallasch | Enthusiast | |
| Jim Ingle | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2011 | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Ray Quinlan | Enthusiast | |
| Racing | ||
| 2012 | Racing | |
| Gary Claudio | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Patrick Dolan | Enthusiast | |
| Bob McDorman | Enthusiast | |
| 2013 | Racing | |
| Wil Cooksey | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Werner Meier | Enthusiast | |
| 2014 | Racing | |
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| Jerry Burton | Enthusiast | |
| 2015 | Herb Fishel | Racing |
| Russ McLean | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Enthusiast | ||
| 2016 | Racing | |
| Ralph Kramer | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Enthusiast | ||
| 2017 | Tommy Morrison | Racing |
| Jim Minneker | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Enthusiast | ||
| 2018 | Racing | |
| Tom Wallace | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Mike Yager | Enthusiast | |
| 2019 | Racing | |
| Tom Peters | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Dollie Cole | Enthusiast | |
| 2020 | Doug Fehan | Racing |
| Henry Haga | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Wendell Strode | Enthusiast | |
| Mike McCagh | Enthusiast | |
| 2022 | Racing | |
| GM/Chevrolet | ||
| Elfi Arkus-Duntov | Enthusiast |