Ironically, the massive sinkhole that swallowed eight Corvettes at the National Corvette Museum has become the main attraction of the Bowling Green, Kentucky gallery. Officials were so impressed with the rise in visitors the museum saw after the event that they would like to preserve the sinkhole and even put one or two of the damaged cars inside the hole as a display for visitors.
Attendance increased almost 60 percent from March to mid-June, compared to the same period a year ago, according to museum officials. Furthermore, sign-ups for museum memberships are up unexpectedly, while merchandise and cafe sales at the museum are booming. The museum is also cashing in on the sinkhole by selling shirts, post cards and prints related to the event.
The board of the museum is in favor of preserving a large section of the sinkhole that opened up beneath the building in February. “This gives us one more asset … to be able to attract those folks that maybe just having Corvettes on display would not get them to come here. We think it will continue for some time to be of great interest,” museum Executive Director Wendell Strode told The Detroit News. He added that there is a strong possibility that one or two of the damaged cars will be put back in the hole.
Since the event, the cars have been pulled out of the sinkhole and GM has offered to oversee restoration efforts. However, no final decision has been made on how many of the cars will be repaired.
By Dan Mihalascu
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