BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (LEX 18) — It was a sinkhole seen around the world. Monday marks ten years since the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green took a hit from Mother Nature, causing eight Corvettes to fall 30 feet.
It was just after 5:30 in the morning on Feb. 12th, 2014, when the sinkhole triggered motion-detection alarms inside the museum.
What happened next captivated not just car enthusiasts. Eight prized Corvettes were swallowed up, including Corvette's one-millionth car.
"When you watch that video, it is shocking to see the ground swallow up those cars," said Ryan Eichler, Director of Marketing at the National Corvette Museum. "We treat the cars in our collection with such respect, to see them go down... it is shocking and heartbreaking."
Eventually, the cars were rescued during precarious operations and are now on display at the museum.
No one was inside at the time, and no one was hurt.
After the incident, visitation jumped 67%, according to the museum's website.
"A lot of the attention the sinkhole created laid the groundwork for increases in guest visits, which then allows us to expand our exhibitions," said Eichler."
This summer, guests will be able to experience the cave-in in a new way. The exhibit "Ground to Sky: The Sinkhole Reimagined" opens on June 15.
Sinkholes are not uncommon in Kentucky, although most are not as large as this one was. They happen here because of the topography called karst, formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone.
