National Corvette Museum skydome set to reopen

The sinkhole collapse, on February 12, 2014, saw eight Corvettes fall into a hole up to 9.1 metres deep and 12.2 metres wide. The reopening ceremony will see all eight Corvettes placed in the approximate positions they were in when the sinkhole opened up.

 

The rebuilt Skydome floor now features an outline of where the sinkhole was, and where the cave underneath is! There is also a 1.2 metre (48-inch) manhole leading into one side of the cave. The door to the manhole includes a glass window so guests can see into the hole.

 

While some of the Corvettes have since been repaired, including a 1962 roadster, the 1-millionth production Corvette and the ZR1 'Blue Devil' prototype, the remainder will be left in as-recovered condition as a reminder of the impact of the 2014 event.

 

It should also be noted that some of the Corvettes who fell into the hole were so badly damaged, it wasn't considered practical or economical to repair them.

 

General Motors, who restored the 1-millionth Corvette, will officially unveil the restored convertible as part of the September 3 event.

 

John Cafaro, Chief Designer of the Fifth Generation Corvette and production Corvette design from 1991 to 1999; and Dave Bolognino, director of GM Design Fabrication, will lead a seminar discussing what it took to fix both the "One Millionth" and the 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil Corvettes. The seminar is Thursday, September 3 from 9:00AM-10:00AM CT.