A design sketch for the Thunderdome exhibit. Photos courtesy National Corvette Museum unless otherwise noted.
The sinkhole that opened in February of 2014 beneath the Skydome at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, has been permanently sealed and the Skydome structure repaired. While it was visible, however, it helped to draw a record 251,258 visitors to the museum during calendar year 2014. Coming later this year, a new “Thunderdome” exhibit at the museum will give visitors the experience of witnessing the collapse, from inside a simulated cave beneath a simulated Skydome floor.
The mini Skydome, under construction.
Designed by Creative Arts Unlimited, a Florida company specializing in interactive multimedia displays, the “Thunderdome” will be just one part of an exhibit designed to teach visitors about caves, sinkholes, karst landscapes, and the eight Corvettes that were damaged or destroyed when the ground beneath the Skydome opened up. The Thunderdome itself will be a miniature replica of the Skydome, and guests (about 15 at a time) will be treated to a “sensorama” experience of sound and animation that produces the sensation of being beneath the structure’s floor when the collapse occurred.
Looking up towards the ceiling of the mini Skydome.
Not all guests will be comfortable touring a dark tunnel that leads to a confined space and simulated ceiling collapse, so visitors will be able to opt out and enter the Skydome via a separate entrance. Those enjoying the Thunderdome as part of the museum tour will enter via the tunnel that currently connects the Enthusiast Area to the Skydome, which will be modified to resemble the numerous caves beneath the Kentucky landscape.
Design sketch of the Thunderdome exhibit.
Per Katie Frassenelli, the museum’s marketing and communications manager, the goal of the Thunderdome is to provide visitors with an educational, interesting and meaningful exhibit that tells the story of the Skydome sinkhole. A dash of showmanship never hurts, and the display seems to be a reasonable compromise between keeping part of the sinkhole open (which proved far too expensive) and telling the story with still images and video alone. Though a specific date has not yet been established, look for the Thunderdome exhibit to open in the fall of 2015.
A 1940 Ford standard business coupe, like the cars once used to run moonshine.
Stock car racing fans will soon have another reason to visit the National Corvette Museum, too. Opening on May 15, NASCAR: From Moonshine to Finish Line will tell the story of the sport’s evolution, from its run-from-the-revenuers beginnings to its 200+ MPH superspeedways of today, using 14 cars to illustrate the series’s history. As a nod to its earliest roots, a 1940 Ford standard business coupe, similar to the cars once modified to run moonshine on rural backroads, will be part of the exhibit.
1953 Corvette NASCAR. Photo courtesy Terry Michaelis, Pro Team Corvette.
Some of the competition cars on display will include a 1953 Corvette NASCAR, described as the earliest known Corvette race car and one of two built to give the Corvette high-performance credentials; the 1963 Chevrolet Impala SS driven by Junior Johnson and known as the “Mystery Motor” car for its experimental 427-cu.in. Mk II V-8; the 1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that helped Benny Parsons capture the 1973 Winston Cup championship; the bubble-back 1986/87 Pontiac Aero driven by Richard Petty; the 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo finished in Wheaties livery and driven by “The Intimidator,” Dale Earnhardt; and a 2008 Chevrolet Impala SS driven by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to a win at the 2008 Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
Richard Petty’s 1986 Pontiac Aero.
NASCAR: From Moonshine to Finish Line opens on May 15 and runs through September 10. For details on the exhibit, visit NASCARExhibit.com; for details on the National Corvette Museum, visit CorvetteMuseum.org.
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