By Jeanni Ritchie
Did you know that there is only one place in the entire world that makes Corvettes?!
Chevrolet Corvettes are made exclusively at the GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA, a specialized facility that has been the sole home for Corvette production since 1981. It is also home to the National Corvette Museum.
The National Corvette Museum isn’t just a car museum — it’s a time capsule of American ingenuity, design, and cultural identity, all wrapped in fiberglass and chrome. It’s also a blast from my teenage past .
The exhibits guide visitors through a rich timeline of America’s sports car, from early concept models to today’s sleek, high-performance designs. You can walk through decades of engineering innovation, admire rare and one-of-a-kind Corvettes, and learn how the vehicle evolved alongside American culture. Even for non–car enthusiasts, it’s easy to appreciate how deeply the Corvette is woven into the American story.
One display in particular made me laugh out loud — a Corvette that had been buried because the owner’s wife refused to ride in it with him. Shortly before his death, he allowed its excavation. It now sits proudly in all its rusted glory on the showroom floor, a reminder that cars may be machines, but the stories attached to them are deeply human.
One of the most fascinating sections of the museum tells the story of the infamous 2014 sinkhole collapse, when eight Corvettes were swallowed overnight as the ground beneath the building gave way. Instead of hiding the disaster, the museum embraced it. Today, visitors can see damaged vehicles preserved exactly as they were recovered, along with explanations of the geology beneath Bowling Green and the painstaking restoration process that followed. Through a glass-paneled portal into the depths of the earth below, it’s part history lesson, part science class, and completely compelling.
Interactive elements throughout the museum keep the experience engaging. From racing simulators — where I happily got to play Mario Andretti without the danger of having my license revoked by my father — to hands-on design features, the museum balances nostalgia with innovation. Guided plant tours are also available, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Corvettes are built today and reinforcing why Bowling Green holds such a special place in automotive history.
I visited close to Christmastime, snapping photos of my top three for a Dear Santa list. A bright orange Corvette combined my love of fast cars and my favorite hue. A vintage white model from the ’50s had the classic and chic vibe I adore. And the ’80s Little Red Corvette screamed recaptured youth!
Whether you grew up dreaming of owning a Corvette, recognize them from pop culture and race tracks, or simply enjoy well-curated museums, the National Corvette Museum delivers an experience that feels distinctly American: bold, inventive, and proudly storied. It is Americana, from zero to sixty in 2.3 seconds.
Jeanni Ritchie is a travel writer from Central Louisiana who spent most of the ‘80s cruising in the Corvette’s cousin, the Chevy Camaro.
