Sinkholes are swallowing Corvettes now . Last year it was houses in Florida , and on Wednesday nature gobbled up some of the coolest and fastest cars to come off the assembly line . Eight valuable 'vettes at Bowling Green , Kentucky 's National Corvette Museum fell victim to a 40-foot-wide , 20-foot-deep sinkhole that opened up in the facility 's yellow Sky Dome wing . The museum unofficially estimates it caused millions of dollars in damage . Motion detectors alerted security that something was amiss shortly after 5:30 a.m. , said museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli . An employee who first walked into the room `` has been in shock all day , '' she said . `` When you go in there , it 's unreal , '' said Frassinelli . `` The hole is so big , it makes the Corvettes look like little Matchbox cars . '' The news triggered a collective worldwide gasp from the Corvette Nation . `` I was shocked , '' said Frazer Bharucha , 47 , a Corvette owner since age 17 . `` We 're talking about iconic cars that have been around for years . '' Using remote-controlled drones , geologists and engineers from nearby Western Kentucky University have already explored the sinkhole and determined that the Sky Dome suffered no structural damage , Frassinelli said . `` There 's a cave down there , '' she said , adding that the museum is only a short drive away from Mammoth Cave National Park . The damaged portion of the museum will be closed indefinitely , but the rest of the facility will be open as usual on Thursday , she said . The painful losses have been tallied : Of the eight cars that fell , six were donated to the museum by Corvette enthusiasts , and two are owned by the car 's maker , General Motors . Here 's the museum 's list of cars that went down the hole : . -- a 1962 `` Black Corvette '' -- a 1984 PPG pace car -- a 2009 ZR1 `` Blue Devil '' -- the 1992 white `` 1 Millionth Corvette '' -- a 1993 ruby red `` 40th Anniversary Corvette '' -- a 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette -- the 2009 white `` 1.5 Millionth Corvette '' -- a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder . The total value of the damaged cars is substantial , said museum executive director Wendell Strode . Almost all the cars have been removed from the room . They 've been setting up ramps to get the last one out , '' said Frassinelli . That remaining Corvette is suspended in a precarious position on a riser directly above the sinkhole . Bharucha , of the Long Island Corvette Owners Association , knows the museum well , having visited it at least six times . `` There 's a sense of awe and you get a lump in your throat when you walk inside . '' He 's right . I 've been there . It 's hallowed ground . Under the Sky Dome 's recognizable red spire and towering vaulted 100-foot high ceiling sits a round chamber that cradled rare vehicles , including Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 pace cars . The room feels like a cathedral . And for many enthusiasts , it is kind of the Church of the Corvette . It is home to more than 70 unique Corvettes , including several prototypes and a unique 1983 model -- the only one in existence . Only 43 1983 Corvettes were manufactured before GM decided to scrap them and move on to the 1984 design . All were destroyed , except the one now housed at the museum . That car will likely go on display elsewhere in the museum , Frassinelli said , but the others from the damaged dome will be placed in storage . Let 's remember the Corvette 's rich tradition . This is the ultra-cool car driven by Bill Bixby in the 1970s TV series , `` The Magician . '' It also was the cherry ride that was good enough to be piloted by the dudes with the right stuff : NASA 's Apollo astronauts . `` It 's the all-American car , '' Bharucha said . `` No matter where you go , people know it and love it . Sometimes they 'll stare at it . Other times they 'll wave . '' You always remember your first car , and Bharucha is no different . For him it was a 1966 yellow Corvette convertible . Guess what ? He still has it . `` That 's my baby , '' he said . `` That 's the one car I will not sell . '' The sinkhole could n't have come at a worse time , as the museum prepares to celebrate its 20th annivesary and open a 184-acre Motorsports Park in August . Some 5,000 people are already pre-registered to attend the park 's grand opening . Sinkholes at the Motorsports Park are n't really a concern , Frassinelli said . Several holes were found during construction and were made harmless , she said . `` We want to move forward as soon as possible '' , she said . `` We want to start repairs and recovery . '' Sinkholes : Common , costly and sometimes deadly .
40-foot wide sinkhole creates `` millions '' in damages at National Corvette Museum . ` ` There 's a cave down there , '' says museum spokeswoman . Engineers say Sky Dome suffered no structural damage . The sinkhole, which is about 40 feet wide, was caused by the collapse of an underground pipe that carries water to the cavern from below ground.