So remember that disastrous sinkhole incident at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky. last year? Eight Corvettes fell over thirty feet after the earth opened up under the museum’s Skydome. Well, the hole has been completely filled (with limestone and sand), and the incident actually turned out to be a major positive for the museum. Although only three of the eight Corvettes that fell were in good enough condition to restore once the cars were pulled from the hole, the NCM received worldwide attention as a result of the story… and attendance went up 67% for the year!

Later this year the NCM will commemorate the ordeal with a new attraction: the Thunderdome! Many car enthusiasts had their hearts broken seeing a few classic cars disappear into the sinkhole, but this new attraction won’t disappoint. We promise. The Thunderdome, a mini version of the Skydome, will be an underground simulation module of the sinkhole. The museum had actually considered keeping the sinkhole and building an attraction around it, but those plans were scrapped for safety reasons. Instead, the Thunderdome will give visitors the full experience!

With only about 15 people allowed in the Thunderdome “sensorama” at a time, you’ll be able to feel and hear the natural effects of what happens during a cave in. Will you get swallowed up in your seats? Of course not. But, it should be a great experience nonetheless! Guests will be educated about sinkholes, caves, and more. A recorded 251,258 guests visited the NCM in 2014, many because of the sinkhole news coverage, and NCM officials wanted to take the experience to the next level.

And we’ve got more good news! The 1 millionth Corvette ever built, a white 1992 C4 that was badly damaged in last year’s sinkhole, is being restored by a team at General Motors’ design center.

The Thunderdome exhibit is scheduled to open this fall. It should be an enticing experience if you’re able to make your way to Kentucky. And we promise your heart won’t sink this time!